Benchmark Hunting
David Sucher at the
City Comforts Blog posts about an interesting pastime, that of
Benchmark Hunting -- this is an outgrowth of
GeoCaching. To quote David:
bq. Almost every day I stumble on some new variety of human experience. Have you ever heard of Benchmark Hunting?
bq. Using your GPS unit and/or written directions provided by NGS, which are available for review by the public, you can seek out NGS survey markers and other items that have been marked in the USA.
bq. The interesting thing about benchmarks and horizontal control points is that a majority of them are located in plain sight (though largely ignored by the general public). Searching out these locations and documenting them allows others to share pictures of the various areas where they are placed. There's a certain excitement to be the first to find and document a control point, as well as seeing what others have found through photos on the website's Benchmark Gallery. Some of these points haven't been visited and documented as being still in existence in a very long time, so you may also be rediscovering long neglected objects of American history as well!
Fun stuff - here's a pic of what one of them looks like:
Posted by DaveH at October 15, 2004 10:11 AM