trailwalker

Thanks for this clarification, Z15. I was just curious about this benchmark that I found and trying to learn what I could about it. Your info is helpful.

Thanks for these tips, Gungadoy. I use an iPhone sometimes, too, but usually I use my Garmin. I didn't take these coordinates while I was at the site of this benchmark, but on the map they are 40.61146 North and 75.96521 West. This is right along the Appalachian Trail below the Port Clinton fire tower in Berks County, PA. As the previous commenter pointed out, this is a USGS survey marker and I was attempting to look it up in NGS databases, which would explain why I couldn't find it. Again, I appreciate your tips on getting started with benchmarking.

Ahh ... that would certainly explain it. I'll poke around a bit and see if I can find anything out about USGS benchmarks. Appreciate your help!

Thanks, K13. I've posted on that forum. Still finding my way around here. This helped!

Thanks, K13. I've posted on that forum. Still finding my way around here. This helped!

I've been geocaching off and on since 2002. On a recent hike, I found a benchmark (image inserted below). I was trying to figure out how to get information about this benchmark and others. This one is listed on my topo maps (I use EasyGPS). There is a "BM" and "X" at the spot. But I can't find it in a database. Do some of these benchmarks become abandoned after a time? This one is literally right on the Appalachian Trail and has been substantially defaced, so a lot of people have seen it. I can't see that it has been logged on this Geocaching site. Why can't I find it listed in any databases? When I list the coordinates, I can find benchmarks in the area, but this location isn't among them. From what I can tell, most people who do benchmarking are finding a benchmark listed in the database first and then going out to find and log it. I guess I'm trying to do the opposite. Sorry for the long post, but I'd like to get started in benchmarking and am not quite sure how to do that.

I've been geocaching off and on since 2002. On a recent hike, I found a benchmark (image inserted below). I was trying to figure out how to get information about this benchmark and others. This one is listed on my topo maps (I use EasyGPS). There is a "BM" and "X" at the spot. But I can't find it in a database. Do some of these benchmarks become abandoned after a time? This one is literally right on the Appalachian Trail and has been substantially defaced, so a lot of people have seen it. I can't see that it has been logged on this Geocaching site. Why can't I find it listed in any databases? When I list the coordinates, I can find benchmarks in the area, but this location isn't among them. From what I can tell, most people who do benchmarking are finding a benchmark listed in the database first and then going out to find and log it. I guess I'm trying to do the opposite. Sorry for the long post, but I'd like to get started in benchmarking and am not quite sure how to do that.

Thanks to all you helpful U.K. geocachers, I now have 44 cache sites dowloaded into my Garmin and am ready to look for them as I go along the Coast to Coast Path. You guys are great. Thanks! I'll let you all know how I made out.

Hi. I'm a geocacher who lives near Philadelphia. I'm walking the Coast to Coast Path, starting in St. Bees on May 21 and ending in Robin Hood's Bay on June 5. This is the second time I've walked the path. I'll probably put a cache somewhere along the path this year AND I'd love to look for caches along the way, if there are any. Problem is, the geocaching.com site lists things in latitude/longitude and there's no easy way I can see to translate cache waypoints to your British system of UTM grids. The OS strip maps I have for the Coast to Coast Path are British Grid System and don't have lat/lon on them. Can anyone help me by locating caches on or very near the Coast to Coast Path and then giving me British grid references? I'm just looking for a few caches within a mile of the Coast to Coast Path. Any help you can lend would be greatly appreciated. I'm familiar with using British UTM system from previous hikes in England and Wales. Thanks for any help you can give. -wally trimb