Surveying America
 

Tomorrow at 10am PDT or 1pm EDT( 3-19-11) surveyors across America will be out to GPS control points across the US at the same time for a 4 hour session. This information will then be given National Geodetic Survey office to be added to an existing network that is already across the US. These are points that have not been in the network before. This is a volunteer effort by your local surveying community, and you are invited to come on out and check us out.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories...surveyday.html

http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1711720.html

Have a great weekend and I will be out a neat site. I will post some pictures.

Ray PLS (Professional Land Surveyor in Oregon)

That is so cool Ray. Will this mean that I shouldn't drive off a cliff if I follow the directions on my GPS ?

My day at the Beach
 

Since my first setup of the day was on a cliff next to the ocean, but the ocean got to rough to stay out there. My second setup was a lot better. Had some help form my lovely wife and Maya just came along to keep us company.

WOW ,nice pics .Its beautiful out there .

Those are some beautiful pics Ray(minus the surveying tools..lol).

Im a guy ,I like the surveying tools too.

Interesting Ray, but please explain. You know and they know where you're at by GPS coordinates. What type of data are you gathering, elevation, terrain, etc.?

Data I collected will go to National Geodetic Survey office along with about 1000 other units that were out there. This information then will be used to help update our every changing world for terrian models and elevations. This helps in determining new flood plain area, updating roads and other needed information. It even can be used for your hand held gps units and the one you might use in your car.

Ray,
You said that you have been doing this for a few years. What is the most interesting thing that you have come across ?

Thanks Ray, very cool what you're doing. I'll look for your name in the credits next time I update my GPS. :D Seriously, it's a good thing you're doing, thanks.

Tough question, From a surveyors stand point finding old monuments set in the 1840's to 1860's from everything from whiskey bottles, wagon skiens, rocks with chisel marks, to wooden posts. I like the challenge of trying to figure out how they surveyed it back then and following in their foot steps.

One thing surveying has done for me is I have seen more places in this country that I would have never seen. I have been flown into the bottom of the Grand Canyon by helicopter, along the snake river to the top of the Tentons. I have been to some of the most remote places in Alaska and other parts of the US. If you every go to Yellowstone Park I have surveyed the West, Northeast and East entrance roads into the park for miles. I have been to Glacier Bay National Park and many others parks across the US. I have been on top of the contiental divide in Colorado at over 14500 feet. It's a job that never the same on each adventure and after 34 years at doing this it's still fun to do. Technolgy has made it easier these days from when I started in 1977. Here's a few more pictures without any equipment in it.

Wow ! You have done things that others only can dream about. The beautiful places you have been, the pictures are absolutely beautiful. You could probably frame some of those and make a few bucks. I am jealous of your adventures.