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| Hiking | 6.34 Miles |
2,158 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.34 Miles | 7 Hrs 29 Mns | | 2.08 mph |
| 2,158 ft AEG | 4 Hrs 26 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Background:
Five years ago, I downloaded the datasheet for Fraser Triangulation Station from the NGS (National Geodedic Survey) website, with the plan to hike up Pk 4618 and locate Fraser and its two reference marks. I put it on my ‘List of disks to locate’. Five years later I finally got around to hiking up Pk 4618.
Fraser was monumented atop Pk 4618 in 1938 by the NGS.
I studied the datasheet quite a long time, especially the route the 1938 surveyors used to the top. In 1946, two separate survey groups (one NGS and one USGS) took the same 1938 route to the benchmark. The 1938 route must work.
(A side note - 1966 surveyors used a helicopter to go up (down?) to the benchmark).
Cannondalekid basically used the same 1938 surveyor track also, when he hiked up Pk 4618 a year ago. (another verification that the 1938 route still works).
Cannondalekid also uploaded to HAZ, a drive-track to the ‘TH’ at Quail Spring in Millsite Canyon. Many thanks to him for the drive info - It worked perfectly. - Wow, what a ‘fun ride’ it was on FR1900).
Grasshopper, et al, also made use of the same basic 1938 surveyor track last year.
I decided I better get up there too.
The hike:
First, hike up a road (full of round, ankle-rolling rocks), then cross a vegetation-thick drainage when the road stops, then hike up high, and along side the drainage, then purposely hike up ‘and away’ from Pk 4618 to a skinny ridgeline, and then (finally) hike up in an arc, from left to right for the last portion to the peak, where the benchmark lives.
I modified the last portion of the ‘proven’ track by leaving the skinny ridge and going straight up to the top, without the arc. (I must have had a ‘Rambo’ moment).
I stopped many times going up, taking photos, and marveling at the interesting views of well known mountains etc. I always find those views the best. Due to cloud cover atop the peak, those ‘mid-climb’ photos were more worthy.
I made it to the very little top of Pk 4618, and noticed that this mountain is decaying on a fast track, verified by some of its absolutely shear drops on most sides. It reminded me of Saddle Mtn - Tonopah.
The 3 survey disks are very close together, as there’s little room to wander very far. (There’s actually a higher point on the peak, but not by much).
A quote from one of the survey groups; “THE STATION MARK IS A BRONZE DISK STAMPED--FRASER 1938, SET IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK FLUSH WITH GROUND ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF A ROUNDED PEAK, 8 PACES NORTH OF THE SOUTH BRIM AND 8 PACES SOUTH OF NORTH BRIM.”
I guess they thought the ‘rounded peak’ was tiny also.
I normally search for the associated azimuth disk (also placed in 1938), but I determined that a ‘typo’ was probably made on the datasheet, as to its true course from the benchmark. From other information on the datasheet, the given azimuth course didn’t make any sense, so I didn’t waste my time ‘guessing’ its location.
After more photos (and lunch), I started down the same way I went up. The initial ‘straight down’ route was slow, due to alot of loose rocks. Tall grass inconveniently hid other rocks and cactus also. Actually, no big deal, as I just took my time.
The rest of the hike-out was uneventful, except for that brush-infested-drainage, just before the road. I was happy to see the road, even if it was full of ankle turning round rocks.
After getting to the car, the drive-out on the narrow, one-lane FR1900 got interesting, as 4 ATVs came roaring toward me from over a high hill. After a bit of a standoff, I persuaded the teenagers to use their reverse gear to backup to a more open area.
They must have thought I was old and tired and threatening. They were correct on the first two anyway.
This was a challenging, fun mountain to climb, with spectacular scenery all along the way.
I recommend it, if you can get to the trailhead. |
| _____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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