HAPPY HALLOWEEN LETTERBOXES
These letterboxes are located in Snake Den Park State Park in Smithfield. The walk is about 2½ miles. There will be some great views of the foliage here when the leaves really get going. There are interesting ledges as well where the rattlesnakes supposedly lived. In the old days, they were said to be so thickly infested it kept the horses and wagons from traveling along here!! No snakes seen today though!
DIRECTIONS: Travel on 295 to Exit 7 (Rt 44). Head towards Apple Valley. Take a left onto Saunderson Rd at the light near the Burger King. Then, take your 3rd right onto Brown Ave. (didn't see a road sign here). Follow till you pass house #133. Shortly after the house, you can park on the right, across from the trail.
PLEASE LEAVE ALL ZIPLOCS AS FOUND. DON'T USE THE BIG ONE TO ENCLOSE THE CONTAINER PLEASE!!!
..BOX #1 finally replaced on 8/17
CLUES: Once parked, find the trail to the SW, beyond the NO DUMPING sign. Quickly to a Y to go 134°, then at another Y to head 123° "the high road". On and ignore a trail to the left. Down and up along the ridge.
Trail swings left, away from the rocks. Downhill. Be on the lookout here for a small tree straddling a rock to the SW, 10 paces or so off trail. Check the SE side of this rock. BOX 1 is sandwiched between rock here, behind some rocks. Look out for Goblins! REHIDE WELL PLEASE!!
Continue on the main path. Under tree and over stone wall near a stream. At T, head 157°, at the 4 way go 151°. On past more rocky formations, eventually swinging left up a hill, then swings right at the top, near the "bat caves".
At T head 169°, on, trail swings right. At next intersection, head 173°. On to a place with the nice view. A "witches rock cauldron" is here. Onward, thru the pines and woods until you reach a large clearing with some powerlines.
On, under the lines to a Y to go right. On to look for pole #126 to the NE of the path. 32 paces further from the pole. STOP. Walk 18 paces at 82° to the end of the ledge. Check low in the ledge, behind rocks for BOX 2. REHIDE WELL PLEASE!!!
Retrace your steps to the "witches cauldron" and past it. Onward to a Y near the "bonsai pine". Here go 343°, under the pine. At T, 335°. On a bit, eventually trail swings left, downhill and on again. At next 4 way, head 264°. Continue on the main path, past a mighty Pine of 4. Here follow the trail as it swings northward, thru a clearing.
As soon as you re-enter the woods again, look for the stone wall and large fallen tree in the woods to the west. Ghost have been said to haunt this place at times. 5 paces south along this wall from the large fallen tree, check the west side of the wall for BOX 3. REHIDE WELL PLEASE!!!
Back to the trail to continue on. Past the great ledges, up the hill. Path veers left here and you are not far from the start.
Thanks for coming! Let us know how the boxes are doing.