Twofer - Navy Road Traditional Cache

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 - To get the smiley, look for a matchsafe at the posted coordinates. It is painted black. Use the hint if needed. Please replace as found after signing the log. Also, please do not over-tighten the container top because it will cause the O-ring to fail. Parking is only feet from the cache and you can easily use your car to block you from muggles. Enjoy!

The Benchmark - FE1385 - You can view the datasheet using that link but here is some information. You are looking for a bench mark disk. The posted coordinates for the benchmark are N 35° 20.467 W 089° 53.567 but I took a reading of my own and a more accurate set of coordinates are N 35° 20.485 W 089° 53.570. The disk is located in the side of the wall of the building at this location. Below is a picture of what you seek. Once you have found it, you can take a picture of it but it is not required. Some people will take a picture of the benchmark with their GPS or with them in the picture. You may also take pictures of the surrounding area to aid future hunters. 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

This one is actually a Three-fer, if there is such a thing. The nearby Millington Water Tower is also a benchmark - FE2603.

 

YET ANOTHER BONUS

I went ahead and created a waymark of the benchmark, too - WM3HW9. If you do waymarking, make sure to log it.