finderskeepers
Hero Member
- Jul 26, 2012
- 546
- 261
- Detector(s) used
- Boxes on sticks, that go beep
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Did some map scouting a few months back using a 1930's aerial overlay.Found an area that looked interesting and pulled about about 15-20 GPS co-ordinates of the most interesting features and plotted on a Google map. Had some unexpected time off from work today, played a little mental ping-pong...detector play or homework. Homework won!
Parked the car, tried to plug in UTM (stupid me forgot how) of location that I was certain was a building present in the 30's and just hit the woods. Found an old double track trail 200 yards in and started following it drifting around through the woods whenever a likely spot drew me closer. About 1/3 mile in, after meandering around what seemed like a "perfect" area for a homesite,found my first. The trail had grown very faint, but I continued on. 200 yards further...stopped dead by the worst tangle of Russian olive, vines and briars I've ever encountered. Not a little patch to be skirted, but a wall of death waiting to rip to shreds any soul that dared to enter and then consume them. No problem, backtracked a couple hundred yards and just started bushwacking on the first of several legs to get me around this mess and to my target. Was eyeballing a large stone wall as I made my way through the woods looking for intersecting walls or gates. A few hundred yards further along, BAM wall gets about 6 feet high. I work my way over and discover that it becomes the foundation of what appears might have been a barn nestled on this little rise. I scurry up the top and discover a HUGE (6-7' dia)Ash tree. Not really expecting anything more, but intrigued by the look of the surrounding land, I continue to look investigate and find another cellar hole and then a stone stair case and remnants of another foundation and pillars set into the side of another little rise. These 3 within approx 100 yards of each other.
Continue in the direction of my target destination, bobbing and weaving and pickup another very faint double track trail and find 2 more cellar holes after investigating where several walls met or there was a pronounced gate. I realized I was now skirting what I guessed was a field back in the 30's and although it's borders were thickly grown in, I was able to punch through. I knew I was within a few hundred yards of my target, now my way was blocked by a small pond. Skirt along the edge about 100 yards,find what I think is a stone wall. 30 feet away, another "wall" running parallel? Follow it down just a bit and realize that this too, is a foundation (complete with some farm implement sticking halfway up out of the ground). I was thinking this is my target destination.Little puzzled though as it seems very "grown in" for a place that was active 90 years ago. I look at GPS and realize that I am still 150 yards away.
I look around a bit and discover another VERY faint double track trail leading in the right direction. I start to follow and within 50 yards need to be crawling on hands and knees. Continue another 50 yards and BAM! stopped dead by another wall of death tangle. Late now, time to head back. LOL, I never even made it to my destination!
I can't believe my luck! Many signs indicate these cellar holes to be MUCH earlier than 1930's. While I can't say for certain right now, they seem very similar to a colonial era lost village that me and a buddy are currently searching. Detecting will definitely have to wait until fall/winter because of all the undergrowth, but several more discovery missions are already being planned.
For those of you who have made it this far...THANKS for allowing me to share my excitement. I know this post doesn't contain the usual shiny, or glittery, or intriguing baubles you come to expect... but these words are intended as my way of thanking ALL of you who have been so generous and kind in sharing your wisdom. Though my detector never saw sunlight today, I am SOOO much richer than when I awoke.
The season is upon us, and I can almost feel the whiz of all your detectors scouring the earth for those elusive beeps and that is just the way it should be, but...DON"T FORGET TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
Parked the car, tried to plug in UTM (stupid me forgot how) of location that I was certain was a building present in the 30's and just hit the woods. Found an old double track trail 200 yards in and started following it drifting around through the woods whenever a likely spot drew me closer. About 1/3 mile in, after meandering around what seemed like a "perfect" area for a homesite,found my first. The trail had grown very faint, but I continued on. 200 yards further...stopped dead by the worst tangle of Russian olive, vines and briars I've ever encountered. Not a little patch to be skirted, but a wall of death waiting to rip to shreds any soul that dared to enter and then consume them. No problem, backtracked a couple hundred yards and just started bushwacking on the first of several legs to get me around this mess and to my target. Was eyeballing a large stone wall as I made my way through the woods looking for intersecting walls or gates. A few hundred yards further along, BAM wall gets about 6 feet high. I work my way over and discover that it becomes the foundation of what appears might have been a barn nestled on this little rise. I scurry up the top and discover a HUGE (6-7' dia)Ash tree. Not really expecting anything more, but intrigued by the look of the surrounding land, I continue to look investigate and find another cellar hole and then a stone stair case and remnants of another foundation and pillars set into the side of another little rise. These 3 within approx 100 yards of each other.
Continue in the direction of my target destination, bobbing and weaving and pickup another very faint double track trail and find 2 more cellar holes after investigating where several walls met or there was a pronounced gate. I realized I was now skirting what I guessed was a field back in the 30's and although it's borders were thickly grown in, I was able to punch through. I knew I was within a few hundred yards of my target, now my way was blocked by a small pond. Skirt along the edge about 100 yards,find what I think is a stone wall. 30 feet away, another "wall" running parallel? Follow it down just a bit and realize that this too, is a foundation (complete with some farm implement sticking halfway up out of the ground). I was thinking this is my target destination.Little puzzled though as it seems very "grown in" for a place that was active 90 years ago. I look at GPS and realize that I am still 150 yards away.
I look around a bit and discover another VERY faint double track trail leading in the right direction. I start to follow and within 50 yards need to be crawling on hands and knees. Continue another 50 yards and BAM! stopped dead by another wall of death tangle. Late now, time to head back. LOL, I never even made it to my destination!
I can't believe my luck! Many signs indicate these cellar holes to be MUCH earlier than 1930's. While I can't say for certain right now, they seem very similar to a colonial era lost village that me and a buddy are currently searching. Detecting will definitely have to wait until fall/winter because of all the undergrowth, but several more discovery missions are already being planned.
For those of you who have made it this far...THANKS for allowing me to share my excitement. I know this post doesn't contain the usual shiny, or glittery, or intriguing baubles you come to expect... but these words are intended as my way of thanking ALL of you who have been so generous and kind in sharing your wisdom. Though my detector never saw sunlight today, I am SOOO much richer than when I awoke.
The season is upon us, and I can almost feel the whiz of all your detectors scouring the earth for those elusive beeps and that is just the way it should be, but...DON"T FORGET TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
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