MINOOKA RESET (AJ2429)

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State: PA
County: Lackawanna
Quad: Scranton
Location: N 41° 22.735' W075° 40.560'
Elevation: 1017 ft.
Designation: MINOOKA RESET 1976
Setting: Rock outcrop
Type: Triangulation Station
Year: 1976
Established By: NGS
Recovered: 12 February 2005

I initially thought that recovering this set of marks was going to require parking at ToppCopy and climbing over a wire fence, but I got a lucky break this time. I hadn't noticed it when scouting out the mark, but there is a convenient opening cut in the fence directly behind one of the powerline poles (number 56922 N44837) referenced in the station description. I was able to walk right through; I wonder if the fence was cut to allow easier access to the marks.

My new GPSr took me to within 2 feet of the station mark, and it was easy to spot because the rock outcropping was clear of snow and debris. The outcropping into which RM 1 was set was similarly simple to find, but I was disappointed to see that the disk was vandalized and only the shank remains. (I did not realize until later in the evening that RM 1 has its own datasheet, which does note the destruction.) Locating RM 4 proved to be a challenge. I took measurements from the end of the east-west paved road and from powerline pole 56906 N44818 in order to pinpoint the spot. The measurements brought me directly to the mark, which was found after removing some litter and mud packed around the mark. This mark too has been vandalized, with only the shank remaining; this is noted on its datasheet. There was no sign of a witness post as mentioned in the 1976 description.

A report on the condition of this triangulation station was submitted to NGS, along with the following recovery note:

The station mark was recovered in good condition. Both reference mark 1 and reference mark 4 are in poor condition with only their shanks remaining. The marks are located in an empty lot just northwest of topp business solutions, and the former to reach is adequate. The powerline poles were found as described. The witness post no longer exists.

NGS Official Description, 1976 (see datasheet for recent updates) :

NO OTHER OBJECTS VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND. THE STATION MARK AND REFERENCE MARK 2 WERE FOUND DESTROYED. REFERENCE MARK ONE WAS FOUND IN GOOD CONDITION. THE STEM FROM THE DISK FOR THE STATION MARK AND THE REFERENCE WAS VISIBLE AND APPEARED TO BE VERY CLOSE TO WHERE THE ORIGINAL POINT WAS. NEW DISKS WERE PLACED IN THE SAME HORIZONTAL POSITION AS THE STEMS OF THE STATION MARK AND THE REFERENCE MARK. THE DISTANCE AND DIRECTION TO BOTH REFERENCE MARKS WERE WITHIN CLOSE AGREEMENT WITH THE 1959 OBSERVATIONS. A COMPLETE NEW DESCRIPTION FOLLOWS. THE STATION IS LOCATED ON A HIGH RIDGE 2-1/2 MILES SOUTH OF SCRANTON, 1 MILE EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MINOOKA AND JUST EAST OF THE HILL TOP MANOR HOUSING AREA. TO REACH FROM THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 11, STATE HIGHWAY 502 AND 315, AND PITTSTON AVENUE WHICH IS 6 MILES SOUTH OF SCRANTON, GO NORTH ON U.S. HIGHWAY 11 (PITTSTON AVENUE) FOR 2.95 MILES TO DUNCAN STREET. TURN RIGHT, GO EAST ON DUNCAN STREET FOR 0.25 MILE TO A T-INTERSECTION. TURN LEFT, GO NORTH ON WEBSTER AVENUE FOR 100 FEET TO A SIDE ROAD RIGHT AT THE NORTHWEST EDGE OF THE HILL TOP HOUSING AREA. TURN RIGHT, GO EAST ON A PAVED STREET FOR 0.1 MILE TO THE END OF THE PAVED STREET AT THE NORTHEAST EDGE OF THE HOUSING AREA. CONTINUE EAST UPHILL ON A TRUCK ROAD FOR 0.1 MILE TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF A WOVEN WIRE FENCE. TURN RIGHT, GO SOUTH ALONG EAST SIDE FENCE FOR 0.1 MILE TO THE STATION. THE STATION MARK IS A STANDARD DISK STAMPED MINOOKA 1959 1976 CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN A 3 BY 8 FOOT OUTCROP OF BEDROCK WHICH PROJECTS ONE FOOT. IT IS 134 FEET WEST OF A POWERLINE POLE NUMBERED 56922-N44837, AND 77 FEET NORTH OF A WOVEN WIRE FENCE AND WITNESS POST. REFERENCE MARK ONE IS A STANDARD DISK STAMPED MINOOKA NO 1 1959 CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN A 7 BY 12 FOOT OUTCROP OF BEDROCK WHICH PROJECTS ONE FOOT. IT IS 68 FEET NORTH OF A POWERLINE POLE NUMBERED 56922-N44837. REFERENCE MARK 3 IS A STANDARD DISK STAMPED MINOOKA 1959 NO 3 1976 CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN A 4 BY 9 FOOT OUTCROP OF BEDROCK WHICH PROJECTS 1/2 FOOT. IT IS 39 FEET EAST OF A POWERLINE POLE WITH NO NUMBER, 35 FEET EAST OF THE WOVEN WIRE FENCE, AND 30 FEET EAST OF A FOOT PATH. NO SUITABLE PLACE TO SET AN AZIMUTH MARK WHICH WOULD BE VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND. NOTE-NO INFORMATION ON NEW MARKS AS TO ELEV. AIRLINE DISTANCE AND DIRECTION FROM NEAREST TOWN--1 MILE EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MINOOKA.