Another aerial photo mystery
July 12, 2016 3:07 PM Subscribe
Any idea what this ruined or unfinished building is at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Flathead Rivers, near Paradise, Montana? It looks complicated for a barn, but I can't imagine what else it might be at this location.
Best answer: For what its worth, I'd say that's more likely to be unfinished rather than ruined: to me, 'ruined' would probably have more debris, maybe chunks of roof still hanging on plus more ex-roof laying around it, that kind of thing. This has nice clean walls indicating probably new(ish) construction, no scattered debris from fallen walls or roofs, and that cleared road/pathway leading to it.
posted by easily confused at 3:51 PM on July 12, 2016
posted by easily confused at 3:51 PM on July 12, 2016
Best answer: It's probably the house in this Street View image from October 2015, which is not in this older Street View from July 2012.
posted by zsazsa at 4:18 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by zsazsa at 4:18 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Good call, zsazsa. The cross gable is a good match for the outline of the foundation. I don't think I would build a fancy house that close to the water, but different people have different tolerances for risk.
Related question: how do you invoke the timewise comparison of street view images? I've never seen that feature before.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016
Related question: how do you invoke the timewise comparison of street view images? I've never seen that feature before.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016
On desktop, in areas where there are Street View images for different dates, you'll see a clock icon with a little drop down arrow in the upper left of the screen. If you click on it you can pick different dates. I don't think there's a way to do it in the mobile Google Maps app.
posted by zsazsa at 6:05 PM on July 12, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by zsazsa at 6:05 PM on July 12, 2016 [5 favorites]
Google Earth allows you to view the date of the satellite imagery, as well as historical satellite images. Looks like the image currently in Google Maps was taken Aug 26 2014, so that matches the dates zsazsa pulled from Street view. Interestingly, it looks like the smaller (inner) foundation was already present in July 2013, and possibly back to 2009, but the larger outer foundation is definitely new since 2013.
posted by yuwtze at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2016
posted by yuwtze at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2016
"I don't think I would build a fancy house that close to the water, but different people have different tolerances for risk."
Probably not much risk there. They are pretty high above the flood plain (15-20 feet at least). The Flathead River above them is controlled by Kerr Dam so the Flathead doesn't have strong rises there in the spring. The Clark Fork is just coming out of a canyon and slows way down. It also a valley that is several miles across.
I have floated right past that house and the flow is very, very slow except for during the May rise.
posted by ITravelMontana at 6:50 AM on July 15, 2016
Probably not much risk there. They are pretty high above the flood plain (15-20 feet at least). The Flathead River above them is controlled by Kerr Dam so the Flathead doesn't have strong rises there in the spring. The Clark Fork is just coming out of a canyon and slows way down. It also a valley that is several miles across.
I have floated right past that house and the flow is very, very slow except for during the May rise.
posted by ITravelMontana at 6:50 AM on July 15, 2016
Response by poster: ... except for during the May rise.
It's probably churlish to argue with someone who has been there, but I will point out that all the soil that makes up that point was deposited by one or both of those rivers in one or more May rises. It may be the case that the water has never been that high since the glaciers retreated, but the Clark Fork has clearly been high enough to cut that channel next to the house fairly recently.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:23 AM on July 18, 2016
It's probably churlish to argue with someone who has been there, but I will point out that all the soil that makes up that point was deposited by one or both of those rivers in one or more May rises. It may be the case that the water has never been that high since the glaciers retreated, but the Clark Fork has clearly been high enough to cut that channel next to the house fairly recently.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:23 AM on July 18, 2016
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posted by LobsterMitten at 3:13 PM on July 12, 2016