Picacho Peak LbNA #: 15123
CluesWalk difficulty: moderate
Distance: about 1 mile one way
Stamp hand-carved
Version 2.0: this is the second carving and location for this box.
Status: alive and well on February 9, 2009
The box is in Picacho Peak State Park. There is a fee to enter the park. Take I-10 to exit 219 and follow brown signs to the park entrance. Drive on the main park road all the way to the end and park there.
Also look for the "Picacho Cactus Letterbox" while you are on your journey to this letterbox!
Take the "Sunset Vista Trail" which goes moderately steeply up the slope of the mountain. As you wind up the steep slope you will pass a tall rock cliff on your right. Soon, after walking up three wood steps you will pass two small Saguaro Cactus without arms on the left edge of the trail. A short distance more you will arrive at a small saddle with a flat area a little wider than the trail. Continue on the trail which will be mostly level. You will walk up three more wood steps. You will then go down into a moderately deep gully. There are three Saguaro Cactus in the bottom of the gully on the right side of the trail. Continue on the trail which will curve gently to the left. You will go down into another deep gully, then to the left around a rock hill. You will then arrive at a brown trail sign where a dirt road crosses the trail. Turn right and walk on the dirt road. You will pass a forest of golden Cholla Cactus on the right. You will then arrive at a fairly sharp turn to the right where the road starts to head down hill (if you walk past a brown trail sign, you have gone too far). From the left side of the turn, you will see Picacho Peak at about 82 degrees (from mag. north). From that point, go off road at about 192 degrees (from mag. north) for about 55 steps to a medium size Palo Verde Tree with a short dead Saguaro skeleton sticking up in it. The box is under the east side of the tree under a flat rock covered with some brush. Be alert for snakes.
Please be sure the contents are double ziplocked when you put them back in the box (i.e. the stamp is in a ziploc, the book is in a ziploc, and the two are in the larger ziploc bag). Please rehide the box well under the rock and covered with brush and plant debris so that it can not be seen from any direction.
You can continue on this dirt road to get back to your car. The road will end at a day use picnic area which is just below where you parked. There is a trail from the picnic area up to the trailhead parking.
I will not be able to check on this box very often; so, please let me know if you find it or if it is missing or needs attention:
http://home.att.net/~azroadie/letterboxing.html
This box is in my “I-10 Series”. The other boxes in the series are: “Deming” [NM]; “Gold Nugget” [AZ]; “Lordsburg” [NM]; “Picacho Cactus” [AZ]; “Rio Santa Cruz” [AZ]; “Sentinel Peak” [AZ]; “The Cercidium” [AZ]; “The Thing?” [AZ]; and “What is The Thing?” [AZ].
If you live in Arizona or New Mexico or have an interest in letterboxes in those states, you are invited to join the Letterboxing Southwest Discussion Group. Go here to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LetterboxingSouthwest/ .
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Before you set out, please read the
waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.
Please be sure to reseal baggies and boxes carefully so that they stay dry
and rehide boxes in their original location, completely hidden from view. |
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