"Soar High in the Heldebergs"

Letterbox hidden on September 23, 2002 at 6:45 PM

Location: Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center 87 Nature Center Way Voorheesville, New York 12186 (518) 872-0800

The Naure Center is located near the shores of Thompson's Lake in thetown of Knox in Albany County.  Opened in July 2001, the building is a gift to the state of New York from Fred and Martha Schroeder.  Exhibits include a model of the Heldeberg Escarpment, a live honeybee observation hive, bird viewing areas, fossils, furs, skulls and lots of hands-on displays.  Live amphibians and reptiles are on display in the spring and summer months.  Interpretive programs are offered year-round and school programs are offered both on- and off-site during the school year. The Nature Center is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.  The hiking trails are open daily dawn to dusk.

Degree of Difficulty: Very easy, flat hike.  Appropriate for small children and seniors and everyone in between.  Less than one mile.

Directions to Nature Center: From Albany, New York take exit 4 (Route 85) off I-90.  Continue on Route 85 for apoximately 12 miles to Route 157 (sign for Thacher Park).  Bear right onto Route 157 and continue through Thacher Park.  After leaving the Park turn right on Ketchum Road (Route 256).  Go one mile to Nature Center Way on left.

What to bring: Someone who is comfortable climbing up approximately 3 feet into an excellent climbing tree.  Skiis in winter.

Directions to Letterbox: In front of the Nature Center there is a signboard.  Read the signboard and learn about the early seekers who came to this area.  Take the trail behind the signboard.  You will see the lake on your right.  The trail is wide and grassy - you will enjoy skiing here! Follow the trail with yellow markers.  It will split and at this point bear left.  Soon you will notice a power line, when the trail splits again turn left, under the power line.  I think the trail narrows at this point. Soon you will come to a "T" in the trail, turn right and soon you will enter into a pine glade.  Go through the glade, follow the yellow markers to a second Pine Glade.   Look for a large White Pine whose trunk splits about seven feet up, forming four smaller trunks.  Here is where the climber will come in handy.  Using the lower branches as a ladder, climb up to the base of the four smaller trunks and look under the pine needles for the Letterbox.  After stamping in, please conceal the box and make sure that the box will not fall!  If it is not up there, look around the base of the tree and see if the box has fallen to the ground!

I look forward to meeting you through your tams and message.