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Deciduous Monkey II LbNA #48082

Owner:walkingstick
Plant date:Jun 13, 2009
Location:
City:Galesville
County:Trempealeau
State:Wisconsin
Boxes:1
Found by: 5 Laughing Raccoons
Last found:Aug 23, 2010
Status:FFFFFFa
Last edited:Jun 13, 2009
Deciduous Monkey #2
The Legend of the Deciduous Monkey

We got a note that this Monkey may be missing in action.

Anyone who has spent any time in the woods of Wisconsin or Minnesota knows what we are talking about. You are walking through the woods and you hear a cackling or screeching noise, you turn your head, and nothing is there. Maybe there is a clanking together of branches or rustling of leaves, but when you turn, nothing is there. A pine cone or acorn falls at your feet, you look up but nothing is there. You write it off as a crow cackling in the distance, a squirrel that disappeared behind the other side of the tree, a random falling of the cone or acorn.
But as you walk on it happens again. You turn your head quicker. You feel you are being followed and/or watched. Not maliciously, but mischievously. Still you see nothing.
My wife and I dedicated ourselves to the study of this woody mystery. And, through great dedication, we have discovered a new species!! With a glimpse of a profile here and a quick glance of an exposed tail there we have begun to examine the life of the Deciduous Monkey.
The Deciduous Monkey is very secretive and it loves mischief. It stays hidden and has eluded scientific research until now. For now, it is only documented in a series of letterboxes by Walkingstick.

The Deciduous Monkey has some regional variation. The Galesville Monkey spends its time in and around the sandstone ridges and forests of the small city of Galesville. Most sightings occur in High Cliff Park. Follow these clues to find one of the elusive Monkeys.

Travel on Hwy 53 to the south end of Galesville. Find the corner of South Main Street and Gibson Street. Here you will need to turn east (there is a sign indicating the direction of the swinging bridge). Drive down the hill on the road and under a bridge. Just under the bridge you will see a gravel lot where you can park on the left. Your adventure begins.

After parking, follow the side walk at the far end of this parking area to the swinging bridge. You now get to cross the Galesville suspension bridge. If you want to do this kind of research, you need to take a few risks. Once across the bridge, turn left (North).

You will walk along the creek for a ways and come to a mowed down clearing with some old rusty park grills. Along the tree line to the right take the first path leading up into the woods. You will come to a sandstone overhang or ‘cave’. Some mugglers have been here before carving their initials in the soft rock.

Continue on the path. You will see a connecting path on the left that will take you back to the grills. Ignore that for now and continue on your way. You begin to hear rushing water and pass a manmade waterfall (the mill) on the path. All along the walk you have a sandstone wall on your right side. Water is trickling through the rock towards the creek.

As you continue your walk you will pass a stone bench on your right. Soon after this you will come to the end of your path along the river, but keep going. The path will bring you out to a mown walkway. You will pass a sign with the history of the area on it. After enjoying this historical nugget continue on. Shortly, on the right, you will see the Pine Cliff Cemetery. Walk up the small hill, pass over Jensen, and continue on towards the large Amundson stone. Continue along the tree line going Southeast. Along the way you will see Ness, Willis, Johnson and McKeeth. At the tree line end you will see Knepper stones on the left and finally Joyce McBride. Look at the year Joyce was born and subtract 1903. This is the number of steps you will need to take to locate the monkey. Standing on the south end of the McBride stone, measure 140 degrees on your compass. Now, walk the number of steps you have calculated at 140 degrees continuing off the mowed area and into the woods. In an eight sister tree you will find the elusive monkey waiting for you.

Stamp up, enjoy, and rehide well.

Now you can travel back the way you came, back to your car. If you take the path down and path back, the whole trip should take about an hour and is not terribly strenuous.

You could also continue on out to the street, turn left to cross the bridge, and then turn left again to walk through the town square. If you are in town during the summer between 8am-Noon on a Saturday you can shop the farmer’s market set up in the town square.