Hunter's Delight LbNA #38112

To reach Yankee Springs Recreation Area from the west, take US131 to exit #61. Go East on M179 approximately 7 miles. Follow signs to the park on South Briggs Road.
To reach Yankee Springs Recreation Area from the east, take M-43 west from Hastings and stay on Gun Lake Road. Follow Gun Lake Road to the Hall Lake Trail Head.

There is a $6.00 fee for a Michigan State Parks day pass or $24 for an annual sticker. A park map would be helpful. Download one here or pick one up at the park.

IMPORTANT: Box #1 has been re-carved and replaced and the clues are slightly different, so don't use the old clue sheet. Thanks to everyone for the patience while we repaied this box.

NOTE: Part of this area is open to hunting. If you are looking for boxes during hunting season be sure to wear bright orange and be very careful!!!

Note: There is no ink in any of these boxes, so please bring your own, brown and black work best. There is also an important question you may wish to research before leaving on this hunt. This park does have poison ivy in it, so please be careful. If you find any problems with any of these boxes please us the Contact Placer link to let us know about them.

John's hunting prowess was known far and wide. He considered himself to be a very good hunter. In fact, he thought of himself as a great hunter. He was always looking for ways to challenge himself and hone his hunting skills. One day he decided to go on the "Ultimate Hunt," at least for the local area of mid-Michigan where he lived. He decided to set out on a quest to bag as many different species as he could in one hunt.
He left from the Hall Lake Trail Head dressed in his best camouflage, his rod and reel in hand, his Nikon around his neck and his trusty pointer Jake by his side. He quickly had to make his first decision of the day. If it's legal to hunt with a rifle in this part of Michigan he would go left. If not, he would go straight on the trail. He traveled quite a distance and passed many red trail markers. Then he crossed a long wooden bridge and counted three more red trail markers, coming to the top of a small hill where he found a promising fishing spot. He cast his line without any luck. On his next cast he snagged a V shaped one about ten steps off the trail. Check it out near the base and see what he caught.
Jake didn't like that fishing business and was anxious to get going, so off they went on to their next quest staying on the same trail. Jake kept snooping around that heavy plank bridge but John didn't find anything there so they kept hunting.
Whew, what a climb! Jake handled it much better than John did. At the next intersection, Hall Lake Trail went left and so did John because he didn't want to have soup with the Devil. Down, down, down staying on Hall Lake Trail John still hadn't seen any game when he came to the intersection of Hall Lake Trail and Long Lake trail with a gravel road nearby. He was beginning to doubt his skills by now. As he approached the trail marker with the 'G' on top he heard Jake behind him to his left near the multi-trunk tree. He called but Jake didn't respond so he went over there to find him.
After he found Jake, John went back to the 'G' trail marker. Jake was pointing down the Hall Lake Trail toward the snake tree. John heard a cackle over there and went to check it out.
He then made his way back to the trail marker again and saw Jake sniffing around across the road where the orange gates are located. He went to the green post and then 34 steps to the right, up the hill amidst the mass of grape vines he heard a gobble.
John again made his way back to the same trail marker and resumed his hike along Hall Lake Trail. He moved on past a short wooden post on his left and came to another kind of pointer. This one looked up the trail in the direction of his next quest. 23 steps down the trail he spotted a small fallen one that laid across two others. Aha, there's a different type of hunt, but a hunt none-the-less!
John headed back to the trail with 5 under his belt already. There is a lot of great wildlife habitat around here so he kept his eyes open for more game. He heard a snort and poceeded very cautiously. He passed a 6 foot woodpecker cafe on his right and 18 steps later he spied what he sought.
He once again headed back out on Hall Lake Trail, this was proving to be a great day. He passed up the opportunity to take a break and head for the Lodge and stayed on course. He found a blue spot on a tree with a ski sign on it and power lines overhead. He heard some rustling in the area up the power line to the right and went to investigate. He was intrigued by the noisy grunts and was a little afraid of what he might find. He crept along 33 steps off the trail on the right side of the power line right-of-way and in the Y of a downed tree he completed his hunt. It's not likely but if you really see one of these, get the heck out of there fast!
John was pleased with his efforts as he headed down Hall Lake Trail once again and shortly found himself back at his car. He was really glad this trail is a loop and he could avoid climbing those hills again!!
We hope you have enjoyed the hike and had fun with these boxes. We would love to hear about your experiences.