Mystic, CT

Placed: 11/24/02

2 boxes

Driving Direction: Take I-95 to exit 90 and follow signs off of the highway to the Pequotsepos Nature Center. Park in the lot by the nature center.

To find the boxes:

Cross the road and follow the yellow trail up into the woods. Wind around and climb the trail up through the ledge. Pass a huge tree then turn right onto the purple trail. You will pass under the powerlines and climb over a stone wall. Soon the path will be edged with stone. At the Y, left takes you on your way. (Right, and then right again will take you up to an abandoned quary.)

Follow the trail and go over or under the blazed log blocking your path. A rock wall begin on your left, then the trail takes a sharp left through the wall. Continue on. When a building is in sight, the trail turns to the right and goes over a stone wall once again.

This trail is called the Stone Bridges Trail and soon you will find out why. Cross the stone bridge then twist and turn through the brush. You will come to the corner of a stone wall. A canal will be straight ahead, but the trail turns left. Continue on past a pond on the left. At the end of the pond, hike through the pines. Soon you will come to the end, marked with 2 purple blazes. From the double blazed tree walk 19/20 steps at 290. Carefully reach deep inside to grab the Ringneck Snake by its tail!

This summer at DPNC nature camp, we were out searching for salamanders. We found a few hiding in soggy, rotting logs and carefully pulled them out. I was looking in a log where we had already found a few, when I saw a little gray tail sticking out. Thinking it was another marbled salamander, I grabbed the tail and pulled it out. Only it wasnt a short little salamander! The tail kept coming and coming! I realized that this was a snake! Pulling it all of the way out we saw the long, gray body with a bright yellow ring around its neck. The kids were psyched, not only had we caught lots of salamanders, but a wild snake as well!

Now, go back on the purple trail the way that you came until you reach the yellow/purple intersection by the giant pine. Dont go left by the pine, instead continue and take the 2nd right onto yellow (Denison Farm Trail). Hike the yellow trail over a wooden bridge. Then come out by the field. Walk along the left edge of the field and look for the yellow. Go back into the woods on the left, cross a bridge, then go down hill through a wall and over a boardwalk.

You will come out in another field. Go straight across, this time on the right side of the field, and look for the purple trail entering the woods on the other side. Follow this trail until you reach 3 posts. From the posts take 17 steps back the way you came. Look right, off trail for a hole in a tree. Carefully pull out the friendly Wood Frog.