Went out to check on our East Harbor State Park box which we
planted in April 03. I received recent reports that the entire tree
was missing. Unfortunately, I don't know if the box or the tree are
still there. Let me explain.

In April, this trail looked like a perfect location. Signs indicated
that snowmobiles were welcome, so we assumed it was
accessible year round. We were excited about placing our first
box there.

What we neglected to put into persepective is that the trail is a
"wetlands" trail. Knowing the area, I wasn't concerned, I
assumed it meant there were lots of cat tails and ocassional
mud.

When I showed up, the grass leading to the trail was a little
mushy. I got about halfway to the rotting tree, and the water and
mud was so deep I had to stop. I decided to come back the next
day after a lot of sunshine. The next day the water and mud was
still totally unpassable! (I even wore sandals, hoping to traipse
through the mud barefoot. It was too deep.) The number of
mosquitoes was also unbearable.

Needless to say, I made a totally new box (with an existing
stamp) and placed it on a different trail in the park. Blackberry
trail to be exact. There was no mud, fewer mosquitoes but a little
poison ivy. Though the instructions are not as fun, at least the
box is accessible, and I think I found the one spot that can be
reached without getting a nasty rash.