>>>>> "Jerm" == Beetnik  <[log in to unmask]> writes:

    Jerm> Sugarbush uses an old survey with their 4135' Mt Ellen
    Jerm> figure (the more recent ones have it as a tie with Camel's
    Jerm> Hump at 4083).

So *that's* where that 4135 number came from -- I've always wondered
about that.

This talk of Mt. Mansfield gaining 3 ft. in the most recent survey
reminded me of something I read once about the original survey of
Mt. Everest.

Back when the Brits were doing the first survey of the region (around
the turn of the century?? -- before airplanes anyway...), they were
using the most sophisticated technology of the day, and measuring the
elevation of Everest from lots of different points surrounding the
mountain.  There was naturally some variation from point to point, so
the official elevation was the average of all the survey sites.  When
they averaged them all, the elevation came out to exactly 29,000 feet.
Figuring that no one would believe they came up with that number using
the most sophisticated technology known to humanity, instead of just
winging it, they arbitrarily added 2 feet.  29,002 was the "official"
elevation of Everest until the next survey.

Cheers,
-- 
Dave "adding must be more scientific than subtracting" Guertin
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43° 58' 32" N
73° 12' 20" W
elev. 500 ft.