Mount Dunfee, NV elevation?

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Mount Dunfee, NV elevation?

Postby CandaceS » Wed Apr 22, 2020 9:55 pm

I was just looking at the page for Mount Dunfee, Nevada:

https://listsofjohn.com/peak/44390

On the 7.5' map, the designated summit and site of the register appears to be lower than two other 7024' spot elevations on the mountain.

The LOJ page includes this note: "Map is missing a contour in this location as this has been determined higher than either 7,024' spot elevation contours and is the location of the register."

How was it determined? Bob Burd's trip report includes pics of the register pages. I didn't see an explanation there. Did someone use a hand level? Or maybe the "32X automatic level telescope" used to measure the elevation differences between Spectre and its neighbors? :-D (See https://www.summitpost.org/spectre-peak/958031 .)

On the older 100K map, the southwestern high point has the spot elevation of 2141 meters (7024'). Suggesting to me those surveyors thought that was the highest point. Finally, the register says 7064' on the inside of the cover! :worms:
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Re: Mount Dunfee, NV elevation?

Postby CandaceS » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:44 pm

I climbed Dunfee on Monday, and here's what I found.

Clearly, the high point designated as the summit, where the register sits, is the highest point on the peak.

Per my GPS, the elevation on the summit is 7041'. On the high point southwest of the summit (shown as 7024' on the 7.5' quad), I got 7028'.

The other high point to the east is clearly a little lower than the summit. So I didn't bother going over to measure it.

I took the readings by setting the GPS on what looked to be the highest natural point of rock. Then leaving it undisturbed, checking it 10 minutes then 20 minutes later.
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Re: Mount Dunfee, NV elevation?

Postby John Kirk » Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:38 am

Hi Candace, the info came from Bob Packard in 2015. He's very careful about this kind of thing and did use a handlevel:

On May 21 I climbed Mount Dunfee (7024, P=714), Gold Point Quad, Esmeralda Co, NV.
... You will notice that the map shows the high areas of Mount Dunfee having 4 7000'
contours. You have the high point at the 7020 contour with given elevation 7024
with co-ordinates 37.3430*N, 117.3279*W. But, interestingly, the actual high point
is at the 7000' contour to the NE at 37.3458*N, 117.3230*W according to my GPS.
I estimate that this beats the 7024 area by about 6 feet, both by using hand level
(both ways) and by GPS readings. It also beats out the other 7024 elevation area
to the E of it, by about the same amount. The 4th 7000' contour area is not in
contention. Looks to me that the USGS has missed a 7020 contour in the 7000'
contour where the high point is located. At the high point there is a large cairn and
a MacLilley Oct 87 register with many signers, among them Zdon, Sumner, Rountree,
Ide and Adrian & Carey. Adrian & Carey were there last year and the register is
encased in Carey's signature red can. With so many climbers reaching the true
high point I'm somewhat surprised that no one has pointed this out to you.
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Re: Mount Dunfee, NV elevation?

Postby CandaceS » Thu May 07, 2020 3:59 pm

Thanks, he came to the same conclusion I did: the high point with the register is indeed the summit of the peak. We just have slightly different GPS elevation readings. I have a fairly basic (read: inexpensive) receiver, so the elevation may well be off a bit.

The important point is, my return trip to Dunfee was justified. Because when I hiked up years ago, I stopped at that southwestern high point. But now I'm fully legit. :-D
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