Dixie Valley Nevada
- Thread starter ski3pin
- Start date
billharr
Senior Member
Another great report. Where did you get that coating for the new camper that does not get dirty?
Foy
Resident Geologist
Yep, yet another fine trip and fine write-up. Nice find on the corner post!
For hoplessly geeky people like me, the history of the Public Land Survey System is fascinating. Much so because growing up in the East, I never had much to do with PLSS until I started doing field work in a PLSS state after college in 1978. Our company hired most of its field geologists from East Coast schools, so after training, we "veterans" had fun with the newbies by sending them off on a wild goose chase "over in Section 37". Listening to the rookies appealing for help on their radios was a "geek riot".
There are 19th century re-enactors who put on displays at gatherings of many sorts. I saw a great group of them at Bannack Days, in Bannack, MT, during July 2010 and again in July 2011. They bring their antique instruments and many plats and are wholly engaging.
Foy
For hoplessly geeky people like me, the history of the Public Land Survey System is fascinating. Much so because growing up in the East, I never had much to do with PLSS until I started doing field work in a PLSS state after college in 1978. Our company hired most of its field geologists from East Coast schools, so after training, we "veterans" had fun with the newbies by sending them off on a wild goose chase "over in Section 37". Listening to the rookies appealing for help on their radios was a "geek riot".
There are 19th century re-enactors who put on displays at gatherings of many sorts. I saw a great group of them at Bannack Days, in Bannack, MT, during July 2010 and again in July 2011. They bring their antique instruments and many plats and are wholly engaging.
Foy
Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Thanks again and another trip 
down memory lane---and don't worry you will not bore us----our church is the Nevada high desert-or any open space for that matter!! Be not to far from there soon-even just bought a Nevada out of state fishing lic. , never can tell when you might stumble on that nice desert stream that the cows have been fenced off from !
Smoke
down memory lane---and don't worry you will not bore us----our church is the Nevada high desert-or any open space for that matter!! Be not to far from there soon-even just bought a Nevada out of state fishing lic. , never can tell when you might stumble on that nice desert stream that the cows have been fenced off from !Smoke
montana-moods
Advanced Member
Thanks for shinning a light into some wonderful nooks and crannies. You have fun adventures to follow along with.
OP
OP
Came straight from the great guys at All Terrain Campersbillharr said:
On standard woodland copy USGS 7.5 quads, the color red denotes land survey lines - sections numbers with range info in the top and bottom borders and township on the right and left borders. If there is a small bold cross at the intersection of section lines, the corner is monumented on the ground. So if you are hopelessly geeky land navigators, seeing if you can walk .75 to 1 mile cross country and find a piece of pipe that small is a fun exercise.Foy said:
We were taught to give our "legal location" over the radio or "give me your legal." In this case for our truck - on the dirt road in the NE 1/4, Section 8, T20N R34E. Quicker and easier to find on a map, once you know the lingo, than any coordinate system.
Radio traffic can be fun to ease drop on.
And a fine church it is.Smokecreek1 said:Thanks again and another trip
Smoke
Thanks for the kind comment. Nooks and crannies are indeed fun, especially when you weed out some of the history and stories. Happy travels.montana-moods said:
Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Many moons ago when I was a new BLMerFoy said:
, the first training session I (as all new BLM employees at that time were required to do) was sent to a training session on the history of how that system was developed and how it works and how to read and find "K' tags, bench marks, corner posts and the such; it was taught by our own cad. survey folks and was one (even though unlike allot of new hires, I was trained in the fine arts of map reading, etc;,) of the best and most enjoyable courses I have ever had! Surveying the US was a hard and sometimes dangerous job-although, there are more than a few areas that were surveyed from the local bar in the old days---as I learned! Maps, reading maps and map instruments are some of the best parts of field life me thinks !Smoke
I spent a several years doing survey work in Nevada back in the 80's. It was interesting to see how many square miles of Nevada had been "surveyed" under contract in the late 1800's - in perfect squares over mountainous terrain - in other words, never done. It was one of the great scams on the federal government. It was also interesting to find mistakes on the topo maps, in case, a whole canyon that was not shown. We ran into one of the USGS map checkers and it was something he was out there to remap. Nevada is an interesting place, despite all the "wastelands"!
K-Os
New Member
Thank you! I have never heard of this place. It looks great!
highz
Retreaded
In the olden days I went on a field trip to the Fairview Peak area to see that fault scarp. Thanks for the trip report and for bringing back a good memory.
takesiteasy
Senior Member
Great report- thanks! Nevada is interesting. I sure wish we had some of those hot springs around here.
I love the stories about the old govt land surveys being done in the local bars. There is a whole area in Cook County in the northeast of Minnesota like that- tons of missing and misplaced section corners and the like. Doesn't help that there is a lot of magnetic rock in the area and compasses are not reliable. Didn't really matter too much until the advent of GPS when the ground truthing became easier. Now people know what a mess it is. Legal descriptions for properties are all wrong and need to be re-written. Won't happen until the federal government funds it. For now, people are just living with it.
I love the stories about the old govt land surveys being done in the local bars. There is a whole area in Cook County in the northeast of Minnesota like that- tons of missing and misplaced section corners and the like. Doesn't help that there is a lot of magnetic rock in the area and compasses are not reliable. Didn't really matter too much until the advent of GPS when the ground truthing became easier. Now people know what a mess it is. Legal descriptions for properties are all wrong and need to be re-written. Won't happen until the federal government funds it. For now, people are just living with it.
Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
Hats off the Ski and the Lady for an abundance of well written and photographed TR's!
Interesting history in the Dixie Valley. Thanks for sharing with us.
Interesting history in the Dixie Valley. Thanks for sharing with us.
ETAV8R
Senior Member
Great TR as usual. I liked the link for the historical clip about Dixie Valley done by NAS Fallon. Definitely looks like an interesting place to visit.
OP
OP
You're welcome highz. Two strong quakes minutes apart, wow that had to something to experience! We love it when the earth moves.highz said:
Foy
Resident Geologist
ski3pin said:On standard woodland copy USGS 7.5 quads, the color red denotes land survey lines - sections numbers with range info in the top and bottom borders and township on the right and left borders. If there is a small bold cross at the intersection of section lines, the corner is monumented on the ground. So if you are hopelessly geeky land navigators, seeing if you can walk .75 to 1 mile cross country and find a piece of pipe that small is a fun exercise.
Yep, we plotted our drill holes on standard 7.5' quads, with all of the info noted.
We were taught to give our "legal location" over the radio or "give me your legal." In this case for our truck - on the dirt road in the NE 1/4, Section 8, T20N R34E. Quicker and easier to find on a map, once you know the lingo, than any coordinate system.
Radio traffic can be fun to ease drop on.
"Site CH-147, legal SW quarter of the NW quarter of the SE quarter Sec 14, T13N, R22W", Smith lease". We used downhole analog geophysical instruments to chart the presence, depth, and thickness of lignite beds intersected by our exploratory drill holes. They used a radioactive cesium 137 source attached to a 10' probe and lowered down the hole for the density log, so losing one was the biggest of problems, requiring "drop everything" response with downhole recovery tools, etc. We'd radio a rookie field geologist with a "stuck probe at Jackson's rig over in Section 37", telling him to get over there and radio back ASAP. We'd then take turns calling the rookie for updates, starting just a minute or two after dispatching him. To hear his frustration building as he searched for Section 37 was a scream.
Who remembers what's special about Section 16?
OP
OP
Section 37, you guys were heartless.
You got me on Section 16.
You got me on Section 16.
Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Section 37---isn't that where they store the paint and tools they use to paint the section lines and section numbers ! Or is that where they keep the sky hooks and left handed wrenches they put up the mapping stands with? How did we survive without GPS anyway !
Smoke
! Or is that where they keep the sky hooks and left handed wrenches they put up the mapping stands with? How did we survive without GPS anyway !Smoke
craig333
Riley's Human
I even went outside and looked at my K tag. You got me too on 16.
highz
Retreaded
The only thing I know about section 16 is the "school lands" section. Is there something else that I'm missing?
takesiteasy
Senior Member
I was thinking school trust land also. In Minnesota, both 16 and 36 were set aside for the school trust. It's been a problem in the BWCA because in the wilderness, no revenue generating activities are allowed. So the state wants to trade out of the wilderness sections for USFS land that can generate revenue through forestry or mining. So far, no resolution has been found.
