|
On Thursday the 14th, Pierre and I met up with Kurt and went after some trailless peaks. These are called bush whacks and they may mean a walk through the woods, or they be be treks trrough impenatrable thickets and bogs. Todays climbs were somewhere in between. Our goal were "The Smarts" - two peaks a few miles on the US side of the border accessible from Baudrey Road, a logging road off of route 27 about 20 miles north of Stratton (see QH0260, "LAYTON IBC"). Then in the afternoon we split up and I went after two marks on Kibby Mountain. The IBC (International Boundary Commision) set a number of triangulation stations in 1915 when the boundary was surveyed via trangulation. Triangulation stations were on boundary peaks or on peaks up to several miles from the boundary on either side. Kibby Mountain is reached via an old jeep road (the "Firewarden's trail") from a side road off of Baudrey Road, about 20 miles north of Stratton off of Route 27. There is a fire tower on top which is currently about 20 feet high with an observation platform. I was looking for two stations on Kibby Mountain, this one, set in 1915 by the IBC and another (see QH0248, "KIBBY") set in 1928 by the USC&GS. Ironically the CGS monument was placed because they couldn't find this station. Then in 1941 the IBC found both, just over two feet apart under the observation tower. But today I was not so fortunate. I immediately found QH0248 (although just the stem) and carefully measured the distance from the datasheet off to this station. I also aligned the position under the exact center of the tower (using the 4 corner supports for sighting) and arrived at the same spot to within an inch. I was positioned over the side of a huge pile of rocks. So I dug. I got down to what seemed like either bedrock or at least a very solid rock about 4 inches below the ground level and found nothing. It's possible the mark is still there deeper, but I spent about an hour measuring and excavating and I had to leave. Perhaps I'll come back with a metal detector and a bigger shovel.
Photos:
 QH0255 "KIBBY IBC" NOT FOUND, Skinner Twp Maine
The Kibby Mountain tower.
QH0255 "KIBBY IBC" NOT FOUND, Skinner Twp Maine
View showing the compass sitting on top of QH0248 pointing at this station's location at the front of the rock pile
QH0255 "KIBBY IBC" NOT FOUND, Skinner Twp Maine
View showing two pieces of aluminum debris aligned with the corners of the tower. The location agreed with the distance and bearing from QH0248.
QH0255 "KIBBY IBC" NOT FOUND, Skinner Twp Maine
Ground zero. Nothing there but a large rock. Upper portions of this rock were about 4" below ground level.
|
