Hail to the King! LbNA #15118

This hike will definitely count as good exercise, having a 2800 foot elevation gain in 2.5 miles (5 roundtrip.) The steepness can be hard on the knees and is best done on a cool day. A hiking staff is very helpful and plenty of water a must. The three boxes are spaced over the length of the trail, giving you plenty of excuses to stop and rest along the way. In the spring, the open area at the top is a lovely array of wildflowers including beargrass, pink phlox, larkspur and paintbrush. It is said that on a clear day you can see from The Three Sisters in Central Oregon to the Pacific Ocean south of Tillamook.




These stamps are fairly large and a full sized inkpad could be useful for inking them. As much as I love colored stamps, black is my color of choice in this case. In fact, I had to rush out and buy a black pad for them as I was working on them as no other color was “just right.”

Directions
To the trailhead: The trailhead is on Highway 6, 49 miles west of Portland, 25 miles east of Tillamook. Near mile marker 25, there is a well marked parking area on the north side of the road.

Clue
To the letterboxes:
#1 Go up...Find the bend in the trail that goes to the left which has a small stump in the path and a larger one just to its right. Though The King was a twin, the home of this letterbox is triplets, who live right beside the trail, a short distance uphill on the left side. There’s a nice flat spot just ahead on the left, perfect for stamping in.

#2 Continue on up, up... Just like this trail that starts out small, The King had a narrow following at first but soon his name became widely known. He, too, grew in girth. When the path does the same, becoming almost ten feet wide, find the standing stump about 3-4 feet tall on the right. Twenty more uphill steps will take you to the home of this box. His fame was like fire, spreading far and wide. Look right for signs of fire.

#3 Continue on up, up, up... Near the peak of his fame, The King died leaving grieving followers the world over but his name was sullied by dissolute living. When the trail nears the peak, you will find every letterboxer’s dream of the perfect place to stamp in. A few feet up the trail from this point, you will see a tall standing snag on the left. From the snag, fifteen steps at 250 degrees magnetic will bring you to The King’s resting place, a fallen hero with a tarnished reputation. Look below blackened eyes.

Continue on up, up, up, up..You’re almost there! At the summit you will have yet another opportunity to use that signature stamp and rumor has it that there’s another treat for your sampling just beyond. It’s all downhill from here...