Wrong summit marked on map and GPS for Macnaughton?

DeepForest · 08-20-2012, 05:04 PM

I went up Mac from Wallface Pond on 8/19 and 3/4 of the way up found a full can of bear spray and protective lab glasses on the ground. Bear one, human zero.

Both my GPS and map had the summit of Mac located in the wrong place. I knew there was a summit sign so I kept going but if I went by the GPS summit waypoint and map, the summit according to it is pretty much in the middle of the mountain. Anyone else ever run into this?
I'm sure more than a few people have thought the open rock area looking west was the summit and checked off Macnaughton.

On the bushwhack down I found a sunglasses lens on Wallface Brook. Which btw is one of the sickest boulder and rock exposed brooks I have ever seen in the Adk's

sbs · 08-20-2012, 06:34 PM

I remember seeing this on my map as well but actually got different results when up there with my GPS. I walked the whole summit ridge with my GPS and the "true" summit was actually closer to the sign on the Northwest side of the ridge. Though it could have just been within the error of my GPS that day and the middle is the summit.....they seemed pretty darn close.

ADKJack · 08-20-2012, 07:20 PM

Let me guess......Mapsource
McNaughton is not the only 46er they have wrong. They place the markers in the approximate spot..... but if you hover a mouse cursor of the summit waypoint it will not = the height listed.
Stree, and tabletop are wrong also

JoeCedar · 08-20-2012, 08:52 PM

There has been no actual ground survey of MacNaughton, only aerial surveys which are used to estimate the contours and elevation. The USGS topo map has an "X" on the southeast summit and "1214" meters (3982 ft).

The 46ers have traditionally placed the canister and now the sign on the northwest summit, which is about 0.2 mi from the southeast summit.

A couple of years ago I measured elevations by GPS and altimeter for the two summits. They are not significantly different within the errors of the measurements. By GPS I got 4030, 4033, and 4044 ft for three measurements at the NW summit (each was an average over time). On the SE summit I got 4033 ft.

Tradition wins again. The NW summit is "official", but don't feel bad if you only visited the SE summit.

Hear the Footsteps · 08-21-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepForest

Both my GPS and map had the summit of Mac located in the wrong place. I knew there was a summit sign so I kept going but if I went by the GPS summit waypoint and map...

You've piqued my interest. Now I'm going to have to find the USGS quad with MacNaughton on it. I have assumed that the middle summit of the three bumps on MacNaughton's summit ridge would be the one on the offical maps and that the sign is, well the sign is where the sign is.

A quick check of my ADK map didn't resolve anything. The map to go with Discover the High Peaks marks the middle summit as the summit, not the NW summit or where the sign is.

Don

P.S. Add Blake to Jack's list of GPS discrepancies.

08-20-2012, 05:04 PM	#1
DeepForest Backcountry Bastard Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Burlington, VT Posts: 291	Wrong summit marked on map and GPS for Macnaughton? I went up Mac from Wallface Pond on 8/19 and 3/4 of the way up found a full can of bear spray and protective lab glasses on the ground. Bear one, human zero. Both my GPS and map had the summit of Mac located in the wrong place. I knew there was a summit sign so I kept going but if I went by the GPS summit waypoint and map, the summit according to it is pretty much in the middle of the mountain. Anyone else ever run into this? I'm sure more than a few people have thought the open rock area looking west was the summit and checked off Macnaughton. On the bushwhack down I found a sunglasses lens on Wallface Brook. Which btw is one of the sickest boulder and rock exposed brooks I have ever seen in the Adk's

08-20-2012, 07:20 PM	#3
ADKJack Sure, Why not! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mt Adams Posts: 2,044	Let me guess......Mapsource McNaughton is not the only 46er they have wrong. They place the markers in the approximate spot..... but if you hover a mouse cursor of the summit waypoint it will not = the height listed. Stree, and tabletop are wrong also __________________ "Climbing is about freedom. There's no prize money; there are no gold medals. The mountains are all about going there to do what you want to do. That's why I'll never tell anyone else how to climb. All I can say is, This is how I prefer to do it." Ed Viesturs

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

08-20-2012, 06:34 PM	#2
sbs Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 39	I remember seeing this on my map as well but actually got different results when up there with my GPS. I walked the whole summit ridge with my GPS and the "true" summit was actually closer to the sign on the Northwest side of the ridge. Though it could have just been within the error of my GPS that day and the middle is the summit.....they seemed pretty darn close.

08-20-2012, 08:52 PM	#4
JoeCedar Commander Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Keene, NY Posts: 1,965	There has been no actual ground survey of MacNaughton, only aerial surveys which are used to estimate the contours and elevation. The USGS topo map has an "X" on the southeast summit and "1214" meters (3982 ft). The 46ers have traditionally placed the canister and now the sign on the northwest summit, which is about 0.2 mi from the southeast summit. A couple of years ago I measured elevations by GPS and altimeter for the two summits. They are not significantly different within the errors of the measurements. By GPS I got 4030, 4033, and 4044 ft for three measurements at the NW summit (each was an average over time). On the SE summit I got 4033 ft. Tradition wins again. The NW summit is "official", but don't feel bad if you only visited the SE summit.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)