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ejain
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ejain
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PostSun May 21, 2023 5:02 pm 
Does anyone know what the meaning/use of these posts is? The T and R numbers don't correspond to any obvious road or trail numbers...
West Fork Teanaway
West Fork Teanaway
Peoh Point
Peoh Point

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catsp
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PostSun May 21, 2023 5:11 pm 
ejain, Mike Collins
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Schroder
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PostSun May 21, 2023 6:03 pm 

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grannyhiker
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PostSun May 21, 2023 6:09 pm 
The second pic shows Township and Range, which are survey indicators. (That's for those who didn't click on the link in catsp's post, which explains everything clearly.)

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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Dick B
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PostSun May 21, 2023 6:21 pm 
ejain. A quick SWAG. I believe they are survey markers. The T and R stand for township and range. X is probably a section line crossing. I have never seen one quite like these before, and usually there is more info posted with it, normally what sections the line is between. The 1 and 35 on post #1 could refer to Sections 1 and 35, but that wouldn't make sense since those 2 sections have no proximity to each other within in a normal township. Any other surveyors out there that could shed light on this. The only other advice is to check with a local surveyor.

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ejain
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PostSun May 21, 2023 8:55 pm 
Interesting, thanks! I have come across Forest Service "location posters", but never noticed (i.e. paid attention to...) these posts.
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Pyrites
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PostSun May 21, 2023 9:55 pm 
The nail on the line between Section 6 & 7 isn’t vandalism. Standard method of showing location.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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treeswarper
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PostMon May 22, 2023 7:05 am 
Pre GPS survey markers from the map, compass and chain days. Some are bearing trees, with red paint and large blazes on them and Do Not Cut signs on them. Info given to get to small fires used to give township, range, and then corners and corners. The large paper map was used. And off to find it you went. The also now seldom used lookout was generally the source of that info. Should the giant electromagnetic disaster occur, knocking satellite info off the screens, we still can know where we are with a paper map in hand.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities

Anne Elk, day_hike_mike
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Dick B
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PostMon May 22, 2023 7:52 am 
Upon further reflection, these posts could be marking a public land survey section or quarter corner. Did there happen to be any kind of monument at the base of the post? Iron pipe or metal cap? Also were there any other writings on the other side of the posts? Any trees close by with tags on them? The yellow location posters are usually at section or quarter section corners, or posted where a section line crosses a road. If it is at a road crossing, the distance and bearing to the corner indicated, in this case by the nail, is scratched at the bottom of the tag. Also who posted it and when. If out driving or hiking about and are semi confused as to where you are, you may come upon one of these tags. If you have a map that shows the sections like a quad or Forest Service map, the information on the corner tag will tell you right where you are.

runup
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Snowshovel
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PostMon May 22, 2023 9:31 am 
Dick B wrote:
The 1 and 35 on post #1 could refer to Sections 1 and 35, but that wouldn't make sense since those 2 sections have no proximity to each other within in a normal township.
Actually they do. The SE corner of Sec 35 T22N R15E and the NW corner of Sec 1 T21 R15 WM touch north of Jungle Creek

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Kim Brown
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PostMon May 22, 2023 9:42 am 
I see these things on FS roads here and there. They're cool. The ones in the picture here are in much better condition than those I have seen! That's my only input.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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treeswarper
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PostMon May 22, 2023 9:57 am 
A bit of history--note the bit about posts not lasting. Adding to the trees being used, if one absolutely positively has to be cut down, it should be high stumped so the info on the tree stays put. https://www.kleinschmidtsurveying.com/blog/original-bearing-trees

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities

runup
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Dick B
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PostMon May 22, 2023 11:33 am 
Snowshovel. My original post was in error on a couple of points. First, I think I miss read what looked like a "1" on the first marker. I believe it was actually a "T" for township. You are right, In many cases the SE corner of 35 is common to the NW corner of Section 1. However, since they are in different townships, the corners are not always common. It depends on how the 2 townships were originally surveyed. I have been out of the surveying game for quite a while, so sometimes facts get kinda fuzzy.

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crock
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PostMon May 22, 2023 11:39 am 
Here's a related question. Some township sections don't have the usual numbers of 1 to 36, but instead have "PB" and then a number. In reading USGS materials about the US Public Land Survey System, I've never seen any reference to what the "PB" stands for. For example see this link at Caltopo; https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=48.02245,-121.24331&z=14&b=mbt&o=t%2Ccl_%257B%2522template%2522%253A%2522http%253A%252F%252Fcaltopo.s3.amazonaws.com%252F1x2%252F%257BZ%257D%252F%257BX%257D%252F%257BY%257D.png%2522%252C%2522type%2522%253A%2522TILE%2522%252C%2522maxzoom%2522%253A%252212%2522%257D&n=1,0&cl=%7B%22custom%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22Feature%22%2C%22id%22%3A%226894d9ef-ec12-46ca-9833-97a4d8405b08%22%2C%22geometry%22%3Anull%2C%22properties%22%3A%7B%22title%22%3A%22USGS%201%3A250k%22%2C%22template%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fcaltopo.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1x2%2F%7BZ%7D%2F%7BX%7D%2F%7BY%7D.png%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22TILE%22%2C%22maxzoom%22%3A%2212%22%2C%22alphaOverlay%22%3Afalse%2C%22class%22%3A%22CustomLayer%22%7D%7D%5D%7D Note that Caltopo shows the 1999 USGS Sloan Peak 1:24,000 map. The 1966 and 1982 USGS Sloan Peak 1:24,000 maps show the are as unsurveyed with no section numbers or "PB" numbers at all. I can conjecture that "PB" means the sections haven't been officially surveyed, but that is just conjecture. Does anyone actually know what "PB" stand for and means?

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Snowshovel
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PostMon May 22, 2023 11:57 am 
RichP
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