Shattered

Readings show Four Corners marker off by 2.5 miles

Tourists who want to put a hand or foot in each of four states at the Four Corners area are apparently off the mark — by about 2.5 miles.

According to readings by the National Geodetic Survey, the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be.

The only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed by the U.S. government in 1868 during the initial survey of Colorado's southern boundary line.

The intended location was 109 degrees west longitude and 37 degrees north latitude. But, because of surveying errors, the popular tourist spot is a bit off.

The accurate location would be downhill to the east of U.S. 160 in Colorado and northeast of the San Juan River as it flows into New Mexico.

Well, sonuvabitch. Back in about, 1978 - yes, it was 1978. May as I recall, as that is when commencement exercises were.

I had just graduated from high school and was invited to tag along with my buddy on their family vacation. The head count consisted of me, my buddy, his sister, their parents, and the sister's friend. All traveling in a Ford F-250 pulling a trailer which was about a 35 footer. They were planning on traveling through southern Utah, New Mexico and Arizona for week.

We first went to the Grand Canyon North Rim which you approach coming down from southern Utah. Then we went across the canyon to the South Rim and checked it out.
From there to the Four Corners monument - which I'll get back to in a minute.

After Four Corners, we went on through and around to the northwestern corner of New Mexico, back into the northeast corner of Arizona through the the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, south by Tucson and Phoenix, back up through Lake Havasu and home. We would find a campground or a vacant lot whenever we got a hankerin' to settle in for the evening. This being fairly early in the year yet, the desert wasn't too warm to be camping in, but the mountains were still a bit chilly. The entire trip took us about a week all told, and was one of the best vacations you could ask for.
Which, vacations are usually that way anyway.

So back to the Four Corners monument.
When we were there, it was a concrete slab in the middle of nowhere with a stell survey marker in the middle showing the intersection of the four states. You could easily miss if you weren't paying attention to the road signs.
You could park your vehicle about 20 feet away, get out and do the typical tourist thing, which, like the title to the article said, do a push-up in all four states. You would have your hands in two states and your toes in two others. I forget how my scenario went as to which limbs were where, but somewhere I have a picture.
You could then make a sandwich, take a leak, putter around a bit and hit the road again.

Now, from what I understand, the local indian tribes have decided there was gold in them there monuments, so they have made it a pay-per-view thing. You probably have to pay per vehicle, then pay per guest to see the monument. And chances are, they won't let you touch it.

Anyway, now that the marker apparently isn't where it should be, I guess I didn't have my limbs all in four different states. But you know what? I don't give a fuck. As far as I'm concerned, I did.



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