kayakbird Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) This past week I made my first dedicated Benchmarking trip of the season (too much birding this year!) A couple years ago I had laptop map scouted several of the Missouri River Commission triangulation stations that had been placed on river left downstream from Townsend in 1890 and now, using DSWorld, had them pinned on Google Earth which I used to locate kayak launch points and landings on the nearby shore line of Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Targets were NONPID REED, RW0557 BEAVER CREEK and RW0548 SQUIRES. NONPID REED Not sure why this one is NONPID - back-sight lumber and wire and the added elevation stamping indicate that it has been occupied at some time in the last 133 years. RW0557 BEAVER CREEK Maybe Albert Filson's house from the 1890 description. RW0549 SQUIRES This 3 for 3 used up two days and gave me high hopes for the two that I had pinned on the east side of Holter Reservoir so I got on I 15 at Helena and headed north to Wolf Creek and the Beartooth Rd upstream from Holter Dam on river right. Disappointment set in when the logging roads that I had planned to use to get into hiking range for RW0545 MITLER were either abandoned or gated. Continued on to the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area and made a quick late afternoon road scout just past the free camping area and could see exactly where I wanted to be early the next morning. RW0549 WILLOW CREEK Just over an hour pack and 1168 ft of elevation gain a well preserved leaded in copper bolt was found right at the calls - HH2 also agreed. Of the 61 out of 226 MORC Tri's set in Montana that I have not visited 13 have been logged by Geocachers and 19 have been NGS recovered since 1948. Several of the remaining 29 (14 NONPID) are likely beyond my effort & enthusiasm level because of terrain. There do appear to be several near drive stations north of the river east of Fort Peck dam which will require permission from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Maybe next year. kayakbird Edited September 18, 2013 by kayakbird Quote Link to comment
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