Benchmark Buddies

[ArtMan]

Although I have mostly enjoyed benchmarking as a solo activity, I've had fun introducing sundry friends to this odd hobby of ours. It's great to go out and explain the workings of a datasheet, the operation of a GPS receiver, and the deduction needed to uncover long-lost (or at least neglected) benchmarks, and to share the joy of finding what you've been looking for.

 

But until Friday, I had never gone out for some serious benchmarking with another experienced benchmark hunter.

 

While visiting North Carolina, I had the pleasure of spending a day with PFF, a well-known contributor to this forum and one of the more prolific members of our community.

 

If you haven't had the chance to go out with another experienced benchmarker, I strongly recommend it.

 

Paul and I traded benchmark hunting tips and techniques, war stories, and the like. And, like they say, two heads — even benchmark-addled heads — are better than one. That applies equally to deciphering the confusing and sometimes contradictory narrative in a datasheet as well as the grunt work of excavating, tape-measuring, and the like.

 

So thanks to PFF for a great day of Carolina benchmarking, and I think he would join me in recommending that everyone try a day of joint benchmark hunting. You'll be glad you did.

 

-ArtMan-

 

PS - We agreed that benchmarking on an empty stomach is ill-advised, so we broke up the day with some excellent North Carolina barbecue!

[AZcachemeister]

Let me be the first to echo your positive sentiment!

I have gone looking with one of my good Geocaching buddies (the one who got me to start benchmarking by giving me the whole state .gpx of BMs) ShadowAce a couple of times now, and it was a blast!

I'd advise it's best when neither benchmarker's family or S/O are involved!

The only potentially negative side-effect is when the question of 'who gets to log the NGS recovery?' comes up.

[ArtMan]

Paul and I split the NGS reporting 50-50.

 

-ArtMan-

[Wintertime]

I'd advise it's best when neither benchmarker's family or S/O are involved!

Why the arbitrary distinction between "benchmarkers" and "family or S/O" who shouldn't be involved in the hunt? As we know from this very forum, we have some active benchmark hunting families.

 

Patty

[+Harry Dolphin]

Andy Bear and I had a very nice benchmarking hunt up the Palisades with Papa-Bear-NYC. We learnt a lot.

[+PFF]

An unexpected treat during our joint hunt was discovering a disk (GARY T) at the personal residence of Gary Thompson, the head of the North Carolina Geodetic Survey. Rank has its privileges when it comes to getting a “vanity” benchmark.

 

As Art mentioned, breaking the routine of solo hunting was nice—especially since each of us has been doing this for a number of years and we use similar techniques (such as engaging in hours of advance research, and using paper data sheets). By the third mark, we were a “well-oiled machine”, and we recovered some pretty tough stations. Several were recessed twice as deep as what was indicated on the data sheet. Others had very vague descriptions.

 

Most had not been recovered in fifteen to eighteen years, and much had changed in the way of reference objects. However, at four of the marks, there either were stakes in place, or convenient arrows on the pavement. It’s nice to get a “freebie” occasionally!

 

We were twelve for twelve on Friday, and they included the usual assortment of locations such as a school (where we got permission from the Principal), highway right-of-ways, people's yards, and open fields. Actually, we considered a 13th station, but when we got to the site, it was very overgrown. Art offered to use my machete to whack a path fifty feet into the brush. However, the temperature was conducive to the presence of snakes—which we would not have been able to see until we were right on top of them. Plus, we were about a quarter-mile off the road, on a large farm, and no one was home to give us permission. I’ll go back for that one later in the winter.

 

We visited one triangulation station (EZ5248) and got a “clean sweep” by recovering all four disks. The last recovery had been fifteen years earlier, and our NGS report will include important description updates for the station, two reference marks, and the azimuth mark.

 

Let me say that Art is a very interesting person to visit with. Our conversations went far beyond benchmark hunting, and he has some great stories to tell about his experiences from around the World, during his lengthy career in broadcast journalism. If you have an opportunity to do a team hunt with him, I can promise that you will enjoy it!

 

-Paul-

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

CENTER

 

Well there have been a few Families by there.

 

And as a family outing just recently at Meades Ranch Kansas it was great to be in the company of one of our Benchmark Hunting Surveyor's.

Ernie Cantu known here as cantuland.

MEADES RANCH RESET

 

Who say's girls can't find benchmarks?

This was a year ago.

The girls still talk about this wild berry bush at the location.

 

And the girls also did several of the Initial Points west from here while headed out the Lewis and Clark Trail and and well I kinda like multi tasking when possible.

[AZcachemeister]

I'd advise it's best when neither benchmarker's family or S/O are involved!

Why the arbitrary distinction between "benchmarkers" and "family or S/O" who shouldn't be involved in the hunt? As we know from this very forum, we have some active benchmark hunting families.

 

Patty

 

Only because they are not really interested in them in our case(s).

 

Having the wife and/or kids sitting (patiently) in the vehicle waiting for you (it's well over 100º) to find the thing and get your photo adds an extra 'time limit' to the hunt.

 

My wife (and best friend) AZgeckogirl enjoys going along for the ride, but seldom gets out of the

JEEP to even look, and has only ever logged one.

 

So, the point is that it's better if all parties are really interested in finding them, and not simply tolerating their maniacal, obsessed and pre-occupied relative.

[ArtMan]

So, the point is that it's better if all parties are really interested in finding them, and not simply tolerating their maniacal, obsessed and pre-occupied relative.

Exactly what Paul and I concluded.

 

It's not whether it's your spouse/partner/SO; it's whether your benchmarking companion is really interested.

 

Anyway, my original point was to stress the synergy of bringing two experienced benchmarkers together.

 

I would add that at least part of the value comes from the fact that Paul and I, in this case, had each independently developed a style and approach that we were able to share. (Fortunately, we complemented each other; one could imagine two different and clashing styles as well.)

 

-ArtMan-

[ArtMan]

Let me say that Art is a very interesting person to visit with. Our conversations went far beyond benchmark hunting, and he has some great stories to tell about his experiences from around the World, during his lengthy career in broadcast journalism. If you have an opportunity to do a team hunt with him, I can promise that you will enjoy it!

Paul wasn't too shabby in that department either! I promise you he has the most unique ringtones on his phone that I've ever heard.

 

-ArtMan-

[+27E_20]

My wife hates it- finding caches too. What can I say, shes a city girl. Makes for a lot of solo missions. Ill be back in the real world next June if anyone wants to find some in the middle TN area.

[+PFF]

I promise you he has the most unique ringtones on his phone that I've ever heard.

 

For anyone wondering, the name of the caller is announced in Morse Code.

 

73,

Paul <-----------(Former radiotelegraph operator for ITT)

[Wintertime]

I'd advise it's best when neither benchmarker's family or S/O are involved!

Why the arbitrary distinction between "benchmarkers" and "family or S/O" who shouldn't be involved in the hunt? As we know from this very forum, we have some active benchmark hunting families.

Only because they are not really interested in them in our case(s).

Ah, okay, got it: "It's best when my family or S/O isn't involved." It was the global nature of the comment that didn't make sense. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Patty