Amanda from Seattle visited me this week and helped me and daughter plant our first letterboxes. Thanks Amanda!

-- Lea (and Audrey)

Go Bears! Series
City: Berkeley
(Alameda County, CA)

Directions: 880 freeway exit University Ave. - proceed east toward the University of California, Berkeley. University Ave. will dead end into Oxford - take a left here. Go a couple of blocks to Hearst and turn right. Follow Hearst up the side of campus, then it will vear to the right and become Cyclotron Rd. Right after the brown shingled dorms is a turnoff on the right - take this into the ?Foothill Lot? parking area. Fee is $7.00 (or you can try to find parking elsewhere). Trail head is at the very back of the parking lot. If you are on Cyclotron and reach the Lab entrance, you have gone too far.

It is recommended that you *not* come to these letterboxes during Cal games because (1) the parking lot will be full and (2) there will be too many people around who might see you uncovering the boxes. Games are on Sundays in the fall.

The trail begins at the back of the parking lot where there is a sign marked ?Ecological Study Area.? Take the hairpin turn to the left to the path there. About 100 feet up two paths diverge. The one on the right will take you to Tightwad Hill, and the one on the left will take you up to Big ?C.?

Box #1 - Tightwad Hill
Take the right hand path to the opening in the fence. Below you is a blue and gold platform where a cannon sits during Cal football games (it goes off when the Bears score). This area above Memorial Stadium is where fans without tickets (aka Tighwads) often congregate as you can see most of the field from these hills. Take the path to your left along the fence. Right near the next opening in the fence (and just as the path starts going donwhill to the right) there is a large pine tree that has fallen and is pointing downward. The box is hidden in the tree - please be sure to hide it well when you leave.

Box #2 - Big ?C?
Return to the place where the two paths diverge and take the left hand path. This is a longer hike and the path is somewhat steep. You may see some deer up here. At the top you will come to a large gold concrete ?C? built into the hillside. This can be seen from quite a distance all around the Bay Area (for example, when you are on the Bay Bridge). It was created in 1905 by students on the Cal rally committee. If you are sitting on the bench at the base of the ?C? facing the view (note the campanile tower in front of you - if you come at 12:00 noon, it will play a little concert for you), look west to the clump of eucalyptus trees. The box is at the base of the first double-trunked tree. Once again, please take the time to conceal it when you are finished.