Spruce (HW3569) - Pendleton County, WV - U.S. Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

This brass disk can be found by following the trail from the parking area leading S to the observation tower. It is located on the E (left) side of the trail - about 30' NE of the observation tower.

Description & recovery information from the NGS Datasheet is as follows:

STATION DESCRIPTION

DESCRIBED BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1956 (WRH)
STATION IS LOCATED, AIRLINE, ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF HARMAN, 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RIVERTON, 4 MILES WEST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 33 AND ON THE SUMMIT OF SPRUCE KNOB, THE HIGHEST POINT IN WEST VIRGINIA.

STATION IS REACHED AS FOLLOWS- AT THE JUNCTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 33 AND STATE HIGHWAYS 28 AND 4
AT MOUTH OF SENECA, GO SOUTH ON U.S. HIGHWAY 33 FOR 9.7 MILES TO A SIDE ROAD ON THE RIGHT, TURN RIGHT AS PER SIGN SPRUCE KNOB AND GO 2.0 MILES TO A ROAD INTERSECTION, TURN LEFT AND GO 0.6 MILE TO A FORK, TAKE THE RIGHT FORK AND GO 6.2 MILES TO THE SPRUCE SPUR TRAIL ON THE RIGHT AND THE END OF TRUCK TRAVEL. FROM HERE FOLLOW THE TRAIL WESTERLY AND NORTHERLY FOR 1/2 MILE TO THE HIGHEST POINT AND THE STATION.

STATION MARK, STAMPED 4860, IS A USGS DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK 3 FEET BY 2 FEET AND PROJECTING 5 INCHES. IT IS IN THE CENTER OF A CIRCLE OF ROCKS ABOUT 40 FEET IN DIAMETER AND 10 FEET SOUTH OF A 4 FOOT CAIRN OF SMALL STONES.

REFERENCE MARK NUMBER 1, STAMPED SPRUCE USGS NO 1 1956, IS A STANDARD DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK 36 INCHES BY 15 INCHES, PROJECTING 4 INCHES AND IS ABOUT 1 FOOT HIGHER THAN THE STATION. IT IS 14 FEET NORTHEAST OF THE CAIRN OF SMALL STONES.

REFERENCE MARK NUMBER 2, STAMPED SPRUCE USGS NO 2 1956, IS A STANDARD DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK 4 FEET SQUARE, PROJECTING 1 FOOT AND IS ABOUT 1 FOOT HIGHER THAN THE STATION. IT IS MARKED BY A 1 FOOT CAIRN.

SPRUCE KNOB CAIRN IS A PILE OF SMALL STONES 10 FEET HIGH AND 20 FEET WIDE AT THE BASE AND HAS A POLE RISING 10 FEET FROM THE TOP CENTER.

AZIMUTH MARK, STAMPED SPRUCE USGS 1956, IS A STANDARD DISK CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK 6 FEET BY 1 FOOT AND PROJECTING 8 INCHES. TO REACH THE AZIMUTH MARK FROM THE END OF TRUCK TRAVEL, PACK WEST UP THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREAM FOR ABOUT 0.15 MILE TO A REVERSE FORK IN THE TRAIL, TURN LEFT AND FOLLOW THE TRAIL SOUTH FOR ABOUT 0.15 MILE TO A TRIANGULAR BLAZED TREE ON THE LEFT, TURN RIGHT AND FOLLOW BLAZED TREES WEST UP THE HILL FOR ABOUT 0.1 MILE TO THE AZIMUTH MARK IN AN OPENING ABOUT 150 FEET NORTH OF THE HIGHEST POINT. IT IS AT THE SOUTH EDGE OF THE OPENING.

HEIGHT OF LIGHT ABOVE STATION MARK - 4.82 METERS.

STATION RECOVERY (1957)

RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1957 (FAR)
ALL MARKS WERE RECOVERED AND WERE FOUND AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED. THE DESCRIPTION WAS ENTIRELY ADEQUATE.

STATION RECOVERY (2003)

RECOVERY NOTE BY DAFT MCCUNE WALKER INCORPORATED 2003 (PAS)
RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

STATION RECOVERY (2008)

RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2008 (MPS)
STATION IS A USGS DISC, PAINTED GOLD, STAMPED SPRUCE 4863 FEET.
THE CIRCLE OF ROCKS AROUND THE STATION AND THE 4 FOOT CAIRN ARE GONE.

REFERENCE MARK 1 NOT SEARCHED FOR AT THIS TIME.
REFERENCE MARK 2 HAS BEEN PRIED OFF AND IS GONE ALONG WITH THE 1 FOOT ROCK CAIRN DESCRIBED.
AZIMUTH MARK NOT SEARCHED FOR AT HIS TIME.
REFERENCE MARK 3 WAS ADDED IN 1970 WITH THE ADDITION OF A TWO STORY OBSERVATION TOWER. THIS USDOI DISC IS STAMPED USGS SPRUCE 1956 RM 3 1970 AND IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE OBSERVATION TOWER BASE.
IN ADDITION THE POLE DESCRIBED IN THE CENTER OF THE SPRUCE KNOB CARIN HAS BEEN REMOVED.

STATION RECOVERY (2011)

RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2011 (DEB)
RECOVERED AS REFERENCED BY 2003 AND 2008 RECOVERIES. STATION AND RM 3 IN GOOD CONDITION. STATION ELEV HAS BEEN OVERSTAMPED AND NOW READS 4863.

STATION RECOVERY (2016)

RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2016 (RLM)
THE STATION MARK AND REFERENCE MARK 3 WERE RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION. REFERENCE MARKS 1 AND 2 AND THE AZIMUTH MARK WERE SEARCHED FOR AND NOT FOUND.

Condition: Mark found in good condition Designation: SPRUCE Benchmark Agency: U.S. Geological Survey Monumentation type: Disk (unspecified type) County: Pendleton County USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Spruce Knob Find type: Coordinates and/or to-reach information from the NGS database (or Geocaching's copy of it) were used Web address of this benchmark's datasheet (optional): [Web Link] NGS PID: HW3569 Local database's URL (optional): [Web Link] Benchmark Agency (if other): Not listed Monumentation type (if other): Not listed Special category (optional): Not listed Special Category (if other): Not listed

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