Name: The Trail of Snakes
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
county: King
placed by/on: Eliza B/9-7-02
difficulty: clues - easy, hike - loooong, easy. ride - not-so-long, really
easy.

This is a semi-mystery without being much of one at all. However, it IS
intended to be ridden to on a bike rather than hiked to, as it's long and
on a bike trail. (Unless you're an IALC marathon runner, and you're
allowed to run, dearie.) The stamp was carved on-site, and is, thus,
relatively crappy. You are warned. (In fact, it'll be posted on
http://moderngypsy.livejournal.com shortly, so you can see ahead of time if
it's even worth your effort.)

CLUES:
Start on Eastlake Avenue. Park near the University Bridge and ride your
bike/walk over it. Take the cloverleaf that first exits right and follow
it to the bottom. At the bottom, turn left and go through two stop signs
(stopping first, of course, for safety). Turn right and go roughly a
block, to where a paved trail intersects the roadway. Turn left (east)
onto the trail and ride.

Go a long way. I do mean that, too. A -long- way. You'll eventually
reach somewhere they're diverting bike traffic at a park with a detour
while they build a bridge. (If you're getting this after 12/03, you won't
be diverted. Just go past a silver cloud, mile 6, and a wooden bridge that
makes noise when you ride over it, and you'll get to a tiny park. That's
it.) If you hit a wooden staircase on your right that goes up to Sand
Point, you've gone way too far. Go back.

Zip on into the park, despite the signs. If you go down toward the
basketball hoops, you'll see the bike rack. Park your bike. Behind you is
an amazing tree that you can climb inside of and have arms all around
you. Do that.

Now whip out the compass. At 55 degrees, the last rock in the retaining
wall sits. Between it and the other rock, under some bark and other
botanical junk-o-la, is the box. Luckily, the only snake around here is on
the stamp, as far as I know -- but feel free to poke with a stick first,
for safety. :)