This is our first (and only) iron rod in Canada. Ya seen one rod, ya seen 'em all. Notwithstanding the story that I share below the technical WM stuff, we decided to open the cover on this one to see what the Canadian metal rod benchmarks look like (SPOILER: They look like metal rods [but not like the ones in the USA] :0).
We see that Alberta also loves to monument benchmarks in the fencelines - :/. Blasters know about the dangers of fencelines, but this fenceline was clear of all negative-encounter critters.
We also appreciated the witness post at the benchmark.
From the Canadian Government website: (
visit link)
"Name: 82A522
Province: Alberta
NTS map sheet: 072E15
Unique Number: 82A522
Provincial ID: none
Network: 49110
Latitude
N49° 58' 35.533274" ± 0.0076m
Longitude
W110° 33' 3.717666" ± 0.0040m
Station Marker:
Marker Type: Permanent agency marker
Inspected in: 1991
Established by: Canadian Geodetic Survey - NRCAN
Status: Good
Comments: None
Location
Accessible by passenger car or light truck and a walk of less than 50 m.
Dunmore Deep Bench Mark in manhole along Highway No. 41, 0.2 km north of junction with Trans Canada Highway, in southeast corner of section 12-12-05 W4M, 137 m south of centre line of C.P.R., 31.1 m east of centre line of highway, 118 m south and 60 cm west of fence corner, 4 m below highway level."
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SO -- As promised, the background of why Blasterz (being Texans) as a rule DO NOT hunt these metal rod benchmarks anymore. We have found snakes, wolf spiders (non-venomous but the size of golf balls), dead mice, and fire ants in these metal rod benchmarks. But for me, after Daddy Blaster lifted a lid off a buried Triangulation Station benchmark in Charlottesville, Virginia --> IN THE WINTERTIME <-- AND it had a live black widow in her web under the bottom of the lid -I was D-O-N-E with buried benchmarks.
I had a huge cow, and that day went into family lore as a funny MB story. It IS a funny story, but that happened in 2009, and I have the willies just remembering that day as I write this waymark. It helped that my daughters delighted in reliving that day through LOTS of hand-drawn art, (which I still have), for several months, and still gleefully recall that day 12 years later as adult women. (
visit link)
Fortunately, the US also engraves the name of the benchmark in the rim of the metal rod cover, so you don't need to open them -- BUT they are often monumented at the edge of the state right-of-way -- which in Texas, means right next to the fenceline.
We always approach fencelines (especially in Texas) with caution. Lots of critters we don't want to mess with live in the fencelines. BWs are 100% certainty, rattlesnakes can be rare or very likely depending on where you are. Our rule of thumb: The more prickly pear, the more the chance of snakes - and tarantulas.
I hate the damned black widows, but the rattlesnakes and tarantulas don't bother me. I've been buzzed at several times by rattlers, but since I know what to do, I've never been bitten. Tarantulas are big but not aggressive at all.
Yay benchmark hunting! ALWAYS an adventure! :)