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Not A Benchmark


Jabba

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Hello:

 

I was wondering if anyone else has found marks other then USGS marks? A friend and I were hiking last year near Roaring Gap, NC out off of a hunting road and ran into a mark that said that it was part of the "USDI NPS BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY". I'd upload a picture of it but I can not figure out how, beside posting a picture that is on the web somewhere already.

 

I sent the following note to the National Parks service, but the person who responded had no clue.

 

Hello: While hiking last fall up near Roaring Gap, NC I happened across a

trail marker for the parkway. I was wondering if I could get some more info

on this and others like it. The marker looked like a standard USGS survey

markers. Printed on it was "USDI NPS BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY" this was running

around the outer ring of the marker in a clockwise direction. Running

counter clockwise was "$250 fine for removal” in the center of the disk was

"BL" in about the 10 o'clock position. Below that at about 7 o'clock was 73

and to the right of that at about 4 o'clock 11-40. The coordinates for this

marker were N-36.22.994 W-081.09.913. How often are these placed on the

trail? Was the ridge top trail that I came across part of the Parkway or

was this some sort of boundary marker? We came upon this marker while

climbing up from near Turkey cove pond up to the ridge top where this

marker was found. We did not even know that there was a trail on this

ridge. I have a picture of the marker and the GPS showing the coordinates

if anyone would like it I can email it.

 

Has anyone else found any marks like this or know anything about it?

 

Thanks,

 

Jabba

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Thanks for the reply Dustyjacket,

 

As it happens often on the board I did more reading after I posted my question then before....and found out some of that already. I do however think it will be interesting to see further posts in response to my original question.

 

Maybe the question should be have been "Have you found any like this?"....or, "show us your most interesting non USGS marks".

 

Thanks,

 

Uncle Jabba

Edited by Jabba
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That makes me think about the terraserver map for my area. There are little BM symbols and numbers all over the place, up and down many of the roads. But none of them are in the database. I think it would be kinda cool to try to find them anyway, just based on the USGS maps, and I guess just upload the info to my website. Does anyone else do that-look for the ones on the maps that are not in the database? I guess its just the thrill of the hunt!! :huh:

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Jabba,

 

You found a station set by the USDI NPS, US Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

 

It is established to mark a location or elevation or both. Likely as a part of a traverse to mark the trail. They can be set at regular intervals or at specific elevations or at points that match a change of contour or direction. It all depends what the criteria for performing the survey was. Sometimes they are set at locations a GIS manager wants them placed, then the type or types of data from that location is collected and added to the GIS. Then they could go back to that known location as a starting place and carry forth further survey from there. For all we could know, each of the marks could have data ascribed in many ways. They are just keeping control data on their respective area is all. It is just another survey mark... It is not part of the NGS database.

 

Rob

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Graveyard Mom

 

Whenever you see a BM on a quad map that doesn't appear in the geocaching database you should definitely stop by there and check around the area. If BM appears on a quad you can be pretty sure that at one time there was a benchmark there. I've found two that way. Like others have noted, the percentage of USGS benchmarks that appear in the geocaching or the NGS database for that matter, may not even be 50%. It doesn't mean they aren't out there though and that makes them fun to find as well.

 

To get a bead on the coordinates, I go to topozone and pull up the map of the area. Then I put the red + on the benchmark symbol on the map and enter the coordinates into my gps.

 

I've also been told that the control datapages for a given quad can be purchased from USGS and they have pages for their marks that aren't included in the online databases.

I've not purchased any yet but I intend to.

 

mrh

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thanks mrh!! I think one day, once I have found everything within a several mile radius, and get bored I will probably go out looking! I find myself watching the side of the road and along old bridges just looking for them now!! Seems like I had seen tons of them before I knew what they were and now I have no idea WHERE I saw them! Anyway, there are a few roads near me that appear to have one every 500 feet or so! I can't wait!! :(

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Jabba:

 

On your next trip to the mountains, slow down near the US-64 bridge over the Haw River (east of Pittsboro) and check out a Park Boundary mark beside a witness post on the south side of the highway. It is west of the twin bridges, and along the side road to the canoe launch area. The coordinates are N35 deg 43.811 min, W79 deg 6.562 min. You'll see the yellow witness post a few feet up the steep bank, just east of a gravel driveway.

 

This mark is not in the Geocache list. There are two listed as being nearby (See EZ-1391 for example), but I believe they were destroyed when US-64 was widened.

 

There are some Corps of Engineer marks at various points around Jordan Lake. These are not in the NGS data base, either.

 

-Paul-

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