Owl's Head Bushwhack

[eddiem224]

GPS readings during Bushwhack of Owl's Head from NW

On Friday 7-8-05 my son and I bushwhacked up the Northwest side of Owl's Head to the ridge and obtained the following GPS readings (WGS84) on our way to the slide:

The first high point we hit was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 57.1 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 18.1 seconds
The height (while in my hand about 3 feet from the ground) was measured at 4017 ft.

The second high point was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 54.0 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 18.4 second
The height measured (the same way) was 4033 ft.


The 'real' Owl's Head peak with the sign on the tree was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 30.0 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 21.1 seconds
The height was reading 4030ft.

(The readings were taken with a WAAS enabled GPS stating an accuracy of between 30 and 50 feet. (depending on which peak)

Obviously the readings are subject to the nature of the real accuracy of the GPS system... but the 'real' Owl's head and the 2nd peak I hit are clearly very, very close in elevation. Unfortunately, most of the bushwhacking along that ridge was very slow and tedious even between the 'real' OH and the 4033 foot peak reading.

The second peak is near a large clearing with (at the time) many ferns and an obstructed view of the Franconia ridge. See pictures to the East and West.

It would be interesting to see if anyone else bears out this info and whether there is a point on the mountain higher than the 'real' OH.

 

[DougPaul]

GPS readings (WGS84) on our way to the slide:

The first high point we hit was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 57.1 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 18.1 seconds
The height (while in my hand about 3 feet from the ground) was measured at 4017 ft.

The second high point was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 54.0 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 18.4 second
The height measured (the same way) was 4033 ft.

The 'real' Owl's Head peak with the sign on the tree was at:
44 degrees 8 minutes 30.0 seconds
71 degrees 36 minutes 21.1 seconds
The height was reading 4030ft.

(The readings were taken with a WAAS enabled GPS stating an accuracy of between 30 and 50 feet. (depending on which peak)

Interesting. The first 2 points are ~.3 miles north of pt 4025. The third point is consistent with the south bump. (pt 4025 is ~.15mi N of the south bump. Several independent GPS measuremens indicate the sign is at the south bump.)

The altitudes are all within 16 ft of each other. Not distinguishable by a consumer GPS showing an EPE > 30ft. (One cannot even reliably say which point is higher.)

I presume the altitudes are GPS altitudes, not barometric, or GPS calibrated barometric.

If you look at the altitude reported by a stationary GPS, it will be observed to move up and down. If one wanders around watching the GPS altitude to find the peak, one could just be finding the moment at which the GPS error gives a high reading. Did you choose points 1 and 2 by direct observation or GPS altitude?

The topo map accuracy is stated as "within 1/2 contour interval 90% of the time" or within 20ft for a 25K scale map. Thus the locations on the topo of the high points of a relatively level ridge may be inaccurate. (Somehow, I doubt the mapmakers were as interested in the exact location and altitude of Owl's Head summit as some memebers of this BBS...)

Doug