What the heck is that thing?

[DaveC426913]

Only context I have is that this is along a riverside path.

I see there is a rivulet of washed-away top-growth - perhaps a clue?

Any theories why this metal railing might be installed like this? It makes no contact with the tree.

 

[DaveC426913]

Upon further reflection: That is almost certainly a handrail. It is engineered exactly as a handrail would be (height is constant).

It must be designed to facilitate (a lot of) people visiting that tree.

It must be a special tree.

(We have a tree near us called the Comfort Maple. It is over a century old, and is well-known in the area. Many people visit it to give it hugs as a kind of superstitious wish-granting thing.)

 

[Baluncore]

It must be there to protect the tree, and the tree's roots in some way. Maybe to protect the tree from browsing by unicorns.

It could be an obstruction. Does that explain the rectangular deviation at the bottom, that is offset towards the camera?

If it was a handrail, there would be stone or wooden steps built below, on the surface adjacent to the handrail, to protect the pedestrian's ankles, and the gravel bank.

Are there other art projects or sculptures in the vicinity?

Do you have a Lat, Lng on Google Earth?

 

[difalcojr]

Maybe a trail. Around the tree and up to the right, possibly, out of the photo. A very fancy rail to help get around the old tree, to the left of it on the trail, which circles around the tree's back, or on the right with its rock to step up on.

 

[DaveC426913]

Do you have a Lat, Lng on Google Earth?

Based on a bit of sleuthing, I am pretty sure that it is within a healthy hike of here:
40.2116, -76.3218

 

[DaveC426913]

If it was a handrail, there would be stone or wooden steps built below, on the surface adjacent to the handrail, to protect the pedestrian's ankles, and the gravel bank.

Not necessarily. I am pretty sure the requirements for handrails for park trails are different than the requirements for footing in some park/hiking areas.

Im betting that handrail has a miniscule environmental impact compared to laying down steps (which would surely interfere with the tree's root and water access).

 

[Baluncore]

Based on a bit of sleuthing, I am pretty sure that it is within a healthy hike of here: 40.2116, -76.3218

I cannot place it in the area indicated. Any more clues?

There is a road with Armco guardrails, and a rectangular sign, entering a steep forested valley, to the East. The picture of the road is taken from a foot or cycle path below, that has lighting, so is probably near a town or a school.

Edit:

 

[berkeman]

Are there other art projects or sculptures in the vicinity?

This is my guess. Probably some artist did it mostly anonymously and hoped that it looked professional enough to not be taken down.

 

[berkeman]

LOL, I did a Google Images search on the picture, and it recognizes it as a handrail, but the only link to that picture is for some skateboarders on Facebook saying they think they know a guy who could skate it...

 

[DaveC426913]

I cannot place it in the area indicated.

No. It is the centre of a wide area. The poster lives near there (according my investigation. Their address is publicly available, though I have not included it). The marked pin is near the poster's address (presumably within a mile or so).

They say they were on a walk, so their actual address is not relevant.

We just have to assume they were walking near their home.

Any more clues?

Not to-hand, no.

I suppose I could reach out for more details.

There is a road with Armco guardrails, and a rectangular sign, entering a steep forested valley, to the East. The picture of the road is taken from a foot or cycle path below, that has lighting, so is probably near a town or a school.

Yes. Things I used as clues while scanning with Google street view:
- guardrail
- two roads/paths at different elevations
- the sign
- the open, sunlit grassy berm with few mature trees.

The sign and guardrail are the most convenient markers to look for. I went up and down the roads within a mile or so in either direction but could find no sign like that.

I also tried looking for "Heritage Trees" in the Speedwell vicinity but nothing useful turned up.

 

[Rive]

We just have to assume they were walking near their home.

There are plenty of hike trails in the area, so I would say it may be up to a dozen km...
(Ps.: and if it was a car&foot hike then ...)

There seems to be a (not too high) lamp pole on the left, so I assume it's some walkway within city/village boundary.

 

[Baluncore]

Since the handrail is held in place with old concrete, and is on a lit river walk, which must be near a city, I think it was installed as a challenge, a joke played on skateboarders who must ride anything difficult.

That does explain why the ground below the rail is now denuded of vegetation. The rail is probably doing a good job, as a sacrificial-attractant, protecting many other handrails on that river walk.

The Appalachian trail is a long search.
I asked Google AI: "where are there lit river walks in Appalachia".
"For lit river walks in Appalachia, focus on developed towns along rivers like the Powell River Trail (Big Stone Gap/Appalachia, VA) or paved paths like Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Trail (near NW Lancaster County), as truly "lit" Appalachian Trail sections are rare, but towns offer safer, illuminated riverfront strolls. Look for riverfront greenways in towns such as Asheville, NC (French Broad), Roanoke, VA (Roanoke River Greenway), or sections in Maryland/West Virginia near the Potomac".

I should say how beautiful that area is, especially in autumn colours on Google Earth.

 

[DaveC426913]

There's pretty hefty mountain in the distance, so I suspect we are looking north from near Hwy 76 or 322. (but it can't be on 76 - that's the turnpike and there won't be all that foliage so close).

The pin is Speedwell, the poster's home. Buncha mountains to the north.

Something else: the only place I have seen a sign like that (horizontal rectangle) so far is on one of the larger highways, as if they are city distance signs. I have yet to encounter a single sign like that on any of the smaller roads.