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Ohio Endangered Species Series LbNA #27613

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Dec 6, 2006
Location:
City:Marietta
County:Washington
State:Ohio
Boxes:7
Planted by:Safari Man
Found by: Angel Winks (3)
Last found:May 26, 2019
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Dec 6, 2006
I dedicate this series to memories of some now extinct letterboxes in Marietta Ohio. All letterboxes are endangered species, in a way, in that they are one of a kind and if not cared for will go the way of extinct animal species. Due to poor placements, diligent grounds keepers, removal of shrubbery for esthetic purposes, animal curiosity/hunger and boxer inexperience/inconsideration, 7 at last count, of the Marietta boxes have suffered this fate and are now in the archive casket. Rather than continually trying to revive those boxes, in an urban environment, I have placed a new series of Ohio Endangered species boxes (some but not all are also on the Federal Endangered/Threatened list) and have placed them in a park where I hope they will have more longevity. Your help would be appreciated.

This park is located near Marietta and if you will e mail me, by using the contact the placer function on LBNA or the mail feature on Atlas Quest I will send you a 100kb map of it. Maybe this step will improve longevity of the letterboxes. (also note that the map is marked with gps way points for anyone wishing to use them for assistance in finding boxes or getting un lost)
ALSO NOTE: Two other letterboxers also have boxes in this park. Ahistory from Columbia Mo. and Penguin Patrol from Oklahoma....both of whom are excellent carvers, log book and box creators.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: (approx.) ~ 1 1/2 hour. Distance/terrain 1 to 2 miles round trip with gradual elevation changes. Please bring your stamp, a stamp pad, compass, pen and an old rag to wipe off the box/your hands. NOTE; When done stamping in to each pouch/box, please place the log book in a baggie and seal it well and then place that baggie and the stamp in the other baggie and seal it well. Hopefully this will prevent the log from getting wet and ruining the stamping fun for future boxers

Once you get the map you can proceed to the west entrance of this area and park at the parking area at the trail head, (note, the road to the west entrance is winding and steep and toward the end you will stay on the gravel road, left of the house and procede between the park entrance poles on up to the trail head ..... straight ahead. (note: the east entrance of the park is temporarily closed until the fall of 07 and recent construction has the intersection of the first yellow trail with the blue trail obliterated)

BOX 1 Proceed up the blue trail and take note of an ancient container which held a substance, vital for life, for a village close by, down below. A BLUE CATFISH smelled water and came to rest near this structure. Go behind the structure to the partially open hole with a concrete cover. Standing between the structure and the hole take a reading of ~360* and go to that large hardwood tree and find the Blue Catfish under a piece of flat concrete. BEWARE OF BRIARS.

Box 2 Back to the blue trail and continue ahead, passing a dozed pipeline road on your left where you will stay right staying on the blue trail. Continue a ways looking left for a blue trail sign, about 10 feet up, on a tree beside the trail. Count steps from here and when you get to 29 look right for a twin trunked tree making a nice V at the bottom. The TRUMPTER SWAN is nesting behind and under the cut log just to the east of the twin trunked tree.

Box 3 Contine on the blue trail until just reaching the intersection with the green trail. Back up (do not turn around just back up without tripping ;O) ) until you see, On the left, a tree with a hand made word "Blue" with blue Dots on a small white board. (until the rain washes off the blue marker that is). Now back up to the next large tree on the left (about 8-12 steps) From this tree take a heading of ~ (approximately) 320ยบ and go 13 steps downhill to a large fallen log with two other fallen logs beside it. The BOB CAT is hiding between the logs at the northern end.

Box 4
Continue forward on the blue trail staying left at the next Y (trail right goes to a new oil well) and then stay right at next Y (trail left goes to a group of houses) continue forward, ignoring the red trail arrow sign on the right, until you reach the 4 by 4 wooden, upright trail post on the left side of the trail (this sign points back and ahead and reads "Western ridge trail" but the blue trail actually goes east at this point and a yellow trail goes straight ahead). From the 4 by 4 Western ridge trail post go northerly ~ 22 steps on the yellow trail to a 4 trunked tree on the left side of the trail (this tree has two wooden blocks screwed to it). The INDIANA BAT is hiding in the crotch of the trunks behind some dead limbs.

BOX 5 (just past the red 5 on your map)
Continue ahead on the yellow trail until reaching a point where the trail bends right and starts heading rapidly down.(red 5 on map) At this point there is a large dead tree on the left and down a few steps from the trail and at the time of this writing there was a yellow plastic chain across the trail. From the tree/chain count 30 steps downward to a large, half dead, walnut tree or Sasafras (gnarled bark) on the left side of the path. The BLACK BEAR (BB)letterpouch is hidden under rocks on the backside of this tree.

BOX 6
Reverse your hike heading back toward the wooden 4 by 4 western ridge trail post and at the post head down easterly on the blue trail. Not far down, the trail levels out and there is a tree on the left with a wooden block attached. This tree is to the left of/just before a twin trunked tree. From the tree with the block, look uphill on a bearing of ~ 060* and go 20 steps uphill to the 5 trunked tree behind the double trunked tree. The BALD EAGLE letterpouch is in the crotch of the 5 trunks under sticks.

BOX 7
Go back to the wooden 4 by 4 western ridge trail post and turn left taking the blue trail back toward your car. When you get to the intersection with the green trail turn left to ~ 120* and take the green trail until reaching the huge fallen twin trunked tree on the left side of the trail. The KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY box is hiding in the stump of the fallen tree behind some stood up bark and debris. It is easiest to retrieve this one from the back side.

This presently completes your hunt for boxes in this park but there are several miles of beautiful trails to hike if you wish to continue on down the green trail or wherever else you wish. When the east entrance is opened up there will be two more boxes (Blue Catfish and Trumpeter Swan) placed near the pond which is near the east entrance. I hope you enjoyed the hunt and park and will use the contact the placer feature found on this clue page to let me know your results of the hunt. Cordially, Safari Man