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Pelican Peak LbNA #41155 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jun 23, 2008
Location:
City:Saugatuck
County:Allegan
State:Michigan
Boxes:1
Planted by:Chilly
Found by: thehostas
Last found:Nov 27, 2012
Status:aFFFFFFFFmF
Last edited:Jun 23, 2008
Pelican Peak is located in the Dedicated Natural Area of Saugatuck Dunes State Park in Allegan County. The South Trail winds through this undeveloped coastal dune area, past big spruces and 2nd-growth hardwoods, and around the 765' weather-worn knoll of Pelican Peak. After the find, continue down the trail for a challenging hike through a dune restoration project, along the shore of Lake Michigan, and back to the trail head.

Drive west on 138th Ave., and bear left towards the Felt Mansion. Park in the Laketown Township parking lot SW of the mansion, and get thee to trail marker 12 on the South Trail. The DNR trail map will provide you with a path, but that route might just be the long way. You might consider the half mile jaunt down the uncharted dirt access road heading south ...

From there, take the South Trail south into the Dedicated Natural Area. Pause to read the sign about the dune restoration project. You'll then follow the trail for about a mile to the base of the peak.

Along the way, the trail winds through a forest, past a large dune and a blue-capped trail marker on your right. It turns left for a bit, then winds around, goes up a hill, along a short ridge, past a tall dune on the left and through a valley to another blue-capped marker. A bit past that, you'll see Cecil the Sea-Sick Sea Serpent with his head stuck between two trees at trail's edge. Give him a kiss.

As you approach the base of Pelican Peak, you'll climb a short hill as the trail turns to the right, and you'll have a ravine to your left. The trail switches back to the left as Pelican Peak rises to your right. You'll emerge out of the dark and into the light as you reach an area where several trees have recently fallen and have been cut up. Two very tall stumps stand as sentinels on either side of the trail. 34-40 paces further, the trail tops out momentarily.

Look to your right, and you'll see the peak. Rather than heading directly for the peak, bear off to the right ~15 degrees for a slightly more gentle climb. This will lead you to a saddle ridge. Turn left, and follow the ridge to the peak.

From the top of the sandy peak, bear a few degrees right to a course of 280m, and follow the path downhill for 12 paces. You'll be face to face with a three headed serpant. Behind, and to the right, there is a fallen soldier. The box is clutched in his arms.

After you stamp in, go back up to the peak, and follow the saddle ridge back down. At the point you would turn right to go back down to the trail, you might turn left and take a short side trip to the top of the sandy dune for a spectacular view of Lake Michigan.

* A pace is two steps. Or, count once each time your right foot strikes the ground.

Full disclosure

This box is also listed on Geocaching.com as a Letterbox (hybrid). It is in a camouflaged lock-n-lock, with an archival-quality journal and a hand-carved stamp. I did not load it with trinkets, but you might find geocoins or travel bugs. These are the equivalent of hitchikers and are meant to travel from cache to cache.