Greetings fellow boxers,

Binx and I returned to MA Sunday morning on the red-eye from
Sacramento after a long wonderful week in the California sierras.
Though we apparently just missed out on a new series along I-80, we
roughly planned our week of camping/hiking around the letterboxes in
the area.

After a great weekend camping on Lake Tahoe with friends and rafting
on the American River down in the valley, we embarked on a successful
overnight quest for "East Fork of the Carson" near Markleeville. It
was very different for us, being used to the verdant New England
woods, but very beautiful. The thunderclouds reached towards us over
the mountains all day and kept the severe heat away but yet never
came on fully. We saw a deer as well as some bear tracks on the hike
out to the heavily sedimented East Carson River. We camped in utter
solitude right on the bank of the river and found the letterbox and a
murky little hot spring pool in the morning. Our first California
letterbox was in fine shape though a bit lonely...we were the first
finders!

After hiking back the following day, we headed south to Lee Vining to
car camp before cruising over the breathtaking Tioga pass and all the
majesty of the Yosemite Park high country. Our "short" hike to the
top of Upper Yosemite Falls for "Ahwahneechee's Rabbit Run" was
probably the toughest short hike we've ever done. It was well worth
it for the amazing views and foot-soothing natural pools on top of
the falls. Box was in fine shape.

Facing (good) exhaustion, thunderstorms, and lack of remaining
daylight, we treated ourselves to a motel back in Lee Vining. The
next morning we found the Lundy Canyon Letterbox in the scenic canyon
north of town. We then zoomed (well...picked our way very carefully
if you must know) over the precarious Ebbit's Pass (think hairpin
turns sliding up 24% grades with no yellow lines on the road and
you'll get the picture) to seek out Utica Lake. With guidance from
the locals we took our trusty rental Toyota Corolla over two miles of
dirt road in the pouring rain to local a mystical place of two
reservoirs and huge climable domes of granite. This was probably the
prettiest place I've ever been in my life. The whirling rainclouds
and mist made the whole place appear as if out of a J.R.R. Tolkein
novel. Of course, we left our camera in the car.

We found "New Hope" and then made it back to Bear Valley as dark came
on. We discovered the wonderful Base Camp lodge which offered
excellent food and either bunks or private rooms for very reasonable
rates and took a room, having no desire to re-cross the pass in the
night. The following day we drove up to Truckee and found "Lola's
Lookout" and "Area 51" of the Donner Pass series. Stayed with friends
in Truckee and got an early start the next morning in the
uncharacteristically cold and rainy Donner Pass. In search of "Donner
Pinecone" we hiked the Judah Loop Trail in it's entirety and must've
missed every clue due to the clouds we found ourselves in! Standing
on the cloudy summit of Mt.Judah in that windy rain of 50 degrees was
well worth the hike, however!

We headed westwards towards the airplane ride home, stopping for a
good Mexican lunch (Cafe Delicias(?)) in Auburn with a failure to
find "Auburn Letterbox". It's probably still there but it was very
busy and hard to be inconspicuous if we indeed were searching on the
right fence. If, indeed, we guessed the correct thumb since no nail
polish was to be found! :) After two failed attempts on our last day
(supposedly our "easiest" now that we had left the mountains behind
us), we were a bit tired and discouraged but forged (and foraged) on
to find "Avery's Pond" next to Folsom Lake, picking wild blackberries
along the way. After a quick suspicious dip in the clayey waters of
Folsom (is there a beach around there somewhere?), we decided to make
for the airport to catch our late flight homewards.

Thanks to all you Californian placers! We had a blast and hope to
return to the area again! See you on the trails,

Solor & Binx