Canada/US geography question

[Bob78164]

Really? Hmm. I first went there in 1978. I had seen pictures from when other members of my family had visited in the 60s. I didn't realize that there used to be an upright marker.

I dunno if you can call a foot high cement survey marker "upright," AJ. I was trying to cause a smile, but I see that I overshot or undershot.

Sorry to mislead you.

I noticed a couple of peculiar somethings when I took a look at the site on Google Maps. First, according to the display, the border between Utah and Colorado isn't a north-south straight line. At least on my display, it was due north-south until a few hundred feet before reaching the southern border, then slants gently east (toward Colorado) before resuming a due north-south course shortly before reaching the southern border.

Second, again according to my display, the actual monument isn't on the four corners site.

I very strongly suspect, of course, that Google Maps has it wrong, rather than the monument itself. But that's useful to know as well. --Bob

[andrewjackson]

and apparently back in the 60s: You are saying there was something upright before this, I guess?

Great photo! Kids just love to be in all four states at once.

OK, adults too.

Yes, what I'm remembering was before that, but I don't know that I'd call it "upright." It looked like this:



Except a little smaller and definitely less greenery. No greenery at all, in fact, middle of the desert and all, but you get the idea. And it had a survey marker buried in the top center. it's probably still there under the monument in your early photo. Heck, it's probably still there under the current monument.

Interesting. Sometimes you get an image in your head and you think its always been that way.

[andrewjackson]

Really? Hmm. I first went there in 1978. I had seen pictures from when other members of my family had visited in the 60s. I didn't realize that there used to be an upright marker.

I dunno if you can call a foot high cement survey marker "upright," AJ. I was trying to cause a smile, but I see that I overshot or undershot.

Sorry to mislead you.

I noticed a couple of peculiar somethings when I took a look at the site on Google Maps. First, according to the display, the border between Utah and Colorado isn't a north-south straight line. At least on my display, it was due north-south until a few hundred feet before reaching the southern border, then slants gently east (toward Colorado) before resuming a due north-south course shortly before reaching the southern border.

Second, again according to my display, the actual monument isn't on the four corners site.

I very strongly suspect, of course, that Google Maps has it wrong, rather than the monument itself. But that's useful to know as well. --Bob

I think I read something about the Four Corners spot being surveyed wrong and Congress changing the line to make it match.

I'll have to do some research to see if that is true.

[TheConfessor]

I think I read something about the Four Corners spot being surveyed wrong and Congress changing the line to make it match.

I'll have to do some research to see if that is true.

Here's an explanation:
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gla ... adkink.htm

[Bob78164]

I think I read something about the Four Corners spot being surveyed wrong and Congress changing the line to make it match.

I'll have to do some research to see if that is true.

Here's an explanation:
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gla ... adkink.htm

Thanks. That's interesting, but it's not the phenomenon I observed. What I saw was a few hundred feet north of Four Corners, rather than 80-110 miles north. I still suspect an error in the line drawn by Google Maps, particularly since it has the four states intersecting a touch north of the Four Corners monument. --Bob

[andrewjackson]

Hmmm. This doesn't explain the Google Map issue but the 4 Corners Monument was supposed to be at:

Latitude: 37N
Longitude: 109W

It is actually at:

Latitude: 36.99917N
Longitude: -109.04028W

Which is a little bit too far west which might make the Colorado-Utah border angle to the east but it angles to the west.

[Bob78164]

Hmmm. This doesn't explain the Google Map issue but the 4 Corners Monument was supposed to be at:

Latitude: 37N
Longitude: 109W

It is actually at:

Latitude: 36.99917N
Longitude: -109.04028W

Which is a little bit too far west which might make the Colorado-Utah border angle to the east but it angles to the west.

According to the Confluence Project, the confluence is 2.2 miles east of the monument, in Colorado. --Bob