It seems like we've been on a benchmark binge for the last month - so, we decided to keep the streak alive by going after Wright Benchmark. (Hopefully, most of you aren't saying, "Ugh, here we go again!") What made this recovery a little different is that we started with locating the azimuth and then working "backwards" to find the benchmark. Azimuth's tend to be harder to find because they don't have GPS coordinates - only a degree that indicates their direction from the benchmark - they are often accompanied with a written description of their location. As it so happened, we parked within a 150 feet of where we thought the Wright azimuth might be. Once we found it, locating the benchmark was a "piece of cake!"  |
| The 1965 NGS (National Geodetic Survey) description said we would find the Wright azimuth on a small mesa just behind a cabin. Not much left of the cabin after nearly 60 years! |
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| The NGS recovery description was spot on! We know the azimuth points towards the benchmark and we have GPS coordinates for its location In the distance, you can see a white arrow pointing to where we should find the benchmark |
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| There were colorful rocks everywhere . . . sure looks like good arrowhead material! |
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| After an easy one-mile hike, we found the benchmark on a small knoll . . . just where we thought it would be! We are looking northwest towards the Pine Valley Mountains |
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| The white arrow points back to where we found the azimuth . . . Again, the NGS description was right on . . . It said the azimuth could be found due east of the benchmark |
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| Wright BM was placed here in 1953 (Both reference markers were present, as well) |
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| Not quite an iron concretion, but there were several interesting nodules protruding from the limestone |
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| We came upon this old road, that hadn't been used in years, as we neared the benchmark . . . Now it's time to return to the azimuth, and our truck, by retracing our steps |
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| Once we pass through this gate, we'll almost be back to the main dirt road and on our way home (We were on top of those red cliffs, just a few weeks ago, when we located Mesa Benchmark) |
Hopefully, we haven't bored you to tears with our benchmark posts - and, now, our azimuth lessons! We have found searching for benchmarks gives us an "excuse" to get out and explore new places that we wouldn't normally visit - something we have learned from our friend Tom. As he likes to say, "it adds another layer to our hiking." If you'd like to find the Wright BM & azimuth, see the hyperlink, up above, for directions. Altogether, the hike was about 2.25 miles and took a couple of hours.
