First post, first time I've planted a letterbox. My boyfriend
mentioned last night that he hadn't seen any mention of LBs in
East Rock Park, and I've had this idea for this series since
March, so we assembled it today. Correct me if we're wrong about
this being the only box in East Rock! Also, correct me if I'm
posting anything wrongly, as it's my first time writing
directions and the like.

-Cobalt Nine

----

The Alchemist's Series: Mercury
placed by Cobalt Nine on 1 June 2002
East Rock Park, New Haven, CT

Mercury, one of the most common alchemical substances, was chosen
for the first in my series of Alchemy Letterboxes. Mercury can
symbolise communication and inventiveness; as a result, we've
communicated these directions as clearly as possible, and we
chose the peak in New Haven's East Rock Park named for local
inventor Eli Whitney. On this short (less than 1.5 hrs,
estimated) trip we endeavoured not to be too mercurial in our
choices and only changed trails once.

[Mapquest directions from I-95 South; find other directions, if
you need them, by entering in the destination 'Livingston Ave and
Cold Spring Street, New Haven, CT'

Merge onto I-95 S.
Take the I-91 N exit- exit number 48- towards HARTFORD.
(right-hand lane over the bridge)
Merge LEFT onto I-91 N.
Get into the LEFT lane, take exit #6 (it's a left-hand exit,
tricky little thing) 'Willow Street'.

Turn RIGHT onto WILLOW ST.
Turn RIGHT onto LIVINGSTON ST.]

The park will be ahead and to your right; Livingston here has
some big turn-of-the-century New England houses.

Park along Livingston Street, between Cold Spring Street and East
Rock Road. If you're unfamiliar with the area, there's a map
posted in the park near the corner of Livingston Street and Cold
Spring street, and maps are probably available at the ranger
station, past the basketball courts and playground (near the
corner of Cold Spring Street and Orange Street).

Walk north along the path through the grassy area until you reach
East Rock Road. Turn right onto the sidewalk on East Rock Road,
and cross the bridge over Mill River. At the intersection with
Farnam Road, enter the trail system onto the white rectangle
trail -- take a left at the intersection so that you're heading
north along the white rectangle trail. Walk on the trail along
the river. When the trail forks, take the upwards-sloping right
fork. Keep following the white rectangle trail -- you'll cross a
paved street once. Just as the trail meets the paved street a
second time, there should be an intersection with the blue
rectangle trail. Take a left onto the blue rectangle trail.

The blue trail will continue up a rocky climb to the small
Whitney Peak. Near the summit, headed up the trail at a bearing
of 330, with a rock wall to your right, there will come a place
where the path heading 330 degrees makes a hairpin turn to about
85 degrees. To the north will be the end of the stone wall and
ahead will be some very large boulders. At the point where the
trail turns from 330 to 85, face straight ahead at a bearing of
310 degrees to see a healthy sloping tree. It slopes from its
roots to your left (SW) to above the boulders up the slope (NE)
on your right. Stand under this tree, going just a few steps off
the trail at 310. Go 2 or 3 steps further in this direction from
under the tree. Turn right, at 70 degrees, and find the Mercury
Letterbox wedged between two rocks.

After you've found the letterbox, you can keep heading up to
Whitney Peak -- it's a 300' elevation just up the trail. At the
intersection of the blue rectangle and blue circle/triangle
trails, take a left turn to get to the peak. It's not very
exciting -- just a few big rocks, really -- but it allows a nice
view of the surrounding hillsides and of the main peak's 365'
elevation.

If something has happened to the box, feel free to e-mail me at:
cobaltnine(at)letter-box.co.uk