FLATTOP (ER0546)
State: AZ
County: Apache
Quad: Agate House
Location: N 34° 49.409' W109° 49.228'
Elevation: 5856 ft.
Designation: FLATTOP 1936
Setting: Rock outcrop
Type: Triangulation Station
Year: 1936
Established By: USGS
Recovered: 19 September 2008
A report on the condition of this station, reference marks, and azimuth mark was submitted to NGS, along with the following recovery note:
The station, both reference marks, and the azimuth mark were recovered in good condition. The station mark is located at the base of a large rock cairn. The summit sign near the azimuth mark was not found, but a witness sign is posted at the azimuth mark.
Handheld GPS WAAS-corrected coordinates for RM 1 are 34 49 24.8(N) 109 49 13.7(W).
Handheld GPS WAAS-corrected coordinates for RM 2 are 34 49 24.7(N) 109 49 13.1(W).
Handheld GPS WAAS-corrected coordinates for the azimuth mark are 34 49 48.4(N) 109 49 25.6(W).
Zhanna
USGS Official Description, 1936 (see datasheet for recent updates) :
DESCRIBED BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1936 (JB) STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 18 MILES EAST AND 6 MILES SOUTH OF HOLBROOK, IN THE PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT AND 2-1/2 MILES EASTERLY FROM THE HEADQUARTERS, ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 260, ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTHEAST OF A SUMMIT ON THE MAIN SURFACED ROAD THROUGH THE PARK AND ON THE SOUTHERLY AND HIGHEST OF SEVERAL SMALL MESAS KNOWN AS FLATTOPS. THE MARK IS ABOUT 120 FEET NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE MESA, ABOUT 10 FEET EAST OF THE RIM ROCK ON WEST SIDE, AND ON THE HIGHEST POINT. STATION MARK, IS FLUSH. THERE IS NO UNDERGROUND MARK. BOTH REFERENCE MARKS, ARE SET IN ROCK OUTCROPS WHICH PROJECT SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AZIMUTH MARK, IS ABOUT 1/2 MILE NORTHWEST OF THE STATION, ABOUT 42 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE SURFACED ROAD AT A POINT ABOUT 10 FEET NORTHEAST OF A SIGN SUMMIT 5700 AND FLATTOPS. TO REACH FROM HOLBROOK GO SOUTHEASTERLY ON U.S. HIGHWAY 260 FROM JUNCTION WITH U.S. HIGHWAY 66 FOR 18.6 MILES TO CHECKING STATION. THENCE LEFT AND EAST TO PARK HEADQUARTERS 0.4 MILE. TURN RIGHT AND CROSS LOW BRIDGE AND COME TO FORKS AT 0.2 MILE. TAKE LEFT FORK AND CONTINUE 2.5 MILES TO SUMMIT AND AZIMUTH MARK. A 15-MINUTE PACK.
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...USGS Triangulation Station FLATTOPN 34° 49.409' W109° 49.228' |
...Eyelevel view of the station disk set in rock outcrop at cairn base. |
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...Station disk at base of cairn, and Rich taking a photo of the area. |
...View from the station out over the Painted Desert landscape. |
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...The cairn and its surroundings on top of the mesa. |
...The crazy terrain we navigated to find this mark. The horizontal "stripes" in the rock are sheer cliffs 10-20 feet high. The boulders were loose, and even the ash mounds made for very difficult trekking. |
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...A closer view of the Flattop, with our goal indicated. It may appear to be a simple hike, but looks are deceiving! |
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...USGS Reference Mark Disk FLATTOP RM1N 34° 49.414' W109° 49.229' |
...Eyelevel view of the mark on the rock outcrop at the edge of the mesa. |
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...View of the general area of RM1, looking over the edge of the mesa. Because of its position, there was no safe way to capture an image of the reference mark pointing toward the station. |
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...USGS Reference Mark Disk FLATTOP RM2N 34° 49.412' W109° 49.218' |
...Eyelevel view of the mark on the rock outcrop. |
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...View from RM2 west toward the station. |
...Looking out over the landscape from RM2. |
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...USGS Azimuth Mark Disk FLATTOP AZ MKN 34° 49.807' W109° 426' |
...Eyelevel view of the azimuth mark set in concrete, and the witness sign. |
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...The witness sign made this mark very easy to spot from the road. |
...Looking SSE from the azimuth mark toward the cairn at the station (indicated). |
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...A closeup of the disk with a piece of petrified wood I found on top of the Flattops. (I left it at the azimuth mark.) |