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David's Desert LbNA #21194

Owner:FamilyTreeShaker
Plant date:Apr 2, 2006
Location:
City:Tucson
County:Pima
State:Arizona
Boxes:1
Found by: Kurious Jo
Last found:Dec 26, 2022
Status:FFFFFFFFOFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Nov 11, 2015
Clues
Difficulty: Easy to slightly moderate 10-15 minute walk
Distance: just a tad over 1/4 mile one way
Stamp: Hand Carved

David Yetman is a popular host for The Desert Speaks TV program on PBS's KUAT. Mr. Yetman is a research social scientist at the University of Arizona's Southwest Center. He has done extensive studies of Sonoran desert of Arizona and in Sinaloa, Mexico. This trail is named for him and honors his passion for everything desert.

How to get to trailhead:
From I-10, take Speedway west for 7.1 miles to Gates Pass. After coming through the pass and heading down towards Old Tucson Studios, pull into the first parking area on the left. This is the trailhead for the David Yetman Trail.

To the box:
(All degrees are from magnetic north.)
As you walk up the start of the trail you will see on the right a bench in memory of Timothy Roy Goar. Continue up the trail 70 steps (generous steps since I am a fairly long-legged person) to rock "wall" that once again crosses the trail. You can get around it to the left. From thos point, proceed up the trail 225 steps to cross over a wash.

250 steps from the wash there will be a large squareish boulder (6 to 8 feet tall) on the left side of the trail. From here, go up the trail 30 steps. Stop and look up the hill on the right and notice another boulder at 220 degrees. Further up, behind this boulder, stands a tall, lone Saguro with 6 small arms midway up its trunk.

Walk up the hill to the south side of this Saguaro. From here, at 190 degrees, is a lone Palo Verde with a Jojoba bush nestled at its base. Walk the 15 paces to this tree. On the west side of the Palo Verde is a large rock at a slant. Look in the space under the rock on the south side. The box is under some small rocks in this space.

From here, enjoy the view of the Gates Pass Overlook and the beautiful desert plants.

The standard warning applies when reaching for letterboxes in Arizona:
Rattlesnakes and “mean” things abound,
please take a stick and poke around.
It may save your hand or your life
and help to avoid loads of strife!


Hike length: 0.5 miles