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twofer  -
noun
An offer, a deal, or
an arrangement in which a single expense yields a dual
return.
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This series will
provide you with a dual return if you choose to make just a little
bit of extra effort. Each cache in this series is located very
close to a benchmark. Not only can you get the smiley, you can add
a benchmark to your finds list.
BENCHMARKS
You can read more
about benchmarks in greater detail at
geocaching.com but here is some basic
information for those of you not familiar with
benchmarks.
What is a
benchmark? A benchmark is a point whose position is
known to a high degree of accuracy and is normally marked in some
way. The marker is often a metal disk made for this purpose, but it
can also be a church spire, a radio tower, a mark chiseled into
stone, or a metal rod driven into the ground. Benchmarks can be
found at various locations all over the United States. They are
used by land surveyors, builders and engineers, map makers, and
other professionals. Benchmarks come from the National Geodetic
Survey (NGS), a federal agency within the Department of Commerce.
The NGS database contains all sorts of information about these
benchmarks. In the NGS database, each geodetic control marker has a
Permanent IDentifier, known as a PID and an associated datasheet of
information about it.
Why search
for benchmarks? The interesting thing about
benchmarks 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 uploaded photos. Some
of these points haven't been visited and documented in a very long
time, so you may also be rediscovering long neglected objects of
American history as well!
How does
someone find a benchmark?
- Choose some
benchmarks to search for and get their datasheets. Datasheets
contain the coordinates and a description of where to find the
benchmark. If I am planning on hunting a cache, I will often click
the "Nearest Benchmarks" link on the cache page to see if there are
any benchmarks close to the cache site.You can also go to the
benchmarks homepage and search by zip
code. The easiest to find are the ones that have been found by
someone else using Geocaching.com and have uploaded pictures
showing the mark's location.
- Do not set out with
coordinates only; you must have the verbal to-reach description in
the datasheet with you when you go. The coordinates are often
inaccurate. Using the written description can help you locate the
benchmark more quickly. Later, if you do find that the coordinates
were incorrect, take a mark of your own and post it to the
benchmark page for future hunters to use.
- The hunting process:
When you arrive at the area of a benchmark's location but before
you get out of your car, read the datasheet carefully. The first
thing to note is whether the mark is location-adjusted or
location-scaled. Next, read all the benchmark's recovery notes from
the most recent to the oldest. In each recovery note, the most
important item of information is the distance and direction of the
landmark that is the the shortest distance from the station. Start
with the closest landmark of all the recovery notes and see if you
can find it. The most accurate instrument you have is your tape
measure, not your GPSr, so use the tape measure first. If the mark
can't easily be found, continue with the next closest landmark and
measure from it to an intersection area with the distance you
measured from the first landmark. If you don't see the mark yet,
probe the ground in the area with a probe, (benchmarks often get
buried) searching for the disk plus its monumentation. If you
haven't yet found the mark, read older recovery notes again to try
to get more information, since many recovery reports don't bother
repeating older recovery information that's still good.
THIS
TWOFER
The
Cache - After several attempts at hiding a larger
container, it was difficult finding one that was sufficiently
waterproof for this location. It has been replaced by a magnetic
nano at the posted coordinates. Use the hint if needed. Please
replace as found after signing the log. Hide it well. Parking is
only feet from the cache. Enjoy!
The
Benchmark - FE2551 - You can view the datasheet
using that link but here is some information. The benchmark is the
finial on the top of the Ellendale Municipal Water Tank. The
tank does not say "Ellendale" on the side - it says
"Bartlett." Feel free to take a picture of the water tower and
post it on the benchmark page but it is not required. You may also
take pictures of the surrounding area if you see anything
interesting. To log the find, go to the geocaching.com page for the benchmark
and click " Log this benchmark". From there it is a similar
procedure to logging a cache.
A
BONUS
I went
ahead and created two waymarks of the tower, too. One is the
waymark of the benchmark - WM3M1B and one is the waymark listing
of the water tower - WM3M1C. If you do waymarking, make sure to log it. For
that you WILL need a picture to upload.