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Dig It! LbNA #42570

Owner:cerealcityboxers
Plant date:Aug 8, 2008
Location: Fort Custer Recreation Area
City:Augusta
County:Kalamazoo
State:Michigan
Boxes:3
Found by: cerealcityboxers (3)
Last found:Apr 20, 2022
Status:FFFFFFFFFO
Last edited:Apr 21, 2022
Last Checked - 4/20/2022
Status - Open for Business
New stamps and log books as of 10/1/2014.
Thanks to twofreetimers for carving the stamps.

“Dig It!” Letterbox Clues

These three boxes were originally planted for the Michigan 2006 Fall Mystery Gathering, subtitled "The Cereal City Circus."

A few additional notes:

• Much of Fort Custer Recreation Area is open to small game hunting in the fall. The ranger assures us they have not had an accident between a hunter and a hiker, but please be careful out there!
• Many of the trails at Fort Custer are shared with bicyclists and horses – watch for road apples and step to the side of the trail when bikers come through.
• There is a lot of poison ivy in some areas of the park, so be careful as you hike and seek these letterboxes.
• In season, the mosquitoes can be yucky.


“Dig It!”

Number of Boxes: 3
Carved & Placed by: cerealcityboxers

Hey! Can you "Dig" going on an adventure? If you eat a little "Sugar" you might be able to "Bear" a little exercise. Does letterboxing give you a "Buzz?" If you're ready, then follow us on a grand adventure in three parts.

This quest begins at the northwest corner of the picnic shelters parking lot. It is the next driveway past the beach driveway. Park as soon as you go past the sign that reads "Parking Permitted In Designated Parking Lots Only." For this outing you will be hiking a segment of the green trail, mostly flat. A moderate stroll on this segment takes 50 minutes. Since you will be following directions and stamping in, we suggest you allow 90 minutes to complete this series.

"Can you 'Bear' the excitement?"

Walk back out the driveway the way you drove in. 50 steps to the left of the stop sign and across the road is the trail access point. Walk to the trail marker a few steps off the road. Follow the green trail to the left, starting in a westerly direction. Currently, there is a green number 11 on the sign post. Soon, as you follow the trail, you will see water on your left. (A lot less water than there used to be) Keep marching. You will reach an area of clear cut logging (now an area of mature weeds). After this area, march along the trail until you reach an old concrete road. The trail sign post at this point currently has a green number 12 on it. Turn right on the concrete road and tramp 35 steps to an intersection. Turn left and continue on the path to the end, where there is a fence preventing you from walking onto the highway. At the fence, look right. Under some bark, beneath a (now dead) lone spruce tree about 30 steps away, is "Sugar Bear." Please re-hide and cover carefully.

"Can you "Dig" it?"

After you find Sugar Bear, go back to the green trail. Stay on the trail as it parallels the highway for a while. Along this stretch you will see why there is a lot less water in the pond these days (a large beaver dam has been removed). There are no boxes along this stretch of the trail (that we are aware of) so keep hiking until you turn away from the highway on the other side of the pond. Keep an eye out for what used to be a big Bike jump, but has not been maintained so it is now simply a large rotting log with a notch cut out of it. The trail here is paved with large stones. If you miss this clue and reach the concrete road again, back track 60 steps and you should be at the location of the old bike jump. From the old bike jump back track on the trail but only about 27 steps. On the left, about 6 steps off the trail, you will spy a split stump, from 10 to 15 feet tall. See if you can find "Dig 'em" about waist high in the stump under some bark. Please re-hide and cover carefully.

"Get the latest "Buzz!""

Back on the green trail, continue for a short ways until you come to the concrete road again (you may have already been here if you missed a previous clue and had to back track). If you look left you will see the road emerging from the pond (or what used to be the pond). Follow civilization west until it turns south. Just after turning south, to the west is a partial stump. Do you hear a buzz? Look in the crotch, not the hollow stump (because everybody naturally looks into the hollow stump). Carefully re-hide so future boxers can enjoy this quest.

To return to your car, either follow civilization out to the main road or go back to the green trail, make a right, and follow the green trail out to the main road (the trail takes you through some beautiful mature spruce trees and later some lovely mature white pines). In either case, at the main road, turn left and hike the road back to your car. For safety's sake, walk single file on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic. Thank you for making sure these boxes are well hidden so the next boxer may enjoy finding them.

Clues updated 4/20/2022.


Hike length: 1-2 miles