Greetings, all! We've revised the stamp at the special letterbox that
we placed for the gathering, to keep it unique for the people who
found it this weekend, but we've left the box (and added another
close by for good measure) and are including them both in a revised
cluesheet for our "Resolution" Letterbox. Here are the clues for a
new and improved Drew Family triple:



Resolution

Placed January 1, 2000 (and revised twice
since then) at Rocky Neck State Park in
East Lyme, CT. There are three letterboxes
by the sea. This hike covers 3 easy miles,
including 1/4 mile of level beach combing.

Directions: on I-95 take exit 72, the Rocky
Neck Connector. At the bottom of the
hill, the main entrance to the park is to
the left. We'll go right on Rte. 156 West
to park at a hiker's entrance that avoids the
seasonal fees and crowds. Heading uphill on this
road, park on your left at the top of the hill,
across from a campground, in an unmarked lot.
Your car will be quite safe here: this is where all
the local walkers park.

Walk south through the gate and past a
map of the trails. Continue south on the
blue trail, and then turn left (east-
southeast) on the red-blazed Bride
Brook Trail. Pass a nicely balanced glacial erratic
to the left and travel pleasantly downhill for half
a mile. Bear right at a crossover fork and then
straight with the red where the white trail joins
in. The grade levels out: pass along a forested
tongue between salt estuaries before crossing a
bridge near osprey nests.

Exiting into a picnic ground/parking lot,
head left (east) to find a large deck
overlooking the salt marsh. The Hermit
Crab Letterbox is tucked into the western
footing of the ramp leading up to the deck on the
left: hop over the fence and look underneath for
your reward.

Now head back out into the parking area
and cut left (south-southeast) to cross the
road. Walk through two parking lots to
the East Beach bath house. Just behind it,
find a boardwalk through a tunnel out to the
shore.
Beachcomb west along either the shore or the
boardwalk to the magnificent "Pavilion." This
dance hall was built of stone in the Arts and
Crafts style by the CCC and WPA in 1936, and is
still quite popular with the summer people from Hartford. At the
south-southwest corner of the
porch, overlook a hidden picnic area with
splendid oaks and smooth gneiss. Down at the
brushy southern end overlooking Long Island
Sound, look in the base of a small double beech
clinging to the cliff in the west-southwest, for the
Gathering Letterbox (placed for the second
annual LBNA Letterbox Get Together).

Returning to the porch, walk to the far
eastern end and turn left (north). Bridge
over the railroad tracks. Bear sharp left
with the paving after the bridge and
parallel the tracks behind the Pavilion. As the
paved road begins to bear right, cut left on a faint
path and follow the cliff line north with a new
estuary below to the west. The trails are briefly
unmarked here, but easy to follow: just stay near
the edge and head north. Almost reaching the
top, find an expansive view on a smooth rounded
granite cliff with faded yellow trail markers here
and there. From this spot, the far point of Giant's
Neck bears 020 degrees and a boat ramp, half
obscured by foliage in season, is just below at
296. Continue northwards along the cliffs and up
a short steep path to the highest point and more
smooth granite. There is less of a view here, with
the low trees blocking the way. Facing west, the
boat ramp, now very hard to see through trees, is
just opposite at 285 degrees and another small
path is on your left at 146 degrees. Turn around
and bushwack 15 or 20 steps on a heading of 075
degrees to find another ledge's edge, overlooking
a trail junction to the east. Your third find, the
Resolution Letterbox, is on the ground under
rocks by an oak on the edge of the rocky drop off.

To complete your hike, continue north along
the cliffs to intersect with the main blue
trail and bear left (north). Stay to the
left/north at the next intersection and
follow the trail, now blazed in red and blue.
When the red breaks right on 030 degrees, you
can follow it directly back to your car, but we
recommend staying left on the blue trail heading
320 degrees along the river. Pass a boat yard and
descend to walk north through a field. Nearing
the road (Rte. 156), watch for a right and cut east
through a stone wall. Make a rooty climb, staying
with the blue all the way to the top, and another
field. Crossing the field, turn left (north) and a
short way later find your car. Happy New Year!