Hurry before it snows to find our first mystery box, which is planted
somewhere in New Hampshire. The box is a memorial to a fascinating,
colorful character who lived part of her life where the box is
hidden. The box is called "The Extravagant Mme. S."


The webmasters are currently working on the New Hampshire pages to
make them ever more user-friendly (Thanks!!). I am going to risk a
faux-pax by posting the clues to this box here on the Talk List
because the NH Mysteries are hard to find on the website right now.

The Extravagant Mme. S.

NH Mystery



Hiking: about a mile round trip; hilly.
Clues: moderate
Note: Not recommended when there is snow on the ground, because the
trail would probably be impossible to follow in such conditions. Keep
track of where you have been in order to avoid getting lost, even
without snow.



Heads turned, eyebrows lifted, and jaws set more firmly when the
French widow of the Italian immigrant arrived in the small New
Hampshire town in the 1920s. Who was this woman? Why did she dress so
flamboyantly? What was she doing on her trips to the big town across
the river in her fancy chauffeured car? How had she become so rich?
Why had she changed her name? What made her decide to move from Paris
to New York, and then to New Hampshire, of all places? Who were all
the glamorous young ladies and gentlemen who drove up from New York
to stay at Madame's castle in her forest? What kind of unimaginable
debauchery went on up there anyway? These are some of the mysteries
that persist, even to this day.


Clues:

Find your way to the ruins of Madame's castle, which burned in 1962,
in the forest that still bears her name. If you feel compelled to
climb the tallest remaining structure, be very careful to avoid
personal injury. You may find yourself singing strains of the famous
8-minute long Led Zeppelin song. From the highest point, or much more
safely from the zone of warmth in the middle of the castle's ground
floor, sight a large tree at 260 degrees. Take the trail to the left
of this tree and follow it uphill. The trail isn't blazed, so pay
attention. After a streambed crossing followed by several downed
trees across the trail, look for a bend to the right where the trail
becomes much smaller and less distinct. A little further along, you
will come to a walled square structure which might have been a
cistern or well. 200 more steps will bring you to a T in the small
trail. Go left to scale a close-by hill with a thick-trunked pine
tree on top and a nice view to the northeast. From the pine tree,
sight 194 degrees to a black birch (dark colored bark with upside-
down Vs). The letterbox is at its base.

Planted by Curious Crane and Latte Man in memory of Mme. S., who died
in 1965 at the age of 87.