Benchmark Picture Contest (2023)

[+Ernmark]

 

Thought I'd try to revive the old threads from a few years back (ok - a lotta years back)

 

see:

There's more, but here was the gist what may be from the first post in 2004 :

 

"Some benchmark pictures are really excellent! Sometimes I "set as background" one for my computer for a while, until I find another really good one. I propose a thread here for posting really good benchmark pictures, either your own or someone else's.

 

Contest rules: (yeah I know, I'm always proposing so many rules; ... anyway...)

 

1. No intersection stations (the station IS the tower, building, etc.) Why? Well they all look pretty good, but they're not really all that 'benchmarky'.

 

2. The disk has to be at least vaguely visible in the picture. No - 'view from', 'the area', etc. with no PID marker in it. Why? It's gotta be a Benchmark picture!

 

3. It has to be a PID in the database, or at least one of its reference marks or its azimuth mark (in case they don't have their own PID).

 

4. No closeup of just the disk. (Come on, it's just a disk - where's the nice scenery?)"

 

 

...anyone want to revive an old tradition?

 

 

[+Ernmark]

I'll start - here's JJ0739 from Kansas taken by the Snowdog over on Waymarking (https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=JJ0729)

Edited February 8 by Ernmark

[kayakbird]

Ernmark,  Mining photos for biological items to send to iNaturalist.  Did a two night kayak camping trip up reservoir from Hell Creek Marina on Fort Peck Reservoir, Missouri River, Montana.  Tried to do SQ0601 Rock Peak also, but maxed out file limit.  kayakbird

[foxtrot_xray]

I'm sure I have some, but admittedly I don't think any are good enough to even be considered. (And, at the moment, mine are all packed up. I'm heading back out west this weekend!)

[+Michaelcycle]

Dayton-Harris Gravity Disk Death Valley

https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=GS0206

[kayakbird]

Fairly unique flared stem with a magic landmark.  Brown CG1130

[+Ernmark]

..although the vistas aren't quite as stunning as those in the US Southwest - there's a cool little park in Gaithersburg, MD that is worth a visit (Observatory Park) where there are 5 marks with a PID - here's one of them...most sit along a little path that is meant to portray the wobble of the Earth:

 

 

 

https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/parks-fields/observatory-park

[+BubbaJuice]

Most of my pictures are close up shots of some cool ones or dismal scenery pointing to reference marks.
My best 2:

CG0359CH5701

 

[kayakbird]

All,  Interesting history that was chanced upon was a large part of my enjoyment while Benchmarking.  The Missouri River Commission (MORC) string led into working on the Mississippi River Commission (MCR or MiRC) string.  Looked a few places for evidence of King's 40th Parallel Survey; and then had to re-read Angle of Repose, which was plagiarized from letters of Mary Hallock Foote who had spent time around King's camps in the Rockies.

 

Last, for now, the 'And State Surveys' was a grand idea, but not well planned by the politicians in the early 1930's.  Found a few SS in Montana & Wyoming.  Nebraska set hundreds but very few were surveyed in.  kayakbird

 

[kayakbird]

MORC Citadel  SS1486, named after a prominent rock feature that Lewis & Clark passed going westbound on 31 July 1805.  Wooden instrument stand was used during the 1949 re-survey.  Bears Paw Mountains to the NNE.  Found during a three day kayak trip in May 2009.  Several of the NONPID river terrace elevation benchmarks were also found.  kayakbird

[+Ernmark]

This is one of mine that actually made it into the NGS Datasheet for KW2722 - 

[+Michaelcycle]

On 3/17/2023 at 3:05 PM, Ernmark said:

This is one of mine that actually made it into the NGS Datasheet for KW2722 - 

modified to reach: mark 0.1 m west of pumpkin

[+Ernmark]

https://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/wm18150_MIDWEST_AZI_Natrona_County_Wyoming

[foxtrot_xray]

1 hour ago, Ernmark said:

https://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/wm18150_MIDWEST_AZI_Natrona_County_Wyoming

 

Okay, that rocks. Literally. Gorgeous pic.

[+Michaelcycle]

On 5/8/2023 at 11:49 AM, Ernmark said:

https://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/wm18150_MIDWEST_AZI_Natrona_County_Wyoming

WOW!!

[JASTA 11]

On 2/22/2023 at 12:10 PM, kayakbird said:

MORC Citadel  SS1486, named after a prominent rock feature that Lewis & Clark passed going westbound on 31 July 1805.  Wooden instrument stand was used during the 1949 re-survey.  Bears Paw Mountains to the NNE.  Found during a three day kayak trip in May 2009.  Several of the NONPID river terrace elevation benchmarks were also found.  kayakbird

This is an outstanding photo of an outstanding recovery. I doesn't get any cooler than this one...

[kayakbird]

Thanks, JASTA 11.  Those MORC marks gave me several more great kayak camping trips.  Would really like to post several views of an intersection station; but might just start another thread titled  'Used by Hollywood"  kayakbird