Benchmark Picture Contest 2007 - Part 2

[+NorStar]

This is a pair contrasting one another, literally within a couple hundred feet along the same walk.

 

Both of these are in New Orleans along Lake Shore Drive. The body of water is Lake Pontchartrain.

 

The first is the benchmark "Essex", BJ1355.

http://img.geocaching.com/benchmark/lg/7b8...90b0b2ab8c5.jpg

 

In contrast, the second is the benchmark "Dodge", BJ1353. Hopefully soon, this will be beautiful again.

http://img.geocaching.com/benchmark/lg/993...bdb1cf87847.jpg

Edited December 12, 2007 by NorStar

[+Klemmer]

Thanks for the botany lesson! Out here in CA, we have lots of different wild berries (that look similar to Poison Oak) so we look for the thorns. No thorns, and it's probably Poison Oak. The actual Poison Oak leave configuration is always three, but the leave edges vary a lot locally (smooth vs serrated edges). So I didn't look at the edges. Not a reliable place to look out here. I'll keep that "creeper" in mind if I get to VA.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

Heh, that stuff in the picture was poison ivy, thumbs or no thumbs !

 

Virginia creeper has 5 leaflets, not 3 leaflets like poison ivy. There's no confusing that one with poison ivy when you know that.

 

The only thing that sometimes looks exactly like poison ivy but isn't is boxelder maple. Unlike poison ivy, boxelder maple grows to a large tree, plus most leaves have 7 leaflets, and only some have 3 or 5. Occasionally it is possible to confuse very young boxelder maple trees with poison ivy, but some of the leaves will have 5 leaflets, giving it away as harmless boxelder.

[+89SC]

JX0246, on the wall of the old B & O railroad station in Salem, WV:

 

[+PFF]

Well, 2007 is coming to a close, but it was another great year for benchmark photos. Here's a photo taken on beautiful December day on a rural road in Durham County, NC:

 

AE7375 "RURITAN"

[+PFF]

Anyone else got some "last minute, under-the-wire" shots?

Edited December 27, 2007 by PFF

[wwflover13]

Anyone else got some "last minute, under-the-wire" shots?

7 DRD (EZ1107)

 

JUNIPER RM 1 (EZ6252)

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Here are a couple we recovered a couple of weeks ago.

 

HIGHWAY 89 MP 464.30 Looking North.

 

E 6 a 1921 mark in northern AZ.

We found out what a "Toe of Sandstone" was - the yellow arrow points to it.

 

Looking West to the mark on the "Toe of Sandstone" and the Witness Post.

 

We really enjoyed the day, cold but not so cold that we couldn't stand it.

 

Shirley~

[+PFF]

This church near Greensboro NC has three disks on the property. Now that's Heavenly!

 

AH6009 "POLE CAT" (visible at lower right)

[+cjf]

Here's another "under the wire" that even has wire in the photo! (Stupid fence.........)

 

HT0496 and HT0497 were fun to find because they are literally right next to each other. HT0497 was a reset to HT0496 because a rod couldn't be placed over the first benchmark because of bridge railings. So I got a two-fer.

 

This is from a scenic area in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crystal Springs Reservoir. Hard to imagine this is only about 20 minutes south of San Francisco!

 

[+Harry Dolphin]

Okay. What haven't I posted yet that is semi-scenic?

KU1581, Roslyn, Nassau, NY. Looks like vandalism to me!

Oh, that isn't scenic. KV3447 Glen Rock, Bergen, NJ. Under Rte 208.

KV0164, Paterson, Passaic, NJ. The Passaic County Courthouse. Not a safe neighborhood. Andy Bear stayed with the car.

[+NorthWes]

My last benchmark hunting trip of the year yielded a couple of grand views of 6414' Moapa Peak, NE of Las Vegas NV.

I was cruising the dirt roads off I-15 following in the footsteps of the2oldfarts... having a blast!

 

GR18128 - triangulation station DEAN - looking WNW across the mark towards the peak.

The ground slopes towards the southwest at dizzying angle!

 

GR0202 - triangulation station GREY - looking north across the mark towards Moapa Peak.

Old Highway 91 and I-15 are in the foreground at the foot of the hill.

 

Hmmm - here's a photo of a 'destroyed' mark - LOS ANGELES SALT LK AWY BN 31A's foundation -

but what a view!

GR1900 - LA-SALT LK AWY BN 31A SITE VIEW (looking south towards Overton from the 2350' tall knoll on the north side of I-15)

The adjusted coordinates lie in the exact center of this old foundation atop the highest of 2 knolls.

 

This Concrete Airway Arrow lies 200' lower and .15 miles east of the GR1900 foundation site,

as described in the GR1900 monumentation report.

 

My last (to date) recovery of 2007 - TT0870 - a fine view of Elmendorf AFB AK (just outside Anchorage AK)

at 3pm on a beautiful mid-winter day...

(or, 'why I visit Las Vegas in December!')

[+PFF]

About the photo of snow in Alaska, NorthWes wrote:

 

"Which is why I visit Las Vegas in December."

 

And that's why I occasionally see that you and Mrs. NorthWes have been in North Carolina, photographing Baptist Churches and Light Houses.

 

The picture below has no particular merit, other than to brag about yesterday's clear skies in Raleigh, with a light breeze and temperatures in the low 60's.

 

I admire those of you who hunt benchmarks beneath the "white stuff". You should get double points for those finds!

 

-Paul-

 

Z-217 (EZ1931), Raleigh North Carolina

Edited December 28, 2007 by PFF

[+Klemmer]

Here's my (probably) last submission for the year. Stretching the rules just a bit. It was impossible to get the drill hole from 1899 (FS1138, previously not found since monumented - uhhh... drilled) into the same picture as the scenery, so Klemmer & the 2oldfarts marked the drill hole with the circa 1899 (?) shovel remains found near the mark. The shovel tip is next to the drill hole. You are looking east to the next ridgeline (marked 936T on the topo), and by the way, across the CA / NV border into Nevada. This is one of (I think) three previously unfound 1899 NGS database marks we found that day. Quite a trip!

 

Edited December 28, 2007 by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama

[+Black Dog Trackers]

I saved a few nice pictures. Probably some sets of 50 pages slipped by me, but here's some nice ones that I did spot.

 

Mt Liberty Lincoln, NH by ddnutzy

 

A 368 by imapackrat

 

Cape Reset by NorthWes

 

K 427 by CallawayMT

 

Bride by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama

 

T 309 by GEO*Trailblazer 1

 

Q 108 by VagabondsWV

 

5735 by Ernmark

 

Big by lost02

 

Don by NorthWes

[+Black Dog Trackers]

got a couple more....

 

Z 50 by NorthWes

 

R 522 by CallawayMT

 

V 274 by AZcachemeister

[+Harry Dolphin]

Okay! Time to start up the 2008 page!

Here's my firt submission:

Pville