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What are the odds???


TeamGatorade

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Went looking for a couple of BM's around town that were monumented in 69, (SY1970 and SY1971) and no record of ever been recovered, as well as one that was monumented in 88, and was supposed to be right at the corner of the overpass, SY5606). After spending about 30 minutes looking for SY5606, I realized I was probably never going to find it. The reason...in 1988, Highway 18 was still only two lanes, with one two lane overpass, and Highway 516, (Kent-Kangley road), was still only a two lane road. Highway 18 is now four lanes through here, with two, two-lane overpass bridges, and Kent-Kangley is now two lanes each direction, with a center turn lane. There is no witness post. The catch basin here now is huge, and on the other side of the overpass from the description. 8.2 feet south of the north end of the bridge guard rail has me on the side of the overpass embankment. Coordinates have me standing up in the median of the highway, between the two overpasses, but there is no catch basin, guard rail or witness post anywhere around.

My question is does anyone think I'm not looking in the right place yet, or that it probably doesn't exist anymore since both roads and the intersection and the overpasses have been built and/or widened since 1988?

Basically the same question I have for SY1970 and SY1971, which were monumented in 69, but never recovered since, and 180th/WAX road has been widened considerably, with all the telephone and power poles removed and replaced. So how do I find it now? Coordinates took me right to a newer (last 10 years) power pole, but there were no witness post, or monuments around that I could find. Think they still exist, or I'm wasting my time?

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I don't know that I'd try looking for them if there's been that much construction in recent years. One of the marks (SY5606) mentioned that it was a DOT mark, which I would take to mean that if the DOT widened the road, they would not care if they wiped out one of their own marks. It was more than likely relocated to a more convenient spot, but the new location is not in the NGS or Geocaching benchmark database.

 

One of the others (SY1970) mentioned that it was near a section corner in a type of well, and another (SY1971) that it had a subterranean marker. Those would be the things to really tell you if you've found it or not, but if they are near or in the DOT right-of-way, I'd forget looking for them too. If you tried to dig there, you might get in quite a bit of trouble.

 

Generally, if things look like they've changed from the description, the cap could be gone, especially if it is in a more urban setting. However, with a little detective work you may get lucky and find it. Some agencies (and even contractors) know the value of the benchmarks and do what they can to protect them. Sometimes new construction just hides them.

 

Keep on Caching!

- Kewaneh

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