Interesting To-Reach descriptions?

[Bill93]

On the Surveyors forum there is a thread about a 1930's very difficult to-reach description out in the wilds of Utah. Nowadays it must be relatively easy because there are multiple GC recoveries for it, beginning with our 2OF Rockhounders.

 

What's the most difficult description you've come across? What's the most difficult you've actually followed?

Edited March 11, 2017 by Bill93

[Z15]

HISTORY - Date Condition Report By

RK0486 HISTORY - 1955 MONUMENTED CGS

RK0486

RK0486 STATION DESCRIPTION

RK0486

RK0486'DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1955

RK0486'STATION MARK WAS RECOVERED AND FOUND IN GOOD CONDITION. REFERENCE

RK0486'MARKS 1 AND 2 AND AN AZIMUTH MARK WERE ESTABLISHED.

RK0486'

RK0486'FOLLOWING IS A NEW DESCRIPTION--

RK0486'

RK0486'THE STATION IS ALONG THE WESTERN SIDE OF SECTION 31, T. 49 N., R. 25

RK0486'W., ON THE TOP OF A ROCKY MOUNTAIN KNOWN LOCALLY AS HOGSBACK

RK0486'MOUNTAIN. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARQUETTE, 2.5

RK0486'MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRANITE POINT, 1.75 MILES WEST OF

RK0486'SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN AND ON THE EASTERN ONE OF THREE SEPARATE

RK0486'SUMMITS. WEST OF THE STATION ABOUT 1/4 MILE IS A CONICAL SHAPED,

RK0486'TIMBER COVERED HILL WHICH, BECAUSE OF THE TIMBER, APPEARS HIGHER

RK0486'THAN THE STATION HILL. BETWEEN THIS HILL AND THE STATION HILL

RK0486'THERE IS A ROCKY KNOLL SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE STATION HILL

RK0486'AND SEPARATED FROM THE STATION BY A NARROW VALLEY ABOUT 150 FEET

RK0486'WIDE. THE STATION IS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE EASTERN SUMMIT.

RK0486'THIS HILL HAS STEEP ROCKY SIDES, A FLAT TOP AND SOME TREES IN THE

RK0486'CENTER OF THE TOP.

RK0486'

RK0486'TO REACH FROM THE UNION NATIONAL BANK AT THE POINT WHERE U.S. HIGHWAY

RK0486'41 AND STATE HIGHWAY 28 TURN SOUTH IN THE EASTERN EDGE OF MARQUETTE

RK0486'(JUNCTION OF WASHINGTON AND FRONT STREETS), GO NORTH ON FRONT

RK0486'STREET FOR 0.9 MILE TO THE END OF THE STREET AND A T-INTERSECTION.

RK0486'TURN LEFT ON FAIR AVENUE AND GO 0.2 MILE TO A T-INTERSECTION,

RK0486'TURN RIGHT AND GO NORTH ON PRESQUE ISLE 0.5 MILE TO A CROSS

RK0486'STREET, TURN LEFT AND GO WEST ON WRIGHT FOR 0.45 MILE TO SUGAR LOAF

RK0486'ROAD (ALSO COUNTY ROAD 550). TURN RIGHT AND GO NORTH ON COUNTY

RK0486'ROAD 550 FOR 4.0 MILES TO THE PARKING SPACE AT THE FOOT OF SUGAR LOAF

RK0486'MOUNTAIN. FROM HERE THERE ARE TWO TRAILS LEADING TO THE SUMMIT

RK0486'OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE AZIMUTH MARK. ONE IS MARKED STEEP CLIMB,

RK0486'THE OTHER EASY CLIMB. THE STEEP CLIMB IS FASTER, ABOUT FIFTEEN

RK0486'MINUTE PACK TO THE TOP. CONTINUE NORTHWESTERLY ON COUNTY ROAD

RK0486'550 FOR 1.1 MILE TO A CROSSROAD, TURN LEFT AND FOLLOW MAIN

RK0486'TRAVELLED ROAD WEST-SOUTHWEST FOR 0.9 MILE TO A FORK, TAKE LEFT

RK0486'FORK AND GO 0.1 MILE TO A RAILROAD TRACK, CROSS RAILROAD TRACK

RK0486'AND CONTINUE ON TRACK ROAD 1.3 MILES TO A FORK AND A U.S.G.S.

RK0486'MARK, TURN LEFT AND GO 0.1 MILE TO A FORK, KEEP LEFT FORK, UP HILL

RK0486'AND GO 0.15 MILE TO A POINT WHERE THE ROAD CURVES RIGHT AND A

RK0486'DRIVEWAY TO A CABIN STRAIGHT AHEAD, CONTINUE EASTERLY ABOUT 100 FEET

RK0486'TO THE CABIN AND THE END OF TRUCK TRAVEL. FROM HERE THE

RK0486'TREE-COVERED KNOLL IS VISIBLE THROUGH THE TREES, PACK EAST-BY-NORTH,

RK0486'PASSING AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TIMBERED KNOLL, BEAR

RK0486'SOUTHEAST TO THE STEEP ROCKY SIDES OF THE RIDGE EAST OF THE

RK0486'TIMBERED KNOLL, FOLLOW ALONG THE STEEP SIDE OF THE FIRST KNOLL

RK0486'TO A RAVINE ABOUT 100 FEET WIDE DIVIDING THE FIRST BARE ROCKY

RK0486'KNOLL FROM THE SECOND, CROSS THE RAVINE, ASCEND THE STEEP ROCKY

RK0486'SIDE OF THE SECOND KNOLL TO THE SUMMIT AND THE STATION ON THE

RK0486'HIGHEST POINT ALONG THE WEST SIDE. ABOUT A HALF-HOUR PACK. A

RK0486'TRAIL WAS BLAZED FROM THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE CABIN AT THE END

RK0486'OF TRUCK TRAVEL.

RK0486'

RK0486'STATION MARK IS A NAIL LEADED IN A DRILL HOLE. IT IS 37 FEET WEST

RK0486'SOUTHWEST OF A 4 INCH PINE TREE WITH A TRIANGLE BLAZE ON THE WEST

RK0486'SIDE, 18 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE NORTHEAST EDGE OF BEDROCK OUTCROP

RK0486'AND 10 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE NORTHWEST EDGE OF CLIFF.

RK0486'

RK0486'REFERENCE MARK NO. 1, A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED TRILOBA U.S.L.S. NO 1

RK0486'1955, IS CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK. IT IS 22 FEET

RK0486'WEST-SOUTHWEST OF A 4 INCH PINE TREE WITH A TRIANGLE BLAZE ON THE

RK0486'WEST SIDE AND 3 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE NORTHEAST EDGE OF BEDROCK

RK0486'OUTCROP.

RK0486'

RK0486'REFERENCE MARK NO. 2, A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED TRILOBA U.S.L.S. NO 2

RK0486'1955, IS CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK. IT IS 45 FEET SOUTH

RK0486'OF A 4 INCH PINE TREE WITH A TRIANGLE BLAZE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TREE

RK0486'AND 19 FEET NORTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEAST EDGE OF BEDROCK.

RK0486'

RK0486'AZIMUTH MARK, A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED TRILOBA U.S.L.S. 1955, IS

RK0486'CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN BEDROCK. IT IS 89 FEET WEST-SOUTHWEST

RK0486'OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF A STONE MONUMENT FOR A BARTLETT KING, 17

RK0486'FEET WEST OF THE LAST FLIGHT OF STAIRS AND 10 FEET NORTH OF THE

RK0486'SOUTH EDGE OF CLIFF.

RK0486'

RK0486'THE AZIMUTH MARK IS VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND AT THE STATION BUT TREES

RK0486'ON THE STATION HILL MAY REQUIRE TOPPING IN LATER YEARS.

 

RK0486'THE STATION WAS ASSUMED TO HAVE BEEN RECOVERED WHEN THE O-PARTY

RK0486'OCCUPIED THIS STATION. THE MARK WHICH WAS OCCUPIED WAS A NAIL

RK0486'LEADED INTO A DRILL HOLE IN SOLID ROCK (ALTHO THE ORIGINAL

RK0486'DESCRIPTION DESCRIBES THE MARK AS A BRASS

RK0486'FRUSTUM LEADED INTO A DRILL HOLE IN SOLID ROCK).

RK0486'WHEN COMPUTATIONS WERE FINISHED ON THE STATION IT WAS DETERMINED

RK0486'THAT THE POINT OCCUPIED DIFFERED FROM THE OLD GEOGRAPHIC POSITION BY

RK0486'42.32 METERS LONGITUDE AND 8.18 METERS LATITUDE. THE OLD STATION

RK0486'BEING NORTH AND EAST OF THE POINT OCCUPIED. WHEN THIS WAS

RK0486'DISCOVERED, A MAN WAS SENT BACK TO THE STATION TO DETERMINE IF THE

RK0486'MARK FOUND WAS A BRASS FRUSTUM OR A NAIL AND TO SEARCH FOR A

RK0486'SIMILAR MARK IN THE VICINITY OF THE LOCATION GIVEN ABOVE. IT WAS

RK0486'DETERMINED THAT THE MARK OCCUPIED WAS NOT BRASS BUT WAS IRON OR STEEL

RK0486'LEADED INTO THE DRILL HOLE. A SEARCH OF THE AREA INDICATED

RK0486'DID NOT REVEAL ANOTHER MARK BUT A HOLE WHICH APPEARED TO BE A DRILL

RK0486'HOLE WAS FOUND IN A BOULDER. WHETHER THIS BOULDER HAD BEEN

RK0486'BEDROCK AND HAD BECOME SEPARATED COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. NO LEAD OR

RK0486'BRASS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED IN THE MARK WAS FOUND. TIME DID NOT

RK0486'PERMIT FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

[kayakbird]

Great one! Had you seen it by accident, or have some kind of 'word counter' filter? Further & higher points out west don't come close to needing that much verbiage.

 

I do think that someone in the UP should take a run at finding the 'BRASS FRUSTUM'. They are a very unique survey mark, and was likely placed by the USLS long before 1955.

 

RK0486'LEADED INTO A DRILL HOLE IN SOLID ROCK (ALTHO THE ORIGINAL

RK0486'DESCRIPTION DESCRIBES THE MARK AS A BRASS

RK0486'FRUSTUM LEADED INTO A DRILL HOLE IN SOLID ROCK).

 

My first 'FRUSTUM'

 

[Z15]

Had you seen it by accident, or have some kind of 'word counter' filter? Further & higher points out west don't come close to needing that much verbiage.

Years ago (20) we were doing a GPS project in that area and the atlas showed all 1st order marks and I wanted to use it for our project. But the GPS survey boss said it was too hard to get to and would take to long. Never did go look for it. We had a pc program from the NGS advisor that showed marks in Delorme street atlas.

 

I have found one like your picture, another USLS mark and the description does not mention what it is other then a stone post so I did not know what a frustum was.

 

Frustum, the portion of a cone or pyramid that remains after its upper part has been cut off by a plane parallel to its base, or that is intercepted between two such planes.

 

RL1517 DESIGNATION - MIDDLE USLS 1871

Edited March 15, 2017 by Z15

[kayakbird]

I also just asked Wiki what they were. Does anyone have one in hand? Thinking that the base of these cones would be a bit over one inch. MEL

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Hey Bill, does that mean that we are now famous?

 

This is one of the better ones for a little bit of description and with the challenge of USGS posting a not found, making it all the more fun.... Plus we had Klemmer with us....

 

FS1133 House

 

All of the ones we did in this area were awesome to go find -- old and the descriptions were all interesting to read.

 

Enjoy.

[Z15]

RL1517 HISTORY - 1871 MONUMENTED USLS

 

So brass frustoms were common back then?

 

I was the first recovery since it was set in 1871 by USLS although a field copy of USGS area map field checked circa 1982 shows it drawn and written on the map at the location. So USGS found it back then when doing quad map update but they never submitted a recovery report.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Z15

[kayakbird]

Z15 & all,

 

I have recovered four of them, two each in Minnesota & Wisconsin and suspect that most set by the USLS in that era were the frustum. Which begs the question: If they were using a very permanent leaded in metal mark, why are there none (at least not found or not documented) during Kings 40th? I would think that they would have compared note while in Washington, DC during the winter.

 

MEL