Older and not so old Benchmarks of Hariman State Park

[woodstrider]

Looking at different version of the USGS maps of Harriman State Park I have long noted benchmarks that are not in the NGS data base, but are clearly marked on various versions of these maps. They seem to fall into two distinct catagories: ones along the major roads in Harriman, and triangulation stations on top of peaks (Stewart Mtn and Tuxedo Rock are two examples).

 

Does anyone have any ideas about these benchmarks?- know what they look like (disks verses chisled marks, etc), are they in some data base?

 

And, does anyone hunt them?

Edited August 1, 2012 by woodstrider

[TillaMurphs]

Hi Woodstrider,

 

I don’t know for sure but I would guess that, based on the typical distribution of marks, at least the majority of these are going to be disks.

 

There are many, many, many marks out there that are not in the NGS (National Geodetic Survey) database.

 

Some of the marks in the park are probably USGS (United States Geological Survey) marks. Some USGS marks are in the NGS database but thousands of them are not. You can write (snail mail) to the USGS and request data sheets for marks in a specific area and they will go to their filing cabinets, make paper copies, and mail them to you. I, and others on here, have done this and we do hunt these types of marks.

 

Also, there is a small chance that some of these marks might be available in a local online database for the appropriate county (Orange or Rockland). (Where I live, about 35% of the counties have online databases.)

 

If you find some of these marks, you can log them on Waymarking.com in the “U.S. Benchmarks” category. It looks like there aren’t any Harriman State Park marks on Waymarking.com yet. It looks like this is the closest benchmark on Waymarking: Nearby Waymarking benchmark

 

Maybe Black Dog Trackers or Papa Bear NYC will see your post and chime in. They are both benchmark veterans with experience in your neck of the woods.

 

Good luck with the hunting and please get back to us if you find any of these!

[+Holtie22]

Hi Woodstrider,

 

I don’t know for sure but I would guess that, based on the typical distribution of marks, at least the majority of these are going to be disks.

 

There are many, many, many marks out there that are not in the NGS (National Geodetic Survey) database.

 

Some of the marks in the park are probably USGS (United States Geological Survey) marks. Some USGS marks are in the NGS database but thousands of them are not. You can write (snail mail) to the USGS and request data sheets for marks in a specific area and they will go to their filing cabinets, make paper copies, and mail them to you. I, and others on here, have done this and we do hunt these types of marks.

 

Also, there is a small chance that some of these marks might be available in a local online database for the appropriate county (Orange or Rockland). (Where I live, about 35% of the counties have online databases.)

 

If you find some of these marks, you can log them on Waymarking.com in the “U.S. Benchmarks” category. It looks like there aren’t any Harriman State Park marks on Waymarking.com yet. It looks like this is the closest benchmark on Waymarking: Nearby Waymarking benchmark

 

Maybe Black Dog Trackers or Papa Bear NYC will see your post and chime in. They are both benchmark veterans with experience in your neck of the woods.

 

Good luck with the hunting and please get back to us if you find any of these!

You can also try this site, although it doesn't look like very many of them are in Harriman State Park. I would agree with Tillamurphs that your best bet would be to contact the USGS, since if they show up on their maps, they were probably used to control the mapping.

[woodstrider]

Thanks to you both, TillaMurphs and Holtie22, for replying to my question on these BMs in Harriman State Park.

 

This last weekend I went to HSP and looked for two of these BMs that are in Orange County. I found both of them using the map location only- I do not have a GPS, so it would be difficult to waymark them. I will try to scale the coordinates at another time.

 

Here is a description of there locations, though you can see it for yourself on the current USGS quads.

 

In Harriman State Park along Route 106 and west of Kanawauke Circle on July 14, 2012, were found two triangulation station BM disks made of yellow metal, placed by the "US Geological Survey cooperation with the state" and both stamped R-1926 and the specific elevation above sea level in feet.

 

The first disk was found on a horizontal area of a boulder located just west of the culvert connecting upper and lower Kanawauke Lake and approx 20' north of 106. The top of the boulder projects approx. 4' above ground, the BM is approx. 1' above the ground and approx 6' below the level of the road. The elevation stamped was 829.

 

The second disk was found approx 20' to the west of the camp road that leads north east to the camps along Lake Stahahes east side. It was located on outcropping bedrock on a small horizontal area approx 2' above the ground and about 4' above the level of the road. The elevation stamped was 811.

 

Both disks were recovered in good condition.

 

I did not look for any Reference or azimuth marks.

[TillaMurphs]

This last weekend I went to HSP and looked for two of these BMs that are in Orange County. I found both of them...

 

Both disks were recovered in good condition.

 

Congratulations woodstrider on your finds - with bonus points for picking them off a map! It sounds like you found some Aluminum Bronze disks.

 

Did the disks look similiar to this?:

(HO0158)

[woodstrider]

This last weekend I went to HSP and looked for two of these BMs that are in Orange County. I found both of them...

 

Both disks were recovered in good condition.

 

Congratulations woodstrider on your finds - with bonus points for picking them off a map! It sounds like you found some Aluminum Bronze disks.

 

Did the disks look similiar to this?:

(HO0158)

[woodstrider]

yes- that look just like it. Thanks for posting the photo. Hope people hunt them. If I can find more, I'll post them.

[TillaMurphs]

yes- that look just like it. Thanks for posting the photo. Hope people hunt them. If I can find more, I'll post them.

 

Hi again woodstrider,

 

Here is a thread that disusses the "gold" benchmarks that people have found. Most of these (in the linked thread) were in the NGS and geocaching.com databases, but certainly there are many that are not. Gold Colored Disks