2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Sometimes things just fall into place and things go so well, you just have to do a little crowing! Well, this is one of those times! We got access to the Glen Canyon Dam and have posted recovery logs on 8 of the benchmarks there. There are several others still waiting to be recovered, but according to the security guard who accompanied us on our quest, they require special permission and you CANNOT be on foot the entire time it would take to make those recoveries. The tunnel is about 2 miles long and drops about 600 feet in elevation. Someday we might get those. We had an appointment at 9AM on last Thursday at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. We arrived a bit early due to screening with metal detectors and having to sign in. Everything went smoothly and we then met our escorts. One was a Security Guard and the other was a Tour Guide who had worked at the dam for 20 some years before retiring so he knew the dam very well The first stop on the journey was maintenance to get hard hats for everyone. While we were doing that it was mentioned that there was a benchmark right under the visitor center. Our escorts decided that would be a good one to start with. They led us through a couple rooms and through a door that opened directly below the observation area of the visitor center. We walked over near the edge of the canyon and looked to the south of each of the pillars, but saw no benchmark. We then walked along the edge of the canyon rim and within 100 feet saw some old pipes stuck in the sandstone. Right next to the pipe at the edge of the rim was the disk we were looking for. Due to its location, I was sure this one would be off limits. What a way to start the recovery quest! Even if we didn't find any other marks, this one would have been enough to make the trip worth the effort. GP0101 - W 53 From that mark it was back inside and down an elevator to the top of the dam. As we approached the elevator the security guard said that the elevator was out of order. The tour guide then allowed as how there were stairs that go all the way to the bottom of the dam (about 740 feet). Sure enough there was a sign saying out of order and security tape blocking access to the elevator! We were then treated to the surprise of using the maintenance elevator at the other end of the dam. We had a map showing the approximate location of each of the benchmarks and used that to determine the order in which we recovered the rest of the benchmarks. We did 8 recoveries - 6 finds and 2 notes. We posted pictures for all recoveries. For the 2 notes 1 was a possible find, but we could not get close enough to say for sure due to security issues. We believe that if it is approached by boat it should be an easy recovery if one has permission to be there. The other note is for one that is on a ledge and the original picture when enlarged suggest where the disk is most likely located. Since one would need to repel down the canyon wall to access it, I doubt you would get permission for that recovery! The picture we posted has an arrow pointing to where we think the disk is located. GP0117 - BW 10 GP0116 - BE 16 GP0121 - A 402 GP0115 - Y 405 GP0118 - W 405 GP0119 - X 405 GP0122 - Z 405 (Set vertical in the dam) 2 hours to walk about 2 miles and do 8 recoveries. A great way to spend the morning. John & Shirley Quote Link to comment
+AndrewRJ Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 WOW! That is quite an adventure. Very cool that you were allowed onto the dam property to recover those. Quote Link to comment
+Klemmer Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 (edited) Nice work, John & Shirley! Very professional. You folks are quite the team. Beats the heck out of the "recoveries" (so are many wrong) at the over-visited Hoover Dam. Edited February 4, 2009 by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama Quote Link to comment
+pgrig Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Marvelous job! Down a lazy river..dum de dum, dum dum.... Quote Link to comment
+GEO*Trailblazer 1 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I got Benchmark envy. I wish we were where it was warmer. Quote Link to comment
+TheBeanTeam Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I got Benchmark envy. Me too! Great post. Thanks for sharing your adventure. Quote Link to comment
+Ernmark Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 ..best dam recoveries I've seen for a while ! Quote Link to comment
+chiknlips45 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Great photos and post. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment
+The Fossillady Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Fantastic pictures and yes I am envious also. Great work. Quote Link to comment
+NorthWes Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Epic. That's a testimony to earnestly asking permission, eh? What a grand place - those photos belong on the photo contest thread. Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 We added a couple more photos to logs W 53 & Z 405. Here are 2 that give a better indication of the settings for those marks. Z 405 W 53 Quote Link to comment
+Harry Dolphin Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Great photos! Great recoveries!!!! EEK! And I though benchmark on top of the Palisades was scary! Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Since we don't submit reports to the NGS, I wonder if we could get Dave D. to correct an error on the datasheet for Z 405? Has anyone else notice what this error is? The error is 9,500,000 + tons in size, just a little error. John Quote Link to comment
UNK1 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Since we don't submit reports to the NGS, I wonder if we could get Dave D. to correct an error on the datasheet for Z 405? Has anyone else notice what this error is? The error is 9,500,000 + tons in size, just a little error. John After studying the datasheet it occurred to me that this would be something that could be used as the target for the upcoming contest. Time to start practicing your sorting for this 'attribute' of the benchmarks in your area. UNK1 Quote Link to comment
+m&h Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Would this be another hint? Tighten up those stretch marks! Get out and hunt for bench marks! The sedentary, passive life leads from light to massive. Very great finds, by the way. Wonderful to read about. Cheers, Quote Link to comment
UNK1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Would this be another hint? Tighten up those stretch marks! Get out and hunt for bench marks! The sedentary, passive life leads from light to massive. Very great finds, by the way. Wonderful to read about. Cheers, That indeed would be an excellent hint. Thanks, UNK1 Quote Link to comment
+GEO*Trailblazer 1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) Top to bottom. Or is is on the bottom? No the top? Or is that a light structure? Or is it the structure that makes light? Edited February 9, 2009 by GEO*Trailblazer 1 Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Top to bottom. Or is is on the bottom? No the top? Or is that a light structure? Or is it the structure that makes light? Yes Quote Link to comment
+Rumpled Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Great trip success and report. Reading your logs, I think it'd be good if you expanded a bit like you've done here. It would add to future viewers' appreciation. In my log of HR0808 on O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy, I wrote "Setting: light structures Stability: Mark of questionable or unknown stability" I truly hope not - it's set into a dam that's 900 feet wide and 300+ feet tall. I know that it will probably be breached in a few millenia (if not torn down); but I generally consider it a stable, heavy structure. Very similar to the situation here. I notice that Klemmer and Wintertime have also visited this one. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Lucky !*%@^% to live so close to that! HEY, you guys qualify for all four of my Benchmark Challenge caches! Come and get 'em! Quote Link to comment
+Rumpled Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Lucky !*%@^% to live so close to that! HEY, you guys qualify for all four of my Benchmark Challenge caches! Come and get 'em! So, what is this challenge? Quote Link to comment
southpawaz Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 So, what is this challenge? GC1M6CH Arizona Benchmark Challenge - Casual (25) GC1M6D0 Arizona Benchmark Challenge - Serious (100) GC1m71K Arizona Benchmark Challenge - Obsessed (500) The other cache in the series, Dedicated (250) has yet to be placed. Quote Link to comment
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