Random Point #42 - Set 1" Bone

I can't stress how important it is for a land surveyor to carry an adequate amount of supplies with him. Nails are among the most important things that a surveyor takes with him into the field. These nails, (often large spikes), are sometimes used as random control points upon which Northing & Easting coordinates exist. These control points serve as working positions from which a surveyor operates his equipment.

Olin and I had been traversing down a steep mountainside all day, with hopes of locating a particular official boundary marker. Once located electronically with our equipment, the position of the monument would help us analyze the boundary we were working on. By the time we had reached our destination, it was discovered that due to visual blockage from a small cabin, we would need one more random point from which to view the monument. Unfortunately we had exhausted our supply of nails and spikes on the way down the mountain. Neither of us wanted to hike all the way back to the truck for one spike, so we scoured the area in hopes of finding an old nail, or wooden stake... anything we could use for a temporary random point. We were unable to locate anything suitable, until I stumbled upon an old twelve inch long bone that was about an inch in diameter. I found the bleached-white bone laying along a deer trail. I examined it for integrity, and pounded the bone into position, then proceeded to locate its exact position. From there we were able to complete our task without difficulty, and it saved one of us a long hike back to the truck. The bone worked perfectly, and this is the only time that I can recall a bone being set as a survey marker. Old School!