Author Topic: Pointless Stiles, Gates and Finger Posts or Unusual / Interesting Landmarks  (Read 36935 times)

fernman

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Re. the 'Dangerous tree' sign, jest not, a walker was killed by a falling tree a few days ago on the Isabel Trail in Stafford.

gunwharfman

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I hiked in the rain this morning did about 5 miles. In a dip in the wood, a 10' long footbridge has been built across a 2' wide stream, its really good, has a grip rail to one side and the walking area is 24" wide. In order to get onto the bridge however, I had to wade through about twenty feet of sticky horrible muddy water and mud first. At the other end of the bridge, I had to wade through about fifteen feet of sticky horrible muddy water and mud to get to solid ground again. Someone didn't think it through properly!

ninthace

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I hiked in the rain this morning did about 5 miles. In a dip in the wood, a 10' long footbridge has been built across a 2' wide stream, its really good, has a grip rail to one side and the walking area is 24" wide. In order to get onto the bridge however, I had to wade through about twenty feet of sticky horrible muddy water and mud first. At the other end of the bridge, I had to wade through about fifteen feet of sticky horrible muddy water and mud to get to solid ground again. Someone didn't think it through properly!
This is a version of Ludwig's 2nd Law.  The original Ludwig's Law was developed by yours truly as a result of empirical observation.  Mad King Lugwig II of Bavaria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria) was a bit of an architectural eccentric.  I noted when skiing in the area of Bavaria and Austria, where he lived, all toilets were down a flight of slippery tiled steps which had to be negotiated wearing ski boots on a surface that had the same coefficient of friction as a wet hard boiled egg on Teflon.  Given the universality of this arrangement, we decided it must be the result of some insane architectural decree and thus Ludwig's 1st law was born:  the likelihood of a toilet being downstairs is inversely proportional to the ease of negotiation of the stairs.  Ludwig's 2nd law, based on his inability to complete things, states:  any device to ease the progress of the traveller shall be close to, but never equal to, the requirement.  Thus any boardwalk will be placed in the middle of a boggy bit but will never be as long as the boggy bit.  A subsection of the same law is the reason that the only muddy bit of a field will be at gate you want to get through and the deepest part of the mud will be by the latch.
« Last Edit: 14:04:54, 11/10/19 by ninthace »
Solvitur Ambulando

gunwharfman

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Excellent!  ;D  ;D

GnP

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I'd have gone back for it  :)
I once retraced my footsteps for some way back down Moel Edno to search for and find my fleece hat that I'd dropped. I've also walked halfway back round a Chilterns walk to find my camera lens, but top of the list, which I think I've told on here a long time ago, was returning to Hampstead Heath the day after I left a x10 handlens behind, and it was still there, busy place though it is.
I was too knackered...& it was ****ing it down as I stepped into the car...I will say a prayer for it tonight..

ps that reminds me of a time nothing to do with walking but a rear light cover of my truck, was knocked of by an errant dog who clipped it as it bolted across a main road......I saw it come off in my rear view...I went back expecting to find it in bits having been run over by cars...there it was lying in the middle of the road on the dotted lines..the dog was caught by its owner looking none the worse for wear..
« Last Edit: 14:39:18, 11/10/19 by GinAndPlatonic »
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

pleb

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Has it occurred to nobody that the muddy bits are allus by the gate cos thats where folk are concentrated in terms of foot fall? etc etc. You can guarantee it.
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

JerryW

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My theory is that all mud is caused by humans (and their animals) .. no humans, no mud
I love the outdoors, and will be out there, while I can :-)

vghikers

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Quote
Has it occurred to nobody that the muddy bits are allus by the gate cos thats where folk are concentrated in terms of foot fall? etc etc. You can guarantee it.

Often yes, but sometimes because the disagreeable farmer has deliberately placed a cattle feeder close to it on the footpath >:(

fernman

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And said muddy bit by gate is always at the very end of your walk, with the car park in sight a hundred metres away.

GnP

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And said muddy bit by gate is always at the very end of your walk, with the car park in sight a hundred metres away.
I accept lots of churned up mud with cow hoof prints around a stile, no problem... it`s when the mud is covered with cows round the stile, I get a tad nervous
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

fernman

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My theory is that all mud is caused by humans (and their animals) .. no humans, no mud

That's an interesting point, because I've observed there is a big difference between the mud in the grass and along the paths on any camp site I spend a night on prior to starting a multiple-day walk, and any mud at my tent pitches up in the unpopulated hills. The former sticks to anything while the latter wipes off easily.
The answer is probably due to the different lowland and upland surface soils, but there could be something in your theory.

archaeoroutes

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This one's great. Not only is there no fence where the style is, there is a bank and hedge blocking the way on just beyond it.

I have to admire the efforts of the developers to preserve the stile and fingerpost when they built the visitors centre and put in the new path a little to the right of the old one to a safer road crossing.
Walking routes visiting ancient sites in Britain's uplands: http://www.archaeoroutes.co.uk

Dodgylegs

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Not seen one of these before...






JerryW

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I have, though no idea where. Where was that one?
they look expensive to make!
I love the outdoors, and will be out there, while I can :-)

pdstsp

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I like that, though, as said it does look expensive!  Could have done with one yesterday when I was making a show of myself trying to get over a fence!

 

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