RoySwkr
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Monday I took a GPS to the summit of Mt Cabot to look for highpoints. The USGS map shows a larger contour about 200' long centered about 44 30.358 -71 24.862 WGS84, a smaller contour to the NW at about 30.389 24.887, and a tiny spot to the W at about 30.376 24.904.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.50606,-71.41581&z=17&t=T
I helped a friend who was moving in the morning and didn't get started until about 1. I used my favorite summer route from Stark although the first part of the trail was muddier than I remembered. Just up the trail was a FS notice inviting comment of making the Mt Cabot cabin a locked fee site - I'm glad they're reaching out to actual users. Just before the top JayH zoomed by although he had already climbed 3 4k peaks that day and I was still working on my 1st. Bill arrived shortly after. The GPS was picking up 7 satellites with EPE of 18'-35'.
The summit sign at .367 .877 which was not there on my first few climbs of Cabot (there was a piece of metal from the fire tower) was obviously placed at a cleared area for breaks and not at the true highpoint, but it's near the middle of the large contour and will probably continue as the summit for most hikers. We all agreed that a tree at .360 .875 a little S near the junction with the herdpath to the W viewpoint seemed higher. I went a little farther S on the trail and found a rock at .358 .859 just before the trail obviously dropped off that was of similar height.
Next we all hiked to the N viewpoint crossing a slight dip, everything was hazed in and it's probably better in winter but people agreed that it was a highpoint and it's coords of .378 .888 were suspiciously close to that of the NW contour.
After they left, I went looking for the tiny spot. The point matching the GPS coordinates was obviously downslope with no bump visible in open woods with knee-high ferns, the same when I adjusted the coords to conform to the shift in the NW contour. Whatever the mapmakers saw, it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
GPS elevations are not accurate enough to judge among these points, for that you need a water hose or real survey equipment. The woods are probably open enough that this could be done with a couple sets of a transit or laser level - are you listening KT?
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.50606,-71.41581&z=17&t=T
I helped a friend who was moving in the morning and didn't get started until about 1. I used my favorite summer route from Stark although the first part of the trail was muddier than I remembered. Just up the trail was a FS notice inviting comment of making the Mt Cabot cabin a locked fee site - I'm glad they're reaching out to actual users. Just before the top JayH zoomed by although he had already climbed 3 4k peaks that day and I was still working on my 1st. Bill arrived shortly after. The GPS was picking up 7 satellites with EPE of 18'-35'.
The summit sign at .367 .877 which was not there on my first few climbs of Cabot (there was a piece of metal from the fire tower) was obviously placed at a cleared area for breaks and not at the true highpoint, but it's near the middle of the large contour and will probably continue as the summit for most hikers. We all agreed that a tree at .360 .875 a little S near the junction with the herdpath to the W viewpoint seemed higher. I went a little farther S on the trail and found a rock at .358 .859 just before the trail obviously dropped off that was of similar height.
Next we all hiked to the N viewpoint crossing a slight dip, everything was hazed in and it's probably better in winter but people agreed that it was a highpoint and it's coords of .378 .888 were suspiciously close to that of the NW contour.
After they left, I went looking for the tiny spot. The point matching the GPS coordinates was obviously downslope with no bump visible in open woods with knee-high ferns, the same when I adjusted the coords to conform to the shift in the NW contour. Whatever the mapmakers saw, it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
GPS elevations are not accurate enough to judge among these points, for that you need a water hose or real survey equipment. The woods are probably open enough that this could be done with a couple sets of a transit or laser level - are you listening KT?
