Geocache or Benchmark Hunting.

[Skirecs]

I was wondering which you like more.

[+briansnat]

I have 154 geocache finds and 50 some hides. Zero benchmark finds. I guess that's my answer.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[+JoGPS]

I have found a few of each, and will hunt just about anything for a good time…….JOE

[+CYBret]

I have hunted for a few benchmarks in my area and have gotten frustrated with them. I can't speak for where others live but around here they placed most of them along the railroads. When the railroads were pulled up about 15 years ago the benchmarks were apparently plowed under. My listing on the site still shows them, but they are nowhere to be found.

 

I'd love to find some more, in fact I wanted to start hunting benchmarks before I even knew about geocaching or cared about GPS technology. Maybe I'll be able to get out and do a few in the next couple of months.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

[+WildGooseChase]

I love doing both. Whenever we go caching I try to print out any nearby benchmarks. Somehow they always take alot longer to find than the caches.

[Team Kender]

I like both, just don't seem to find BMs as much in my area.

 

Team Kender - "The Sun is coming up!" "No, the horizon is going down."

[Micqn]

If there is a benchmark near a cache and I rememeber to look for benchmarks before I head out for a cache I will attempt them.

 

Don't Drink And Park: Accidents Cause People.

[+Doc-Dean]

Have tried both. BM are definately more challenging since they may not still be there and there is no way to know... The ones I found had not been logged on the government's database for 15-20-25 years. BM's degrade or are destroyed by new construction. The clues to find them change as well... One BM's location was noted as 50 yards SW of a tree or telephone pole and when I looked there was neither a tree or telephone pole for over 200 yards.

 

All in all, they are fun to hunt but don't get too disappointed or frustrated if you can't find it as it may be long gone.

 

---------------------------------------------------

Free your mind and the rest will follow

[+MountainMudbug]

I love to hunt anything, but BMs are almost always harder to find.

So many are unaccessible due to being located on private land or along railroads. The seemingly easy road-side finds are always paved over.

But I still like trying! If nothing else, it makes me learn more about where I live and roam......

[+woodsters]

I haven't searched for benchmarks (BM sounds gross...lol), but I have a question about them...should there be logs of peoples finds on benchmarks? Are does it not do it...I've noticed there were no logs for any of the few local ones I looked at... I would think a log would help others know if it is even there or not...plus hte fact of private land issues and blah blah blah....

 

Brian

 

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

[+CYBret]

quote:

---

should there be logs of peoples finds on benchmarks? Are does it not do it...I've noticed there were no logs for any of the few local ones I looked at... I would think a log would help others know if it is even there or not...plus hte fact of private land issues and blah blah blah....

---

 

There are logs on the pages for the benchmarks that have been found. Look at someone's profile page and click on the benchmark icon if they've found any (there are three on mine). You'll see the log entries at the bottom of the pages, very similar to the geocache pages.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

[+woodsters]

thanks i was wondering....i guess no one has found the local ones then....

 

Brian

 

As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump

[Skirecs]

I went looking for 2 near my house and couldn't find either.

[Skirecs]

A third was missing, in the middle or a road.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

We like doing all different types of hunting. Want to get to 100 bm/ 100 virt/ 100 locationless and an ungodly amount of normal ones. Right now been doing locationless and BM's - easier to do this time of year around here (too many ticks and nile virus skeeters). Will go back to normal caches in Fall.

 

Remember, wherever you go- there you are!

[+TEAM 360]

156 caches found and 27 Benchmarks. I like to find some of the older Benchmarks that haven't been recovered for 70-100 years. Any Benchmarks that have been documented recently don't even interest me.

[+tchrismer]

Being a surveyor, I search for benchmarks quite often, many times with no results. It would be nice if more surveyors would report their findings (or lack thereof) to the NGS, but most don't (including the company I work for unfortunately) so the benchmark I looked for last week, and didn't find, may have been 'not found' by 20 other people. Therefore I find benchmark hunting rather frustrating. Besides, I like actually finding a cache and seeing what kind of stuff is in it!

 

PS - I have considered reporting my benchmark finds the the NGS under the GEOCAC agency code, but I haven't done that yet. If anyone else wants to do this, just note that the NGS has very specific standards for benchmark reporting.

[+Snoogans]

Both, but I just started benchmarking and I'm having computer problems loading images. I have only posted one BM. I have nearly a dozen.

 

Sngans

Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain.

[+jeff35080]

Benchmarks rock!

 

Here's where I found a hundred year old disc that hadn't been recovered in over 50 years:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.asp?PID=DH0704

 

and here's the find of which I'm most proud. It was a beer bottle set in the ground in 1887 and then later was protected with a concrete block in 1939:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.asp?PID=DH2455

 

Finding a benchmark set in 1887 is like finding a cache hidden 116 years ago Cheers!

 

Jeff

http://www.StarsFellOnAlabama.com

http://www.NotAChance.com

If you hide it, they will come....

[+TEAM 360]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TEAM 360:

156 caches found and 27 Benchmarks. I like to find some of the older Benchmarks that haven't been recovered for 70-100 years. Any Benchmarks that have been documented recently don't even interest me.

---

 

Silly me, was that just 2 weeks ago? I mean to say 213 finds now...

[+Bilder]

I like both. Just depends on my mood and how far I am willing to drive as to which I will hunt.

 

I have reported my BM finds to the NGS. Most of the BM's up here have not been recorded since the mid 70's.

 

BM hunting is more of a challenge, that is for sure. Is it there? Are the directions correct? Are the landmarks still there? It is a bit of a history lesson to see how things change over time.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost!

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

[+captnemo]

Have done both and enjoyed both but like caches better.

 

The problem with BM in my neck of the woods is finding one which isn't listed on the site? This has happened more times then I care to count.

[+pnew]

I like both equally, usually the NGS guys make their bm descriptions vague enough for an interesting hunt. Benchmarking also gives you a little history lesson of the area as well.

 

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

I like both. We've done more caches. They can be done on the spur of the moment. Benchmarks are more challenging. As others have noted, the landmarks change. I'm getting into the historical aspect of benchmarks. I've found some from a series of crosses seen from the air for the military's use in the Vietnam war era (photos,

CZ2333).

 

At some point, I'm going to look for a series of benchmarks from several old airports and military bases that no longer exist in Arizona. I think a few of those benchmarks may still exist. It brings me back to my archaeology roots in a way. I hope to look for the 100 year old rock cairns that another team near Page has been finding.(I'm drawing a blank on the team name, something about rockhounds.)

 

If only all of our benchmark finds would count. Only 1 in 4 benchmarks are in the database.

 

*************

 

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes

On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --

"Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

 

Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898

[JamesAG]

Definitely Benchmark hunting.

 

I find it much more interactive than caching, (where you have to be discreet and try go unnoticed)

 

I've had great experiences and have met a lot of great people. In researching the history of marks I've spoken to city managers, mayors, councilmen, librarians, country historical museum volunteers, lots of elderly people, all of whom are very happy to discuss the history of their town. You hear a lot of stories.

 

Plus I've learned a lot more about GPSs, Surveying, and other related subjects than I ever would caching.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'd say caching.

 

Otherwise I'd probably never visit half the parks and nature trails near where I live, plus a little exercise never hurts.

[+Breaktrack]

Caching so far, but reading through some of these posts I'm thinking I'd like to try benchmark hunting now.

 

So now I'll be a noob all over again...LOL.

 

"Afghanistan was a battle. Iraq was a battle. The war goes on."

[+Cooter13]

Point of Information on Benchmarks:

 

Many of the benchmarks used in legal descriptions for property lines are still around, at least in Oregon. Your local title/abstract company can help in providing the deed and legal description of a property further enhancing the chance of locating the benchmark. Local surveyors, the county assessor, clerks/recording office etc. also have this information. Check with the locals, like mentioned early, you will learn more about the town, why streets are named a certain way, old stores etc. that will be great party topics.

 

Tangent thought, yesterday, Friday, I was locating a piece of property in a rural part of my county and ran across several benchmarks on the assessor maps. One was in a public ROW and the other was a corner located on private property. Both would be interesting finds, a wagon wheel and a beer bottle. The legal description of the property mention this point and further reference the point from another land mark, such as the donation land claim corner.

 

See the happy moron

He doesn't give a da**

I wish I were a moron

My God, perhaps I am

Author Unkown

[solohiker]

Benchmarks tend not to be near the coordinates listed. The description of the location is critical to locating the benchmark. For that you have to print out the description.

 

X number of feet North of the road center, Y number of feet East of something that no longer exists.

 

Benchmarks are not plug and play.

[+2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking:

I like both. We've done more caches. They can be done on the spur of the moment. Benchmarks are more challenging. As others have noted, the landmarks change. I'm getting into the historical aspect of benchmarks. I've found some from a series of crosses seen from the air for the military's use in the Vietnam war era http://img.Groundspeak.com/benchmark/lg/39223_200.jpg

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.asp?PID=CZ2333.

 

At some point, I'm going to look for a series of benchmarks from several old airports and military bases that no longer exist in Arizona. I think a few of those benchmarks may still exist. It brings me back to my archaeology roots in a way. I hope to look for the 100 year old rock cairns that another team near Page has been finding.(I'm drawing a blank on the team name, something about rockhounds.)

 

If only all of our benchmark finds would count. Only 1 in 4 benchmarks are in the database.

 

*************

 

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes

On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --

"Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

 

Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898

---

 

You must be getting old if you can't remember the name of a couple of old farts.

By the way the cairns are 132 yrs old.

 

We hunt benchmarks because there are many more of them than caches in our area.

 

*******************************************************

Everybody is entitled to my opinion - the ornery oldfart

[+TotemLake]

I've done both, but only because the two BMs that I found were part of a GEOcache hunt.

 

BillP3rd has told me about some benchmarks that I find intrguing and we intend to go looking for the one in Washington State.

 

(I may be stating this wrong, but the concept is right.)

 

Apparently, if all things being equal and all the people included in the last census weighed the same, where would be the balance point of the State and of the country? Some States actually put down monumented benchmarks just for that.

 

Cheers!

TL

[+pnew]

quote:

---

Benchmarks tend not to be near the coordinates listed. The description of the location is critical to locating the benchmark. For that you have to print out the description.

 

X number of feet North of the road center, Y number of feet East of something that no longer exists.

 

Benchmarks are not plug and play.

---

 

not to knock that but thats what makes them so cool to find. Then once you have found them you set the correct coordinates and post them with your log and pictures. I find most geocaches aren't necessarily "plug and play" either. Some cache setters are really good at not very accurate coordinates...

 

[+headmj]

I do both and enjoy both. However, I tend to keep my benchmark hunting to HORIZONTAL control points as they have accurate horizontal locations not scaled horizontal locations. Many of these points are triangulation points. I do this by going to the NGS datasheet page and asking it to only show me horizontals.