New letterbox and new letterboxer.

1 messages in this thread | Started on 2001-06-29

New letterbox and new letterboxer.

From: Louise Dawson (lumada@northlink.com) | Date: 2001-06-29 13:21:30 UTC-07:00

Letterbox BUTTE VIEW

John Dawson, 370 Dogwood Lane, Prescott, AZ 86301

Arizona, Yavapai County, City of Prescott, Prescott Nat. F.

June 2001:

Reference map: Iron Springs 7.5 min topo.

Hilltop location UTM E 0360314 N 3825278, no name.

Angles referred to true north, deviation 12.5 degrees.

Round trip about 2.5 miles, mostly on trails.

Drive west on Gurley Street in Prescott, out of town, to the parking for the Thumb Butte Recreation Area. Park here and hike north from the north end of the parking loop on trail number 318, then turn left on trail 317.

Find the hilltop from here; no trail, and the brush is heavy in places. Don't wear shorts; gloves are advisable.

At the hilltop, find the obscure trail on the south side of the top where it it comes up a rocky hill then levels out and becomes smoother. The exact spot is where the trail slope changes and the trail goes between two small trees, an oak on the left and a pine on the right.

From this position go 17 paces north, on the trail, to where it jogs to the right around a small tree. From the easternmost limit of this jog go 18 paces at 115 degrees then stop. This is not a trail but is open. From this point go 13 paces at 35 degrees and you should be in the middle of a patch of lichen covered rocks, about ten by ten feet. On the western edge of this patch, partly under a pine tree, is a small one-rock monument setting on a bigger rock; very obscure.

From this monument go 14 paces at 46 degrees, in the clear, then an added 9 paces at 152 degrees to get to a fairly large juniper tree with four trunks.

Go around this juniper to the east side then go 16 paces at 80 degrees to a natural group of rocks. Stand above this and look down to see a notch pointed to the north and formed by two of the bigger rocks. The letter box is under a rock in this notch.

The UTM coordinates given are not for this point and a GPS is not needed except to increase confidence of being in the right area and on the right hill. The map is essential.