HIGH KNOB

(Logged on April 20, 2003)

Aaron and I located RM 1 and the station mark very easily—the coordinates and description led directly to them. We could not, however, locate a rock outcropping the given distance and direction from the station that might have held the second reference mark. Similarly, we did not locate the azimuth mark even though I felt quite sure we were in or near the correct spot. I consider this a work in progress!

Update: January 1, 2004

This find is still in progress! On a sunny, brisk New Year's Day, Rich and I hiked to the top of High Knob in search of this set of marks. I've been anxious to return since last April, when I was unable to locate RM2 and the azimuth mark. The weather was beautiful until we reached the top of the Knob, when we were hit with a wind cold and strong enough to make the thought of performing the usual recovery duties unpleasant. Rich located RM1 and the station mark quickly but he decided to pass on documenting them, and the nearby fire lookout tower, until a later—warmer!—date. The measurements given in the box score led us to the area where RM2 should be located, but we were unable to find the mark at this time. A rock outcropping in the correct spot is buried beneath soil and gravel that have frozen as hard as concrete and were impenetrable by the small trowel we had brought.

We decided to search instead for the azimuth mark, which we did locate. It is necessary to travel only approximately 1.45 miles south-southwest on the gravel road from its intersection with Route 402—slightly less than the distance noted in the 1959 recovery text. We did travel too far at first, realized this and then walked back northeast along the gravel road, following the reverse of the bearing given from the station to the azimuth mark. When our GPSrs indicated the correct bearing, we stopped and looked to the west side of the road where Rich spotted the mark immediately. The Camp Biff Trail is still clearly distinguishable directly across the gravel road from the mark, though the sign no longer exists. The mark is located near the intersection of the main gravel road and a woods road northwest, set in a small (2.5 foot x 1.5 foot) outcropping boulder that projects six inches. The mark is approximately 10 feet north of PP&L Co. powerline pole 27615/72294/N42280, 3.5 feet northwest of a green and white sign “Three Pines 19C-916”, and 21 feet northwest of the centerline of the gravel road.