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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, February 03, 2008
A REDEFINED LOCAL HIGHPOINT
Mostly unknown but always higher...
"Round these parts, that bein' Berks County, PA, it was long thought that the highest point was a rocky outcrop near it's
northern tip. This elevation, "The Pinnacle," just off the A.T., has been an ongoing destination for hikers for it's a great 270 degree view of that part of the county and it's rural makeup. This prominence also provides lots of cracks and crevices and boulders to climb around and explore.
In '02, as reported in the Reading newspaper, a local school teacher, Caleb Frantz, intimately familiar with the Blue Mountain east of his Bethel home, pointed out that the true Berks HP was about 20 miles SW of the popular 1635ft. Pinnacle. His highpoint was ringing in at 1680+ft. The geological data doesn't lie. But, not all " high points" afford a breathtaking view, and this nondescript, flat, scrubby area, that rises agonizingly slow to it's rocky loft, surely qualifies.
A geocacher, inspired by the newspaper article on Frantz's observation, using a GPS, located the hp, leaving an ammo box and the start of a cairn to mark the site. To reach it, some bushwhack is involved, but the following describes the so-far most direct route:
Drive to the Blue Mountain crest on Rt183 above Strausstown & park near the yellow gate where the A.T. crosses. Hike southwest, following the white blaz
es aprx. .6mi , passing the formidable stone Fort Dietrich marker midway. At the red game land sign, discontinue the AT tack & go left (south), following the redundant, blotchy, white game land boundary markings - a good trail. In about .1, there are orange markers, a white arrow, and an A.T. lands marker. Turn right here, going west for about 1.3mi. If using a GPS, go hard south at W076 15 08 for aprx. 300ft. Near this south turn, look for the yellow survey tape flags which roughly follow a vague wildlife path. Once close-in, the hp and cairn will appear, proving to be at the highest prominence, a rocky mound w/cairn, in that flat terrain.
Pix set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11330680@N06/sets/72157603848216518/
TopoZone: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40.51776&lon=-76.25216&u=7&datum=nad83&layer=DRG
Geocache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d7baf0c5-38aa-476a-bd73-560fe0f3dbcf
Note: Caleb Frantz, 86 at the time of the article, is now deceased.
Mostly unknown but always higher...
"Round these parts, that bein' Berks County, PA, it was long thought that the highest point was a rocky outcrop near it's
northern tip. This elevation, "The Pinnacle," just off the A.T., has been an ongoing destination for hikers for it's a great 270 degree view of that part of the county and it's rural makeup. This prominence also provides lots of cracks and crevices and boulders to climb around and explore.
In '02, as reported in the Reading newspaper, a local school teacher, Caleb Frantz, intimately familiar with the Blue Mountain east of his Bethel home, pointed out that the true Berks HP was about 20 miles SW of the popular 1635ft. Pinnacle. His highpoint was ringing in at 1680+ft. The geological data doesn't lie. But, not all " high points" afford a breathtaking view, and this nondescript, flat, scrubby area, that rises agonizingly slow to it's rocky loft, surely qualifies.
A geocacher, inspired by the newspaper article on Frantz's observation, using a GPS, located the hp, leaving an ammo box and the start of a cairn to mark the site. To reach it, some bushwhack is involved, but the following describes the so-far most direct route:
Drive to the Blue Mountain crest on Rt183 above Strausstown & park near the yellow gate where the A.T. crosses. Hike southwest, following the white blaz
es aprx. .6mi , passing the formidable stone Fort Dietrich marker midway. At the red game land sign, discontinue the AT tack & go left (south), following the redundant, blotchy, white game land boundary markings - a good trail. In about .1, there are orange markers, a white arrow, and an A.T. lands marker. Turn right here, going west for about 1.3mi. If using a GPS, go hard south at W076 15 08 for aprx. 300ft. Near this south turn, look for the yellow survey tape flags which roughly follow a vague wildlife path. Once close-in, the hp and cairn will appear, proving to be at the highest prominence, a rocky mound w/cairn, in that flat terrain.Pix set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11330680@N06/sets/72157603848216518/
TopoZone: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40.51776&lon=-76.25216&u=7&datum=nad83&layer=DRG
Geocache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d7baf0c5-38aa-476a-bd73-560fe0f3dbcf
Note: Caleb Frantz, 86 at the time of the article, is now deceased.
Friday, February 01, 2008
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA's HIGHEST POINT 
Newly surveyed. Neat. Go there.
Hey, this recently designated natural highest DC site w/implanted super-size, shiny brass disk is cool. Locating it is a bit of a no-brainer and, not to be a spoiler, it's 20ft lower in elevation than the reservoir at Fort Reno, long-time-thought-to-be-the-DC-hp. Just hone on that hefty, high oak on the grassy rise after you roll into the parking area.
We experienced the fun of informing a DC policeman there, Fort R
eno being his regular beat, about the disk. On arriving, we asked if he knew where it located. "Huh?" After doing our own short search, we wound up showing him it's location. He was truly impressed. This was an area he regularly patrolled, but the BM was unknown to him though he had excellent knowledge of the site's history. Go figure. Maybe the survey team worked at night in dark clothing.
Our nitty-gritty approach to Fort Reno was via bite-the-bullet Wisconsin Av., NW starting at M St. in Georgetown. I-495/270 above Bethesda is the north approach. DC traffic is BAD! Definitely try to skirt the rush hours which is somewhat helpful. As heretofore mentioned, tri-pointing is NOT FOR WUSSES! Around DC, neither is High Pointing!
If using the Wisconsin route, just head for Tenley Circle & Nebraska Av. Ft. Reno is tucked in north of these. If lost, don't bother rolling down the window for directions because no one within 2 blocks ever heard of it. This was our second trip since '05, thinking first-time that the reservoir's lid was the DC hp. Like the DC cop, some still believe it is...or the National Cathedral site several blocks south on Wisconsin.
Pix set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11330680@N06/sets/72157603831641036/
HP Club: http://highpointers.org/archives/2007/03/21/dc/
Ft. Reno: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Reno_Park
http://www.nps.gov/archive/rocr/ftcircle/reno.htm
Newly surveyed. Neat. Go there.
Hey, this recently designated natural highest DC site w/implanted super-size, shiny brass disk is cool. Locating it is a bit of a no-brainer and, not to be a spoiler, it's 20ft lower in elevation than the reservoir at Fort Reno, long-time-thought-to-be-the-DC-hp. Just hone on that hefty, high oak on the grassy rise after you roll into the parking area.
We experienced the fun of informing a DC policeman there, Fort R
eno being his regular beat, about the disk. On arriving, we asked if he knew where it located. "Huh?" After doing our own short search, we wound up showing him it's location. He was truly impressed. This was an area he regularly patrolled, but the BM was unknown to him though he had excellent knowledge of the site's history. Go figure. Maybe the survey team worked at night in dark clothing.Our nitty-gritty approach to Fort Reno was via bite-the-bullet Wisconsin Av., NW starting at M St. in Georgetown. I-495/270 above Bethesda is the north approach. DC traffic is BAD! Definitely try to skirt the rush hours which is somewhat helpful. As heretofore mentioned, tri-pointing is NOT FOR WUSSES! Around DC, neither is High Pointing!
If using the Wisconsin route, just head for Tenley Circle & Nebraska Av. Ft. Reno is tucked in north of these. If lost, don't bother rolling down the window for directions because no one within 2 blocks ever heard of it. This was our second trip since '05, thinking first-time that the reservoir's lid was the DC hp. Like the DC cop, some still believe it is...or the National Cathedral site several blocks south on Wisconsin.
Pix set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11330680@N06/sets/72157603831641036/
HP Club: http://highpointers.org/archives/2007/03/21/dc/
Ft. Reno: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Reno_Park
http://www.nps.gov/archive/rocr/ftcircle/reno.htm
THE DOUBLE-DC TRIPOINTSTwo nebulous prospects
In his U.S. Tri-Corners guide, Jack Parsell refers to the corners of VA/MD/VA & VA/DC/MD (#32) as "double tri-points," both on the west bank of the Potomac River, north and south, resp. The north is on private land on a steep slope and, therefore, not routinely accessible. Located in Jones Point Park, the south is easily accessible...sort of. There's a concrete witness marker there - "DC VA Boundary 1947" - but the actual so. intersect is in the river about 200ft NE at the low water mark. If you're an obsessed purist you can swim, row, or paddle to it, GPS in hand. This river boundary 3Pt is akin to the Potomac WV/MD/VA corner. We settled for the DC VA stone after braving that area's traffic, lotsa wrong turns, knarly foootpaths through brambles, and the bridge's north side construction area which only led us to a lone hard-hatter who clued us to the south side access. Again: TriPointing IS NOT for WUSSES!
The new I-95/395 bridge construction over Jones Point Park, then, begs an update to Jack'
s '97 visit. The park, as we learned, is no longer easily accessible from the north side of the (Woodrow Wilson) bridge: Go north on Rt1 from the I-95/495 exit 177 to a right on Franklin St. (east) to a right (south) on George Washington Mem Pky (S. Washington St.) until you cross over the interstate bridge abutment. Make an immediate left (South St.?) at the red brick "Hunting Point On The Potomac" apartments. Go to end, park, and follow the blacktop road along side the bridge aprx. .3mi. toward the point. The pictured marker is visible on the river bank. Apparently, someone recently cleared the encroaching brush from the stone. Continue along to the 1928 Virginia - Maryland stone and the nicely maintained reconstructed lighthouse. The 1791 "caged" DC so. point marker is in the seawall underneath the sidewalk plaque pictured in the Flickr set:http://flickr.com/photos/11330680@N06/sets/72157603834687673/
TopoZone coords:
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=38.79167&lon=-77.03888&s=24&size=m&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
Lighthouse: Click here: Jones Point Lighthouse, Virginia at Lighthousefriends.com
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