CT. New Letterboxes
Today three friends went out and planted three letterboxes on a three
mile lollypop hike.
We trudged through the snow , slipping and sliding not able to wait for
the promise of a
meltdown. Please add to the hiding places if the letterboxes are peeking
out when the
snow melts.
Place: Middletown , CT
Planted March 9, 2003
By the three : Bluebird, Lobsta lady and Butterfly.
Rated ; moderate with a few short climbs.
Boxes by Butterfly

Hills , Rocks and Trees, Oh My!
. The stamp is a three part stamp with a few letters on the top edge of
each stamp. When
all boxes are found the picture and word is the name of this hike. Each
log book has the
completed stamp image for you to see..

Directions: From Middletown or Old Saybrook-take Route 9 to exit # 10.
At the end of
the ramp turn left [north] on Route 154. At .07 miles turn onto Dripps
Road [gravel].
Immediately the road bends and the entrance to this hike is at a gate on
the left. Park at
the gate or continue up to a small parking space on the right.
Back at the gate, the trail follows a white blaze.
At the top of an easy climb, the road/trail levels out and leads East.
Watch for a Spur trail
on the right leading out to an overlook.Take this short spur trail to a
great rock outcrop of
feldspar and quartz . Stand there and then face North to notice several
cedar trees and a
large rock on the East side of the trail. The first letterbox SPI is
in a home made cave
built by Bluebird and Lobsta Lady on the North East side of that large
rock by the cedar
trees. Add a rock if you wish.!
Return to the main trail and head East again. Notice massive rock
outcrops. Now the trail
goes down hill beneath a series of parallel ledges. Cross a stream dry
only in summer.
Travel along stone walls , and this same road once continued to the CT.
River.
Watch for the double blaze that indicates the loop trail. Continue now
to follow in a
counter clockwise direction , taking the right way. The forest is
awesome here at all
seasons. The tulip trees are huge and soon you come to a four sister one
, stop and then
count 10 steps along the trail and look on the south side of the stone
wall. The Letterbox
DER lives behind a large trap door. Careful not to move or remove
stones in the wall.
The trail soon climbs steeply through rock outcrops and mountain laurel,
blooming here
in May. What is that just ahead?? Another four sister Tulip tree !! With
your back to the
tree, return back on the trail 8 steps , then turn south and take 8 more
steps to a very
young tree in 2003 ! Letterbox  WEED is hiding in the base of the tree
behind a trap
door.
Now if you have stamped all the letters from the top side of each stamp,
you have the
name of your hike.
Continue on the white blaze trail and soon reach the beginning of the
loop. Keep right
and follow the white blazes back to your car.
Have a great hike.