GREAT HEAD (PE1783)

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State: ME
County: Hancock
Quad: Seal Harbor
Location: N 44° 19.710' W068° 10.460'
Elevation: 144 ft.
Designation: GREAT HEAD 1934
Setting: Outcropping Bedrock
Type: Triangulation Station
Year: 1934
Established By: USGS
Recovered: 09 June 2005

Our first day in Acadia was lovely, sunny and hot. Immediately after arriving and getting settled, Rich took us on an afternoon hike to Great Head, a most scenic spot to begin our vacation. All three marks in this set are in good condition and are easy to find as described.

No report was submitted to NGS at this time; the most recent report was less than a year ago, and the condition of the mark has not changed in the meantime.

EDIT: Photographs of GREAT HEAD by Rich and me are featured in the book Lasting Impressions: A Glimpse into the Legacy of Surveying, Rhonda Rushing, Berntsen International, Inc., 2006.

Zhanna

USGS Official Description, 1934 (see datasheet for recent updates) :

DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1934 (KGC) STATION IS ON THE HIGHEST BLUFF ON THE SE SIDE OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, OVERLOOKING FRENCHMANS BAY. THE BLUFF IS KNOWN AS GREAT HEAD AND IS JUST E OF NEWPORT COVE. STATION IS 17.1 METERS E OF A STONE BUILDING OF 21.15 METERS CIRCUMFERENCE AND 5 METERS IN HEIGHT. THE BUILDING IS AN OBSERVATORY BELONGING TO H.L. SATTERLEE AND IS A PROMINENT LANDMARK FROM THE BAY. STATION IS ON AN IRREGULAR LEDGE ABOUT 2 METERS FROM THE EDGE OF THE STEEP BLUFF. THE STATION IS MARKED BY A STANDARD BRONZE DISK SET IN CONCRETE. REFERENCE MARKS ARE STANDARD BRONZE DISKS WEDGED IN DRILL HOLES IN OUTCROPPING BEDROCK. THEY ARE BOTH IN FLAT LEDGES JUST S OF THE STATION AND E OF THE OBSERVATORY. TO REACH THE STATION FROM BAR HARBOR, GO S ON MAIN STREET, FROM BEACON AT COTTAGE AVENUE AND MAIN STREET GO 1.4 MILES AND TAKE LEFT AT FOUNTAIN. FOLLOW THIS SHORE ROAD 3.3 MILES THEN TAKE PRIVATE ROAD LEFT AT GREAT HEAD SIGN. TAKE FIRST ROAD LEFT AND FOLLOW 0.2 MILE TO INTERSECTION, THEN TURN SHARP LEFT AND FOLLOW 0.2 MILE TO TRAIL ON RIGHT MARKED GREAT HEAD TRAIL. FOLLOW TRAIL ABOUT 1/2 MILE E TO OBSERVATORY AND STATION.

USGS Triangulation Station GREAT HEAD

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USGS Triangulation Station GREAT HEAD

N 44° 19.710' W068° 10.460'

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Eyelevel view of station disk on rock ledge.
Disk in rock ledge, trees and bay in background.
Disk in ledge, rocky coastline, pine trees, shore, bay.

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Looking N from the station mark.

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Looking SSE from the station mark.
Zhanna on rocks overlooking bay, boat far below.
Three disks on rock ledge, indicated.

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All three marks: station indicated by yellow arrow, RM1 indicated by white arrow, and RM2 indicated by turquoise arrow.
USGS Reference Mark Disk GREAT HEAD RM1

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USGS Reference Mark Disk GREAT HEAD RM1

N 44° 19.710' W068° 10.459'

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Eyelevel view of RM1 on rock ledge.
Reference mark disk on rock ledge.
RM disk in rock ledge, bay in background.

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Looking SSE from RM1.

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View NW toward station from RM1, station indicated
RM disk in rock ledge, station indicated by yellow arrow
USGS Reference Mark Disk GREAT HEAD RM2

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USGS Reference Mark Disk GREAT HEAD RM2

N 44° 19.710' W068° 10.462'

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Eyelevel view of RM2 on rock ledge.
Reference nark disk in rock ledge.
Three marks in rock ledge, indicated by arrows.

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All three marks: RM2 in foreground, station indicated by yellow arrow, and RM1 indicated by white arrow.

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