low water crossing

Last weekend I spent a good amount of time surveying the land. The property is part of an old German ranch that was divided into tracts a few years ago. My tract abuts a river on one side and a small ranch on the other.  The remaining boundaries of the tract open into wilderness.

When I surveyed the property’s boundary, I used a plat map provided by the seller to help me locate the steel boundary stakes struck into the ground by the land surveyor.  Never having studied a plat map before, it took me a while to understand how to read it but I got the gist of it. This particular plat map had compass headings with walking distance info from one marker to the other. Furthermore, some stakes had a colored surveyor’s tape to help you spot them from afar. However, not all of my markers could be found. As I got closer to the river, I began to get confused as to where my boundary ended.  With one finger on the plat map and both eyes scanning the ground (watching for snakes was a good idea considering we’ve had no rain for a while), I was on the hunt for my final boundary markers. I did spot a piece of orange tape fluttering on a tree branch overlooking the river. As I walked closer, I began to hear the soothing and peaceful sounds of moving water. I climbed down a small cliff and reached out for the orange tape. Sure enough, according to the plat map, this is my final boundary. I sat there in silence and just took in the sounds of the river. A few small fish can be seen swimming by. On the opposite side of the river was a nice resting spot under a canopy of trees. But, to get there, I’d have to cross the river. I was ill prepared, but rolled up jeans and boots should be enough. Were my boots water proof? I found a few sections of the river that was quite shallow—about half a foot in some parts. To my surprise, the boots kept all the water out and I had dry feet throughout….until I slipped on a large pebble and fell. Next time, I’ll bring an extra pair of dry socks.

I got a good feel for where my boundary was on one side of the tract, but I still needed to find the other side. That’s for another weekend.