+kpgdenver Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 I found this mark while doing a geocache on Kauai. It is at the summit of Nounou (Sleeping Giant) Mountain. I am a newbie to benchmarking so bear with me please I know that it is a reference marker for a benchmark, but how can I look up that benchmark? The writing on the mark says 2 NONOI 1927. It is a reference marker by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey. I tried to find it using the NGS web site, but was unsuccessful. Any ideas? I am really interested in learning more about benchmarking. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
+Colorado Papa Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 (edited) If you look real close at the stamping, the "I" is actually an "U". From TU1943 Benchmark page, I copied this: REFERENCE MARK NUMBER TWO IS A STANDARD DISK STAMPED NONOU 2 1927, CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN A SLOPING BEDROCK OUTCROP ON WEST SIDE OF HILL, ABOUT 4 FEET LOWER THAN STATION MARK. IT IS 5.621 M (18.441 FT.) FROM STATION IN AZIMUTH 43 DEG 47 MIN. NOTE--TOP OF HILL IS COVERED WITH DENSE GROWTH OF LANTANA BRUSH UP TO 6 FEET HIGH. This sound like what you found? What about the main station and the other reference mark? (Edit to add first line above.) Edited May 18, 2004 by Colorado Papa Quote Link to comment
+rogbarn Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 (edited) I found this mark while doing a geocache on Kauai. It is at the summit of Nounou (Sleeping Giant) Mountain. I am a newbie to benchmarking so bear with me please I know that it is a reference marker for a benchmark, but how can I look up that benchmark? The writing on the mark says 2 NONOI 1927. It is a reference marker by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey. I tried to find it using the NGS web site, but was unsuccessful. Any ideas? I am really interested in learning more about benchmarking. Thanks! Probably the easiest way for you to track this down is to go to the advanced search page (see link on main benchmark page near zipcode search option). Enter coordinates. Even though you have a reference mark, the main marker should be close enough that it will be the first entry, or, if it is a crowded mountain top, at least near the top. Since you didn't provide us with coordinates I had to go to topozone to lookup coordinates. And they weren't consistant with spelling either, so I finally found it under "Sleeping Giant". All of this points to TU1943 which already has a couple of GC logs. Reference mark 2 is only about 18.4 feet from the main marker. Anyway, it is a good find for such an old marker. Congratulations. Edit: remove quoted image Edited May 18, 2004 by rogbarn Quote Link to comment
+kpgdenver Posted May 18, 2004 Author Share Posted May 18, 2004 Wow, thanks you guys! I should have realized that it was NONOU, (and that I was misspelling the name of the place ) What I found was indeed reference marker two for TU1943. It sounds like the actual benchmark was under the monument at the top of the mountain: The data sheet for the benchmark says TU1943''STATION MARK IS AN UNSTAMPED, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DISK, SET TU1943''IN CONCRETE 6 INCHES BENEATH THE 6-FOOT-SQUARE, CONCRETE FLOOR, TU1943''(FLUSH WITH GROUND) OF THE TYPE B-1 SIGNAL WHICH WAS BUILT BY THE TU1943''HAWAII TERRITORIAL SURVEY IN 1930. ACCESS TO THE MARK IS HAD TU1943''THROUGH A SMALL HAND-TUNNEL PASSING BENEATH THE CENTER, CONCRETE TU1943''PEDESTAL OF THE SIGNAL. I looked inside the pipe at the top of the pedestal, and there was a length of chain stuffed into it, which was attached at the bottom. Do you think I should claim this as a find? It looks like others have claimed the RM as the find. Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 From the description you gave, there is a small opening under the center pedestal giving access to the main mark. I would definitely claim it as a find since you have the correct picture to upload with your recovery log! Congratulations on a 1927 find. 77 years old is pretty good for a disk!! John & Shirley Quote Link to comment
+GeckoGeek Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 The chain may have been just some garbage stuffed in there. I found a station much like the one pictured and I had to pull out a multitude of empty bottles and debris before I could see that actual disk. I assume that's the access tunnel just visible on the side of the pedestal toward where the woman is sitting. It's more of a sloped opening. I'd also note that the signal is gone, only the pipe remains. As for logging it, I leave that up to you. It meets the description, but the "rules" say you must be able to read the disk. Personally, I'd say that if you measured the distance from the RM to the mark and it matched, I'll call it a find since there is no doubt about what has been found. Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 I refuse to move a 6 foot cairn just to see the disk regardless of the 'rules'. I'm just TOO old and LAZY for that. John Quote Link to comment
+GeckoGeek Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 In this case there is an access way to see the disk. From the page "ACCESS TO THE MARK IS HAD THROUGH A SMALL HAND-TUNNEL PASSING BENEATH THE CENTER" (no I'm not shouting - too lazy to change case.) If you look carefully at the photo, you can see a lighter brown spot that marks the start of the access "ramp". You can also see the far wall of the ramp as it goes down under the carin. All I am saying is that more could have reasonably been done. I'm not going to get into a log it/don't log it debate other then to point out that fact. I have seen marks where the official recovery mentioned it's not possible to see the disk. That case, I think it's safe to "log it" but would prefer to have available evidence such as RMs to make sure the mark you found is the mark your logging. There are other marks out there. Quote Link to comment
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