Town Pound LbNA #2294 (ARCHIVED)

Planted by rtrw and HEA (inspired and motivated by CERK)

Distance - a stone's throw
Time - ten minutes?
Difficulty - not as easy as I had planned, but easyish.

In 1769, Colonel John Hill, a masonian proprietor, "granted forever" a tract of land in and around this triangle plot of land to the first settled minister Reverend Jonathan Barnes, providing locations for the church, meeting house, minister's homestead, school, town pound, training field, and burying ground. Worthy of note is that descendants of the original grantee still occupy many of these 18th and 19th century homes.

To find the starting point, go to downtown Hillsboro where Routes 149 and 9 intersect. At the traffic light, head north for 3.3 miles. You will pass the schools and some lovely farms. At approximately 3.1 miles you will have an opportunity at a fork to veer left onto East Washington Road. Please do that. The town pound is the stony structure just beyond the schoolhouse on the left.

Hop out of your car and check out our cool town pound. Imagine the unclaimed livestock waiting to be redeemed by their owners.

Standing right next to the southeastern point of the pound, head 20 paces (40 steps) at 210 degrees. You will need to step around several obstacles, so keep that in mind as you go. You are looking for a tree that resembles a quirky bunny with very long, thick ears, an antelope, or an upside down lower case "h". The planters could not reach consensus as to what this interesting tree looked like. There is currently an old log resting between the ears/antlers. You will know it when you see it.

Now head at 235 degrees from the creature tree for 6 paces. You are looking for a rock that could be a ramp.

From the pointy part of the ramp, head 8 paces at 275 degrees. You will find a tree whose ankles are ringed with moss and has a lot of interesting bark marks standing next to a big fallen birch tree.

With your back to "Old Mossy Ankles" head 11 paces to the north. Your prize is hidden under an overhanging rock that seems to "point" toward 115 degrees.

It may take some perseverance to find this box. It was a hard one for which to write clues.