The Four Ponds LbNA #49730
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 14, 2009 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Wenham |
| County: | Essex |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 4 |
| Planted by: | Walking Whale Shark  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | nfsquared (2) |
| Last found: | Oct 8, 2015 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 10, 2015 |
Difficulty: 3
Terrain: 3
Time: 1.5 to 2 hours on foot, about 45 - 60 mins by bike
Distance: 4 - 5 miles
Other info: Bring ink for stamps 2 and 3
About the journey: This hike takes you past four ponds and through bits of 3 towns, Wenham, Manchester, and Hamilton. The first stamp is large and contains an outline of all four ponds and the trails you are following. Gull Pond, the pond you will travel around to reach the first box is labeled on the pond stamp. As you follow the trails and find the other three letterboxes, you will find stamps to label the other ponds. A stamp pad is included in the first and last boxes ONLY. The logbook is in the last box. All boxes are completely hidden. You will have to follow the directions exactly to locate the boxes. Please rehide them as completely as you found them.
Bikes are allowed. The journey from the first to second letterbox is via a woody, hilly, rocky trail. There are many ups and downs and tree roots. It is possible to walk your bike through the rough parts if you want. I did it when I was scouting the location. Since getting lost for the second time, I found a slightly easier route should you have your bike. From the a little way pas the second to fourth boxes and back to the start, the trails are level, smooth and great for biking.
Getting there: Enter at the “main entrance” of Gordon College. If you are coming from Wenham, the main entrance is on the left after some college buildings also on the left. You’ll turn left just before the Bennett Athletic Center Bldg that is on the right. If you are coming from Rt. 128, take the first right after the highway just after three houses set close to the road. The Bennett Athletic Center will be on your left.
Follow the road as it parallels 128, goes down hill and turns sharply to the left and the right. Park at the kiosk and Emergency pole.
Start down the trail (dirt road). At the Y stay to the right. When you arrive at the 4 way intersection, you can go straight or left. The straight route was wet during the summer, probably too wet to walk. If you have a bike, however, the road is sandy underneath the water, not muddy so you can take this route. Follow the appropriate set of directions below.
If you go straight, follow the trail as it bears right, then hugs Gull Pond until you come to an intersection. The pond trail will continue in front of you, a trail will go off to your right at 90? and a third trail with a mulched surface and a rock in front of it is at about 45?.
If you go left, follow the trail until you come to the beach and swimming area. Keep Gull Pond in sight on your right. Cross the sandy area past the canoes/canoe racks and continue on the trail until you come to an intersection. The pond trail will continue straight ahead, a trail will go off to your left at 270?, and a third trail with a mulched surface and a rock in front of it is at about 225?.
Finding the pond stamp: Turn 90* to the left or right so your back is to the pond. Pass the trail on the left. About 9 steps before the wooden planks on right, look off the trail to the left. About 8 steps into the woods are 2 trees growing close together. In the hollow of the second trunk towards the left side of the hollow is what you seek. Please make sure the hole on the right side of the hollow remains covered by the piece of bark so the box doesn't accidentally journey to the bowels of the world. Pray to the stamp gods for a good stamp impression. A good impression of the first stamp will help you complete your map accurately.
Go back to the trail and continue over the plank "bridge". Ignore all small trails made by the students. Continue on this trail. After about 3-4 mins of hiking, a trail joins your trail from the left. Bear to the right. A green arrow on a tree on the right hand side points to the right. The second pond, Gravelly Pond, will shortly be visible on your left. Continue until the pond is directly in front of you. At the T, take a left. The trail narrows and there’s water on both sides.
Go up a loooonnnnggggg hill. At a T junction, go left on the yellow trail. This is a hard to see junction since the “trail” that goes off to the right into the woods isn’t very visible. Pay attention. Then go down a short hill through the hard to see remnants of a stone wall. At the next T, go right. A little further along the trail on the right, you’ll see a trail lined with logs on the ground. Turn right and follow the “log” trail down the hill. At the bottom, go right toward the pond.
The second box: Look toward the pond. You’ll see 3 tree trunks growing next to each other. Walk to the 3 tree trunks. Then turn around 180?. A fourth trunk is lying on the ground. Its end points toward a tree at 2:00 with a large hollow at the bottom of the trunk. The box is resting in a “bunk bed” covered with a rock and leaves. Gravelly Pond is the pond on the right side of the pond stamp. Line the stamp up so it is centered on the right hand edge of your pond stamp.
Walk back to the trail and continue to the right so the pond is on your right. The trail heads up a short hill. After hiking about 2-3 minutes, the third pond. Round Pond, will be ahead and on your left. Soon the trail has a layer of woody, mulchy material. If you have trouble seeing the trail, just keep going ahead with the pond on your left. Soon the trail bears to the right away from Round Pond and back towards Gravelly Pond. You’ll come to a bridge! Yeah! Civilization! That was the hard part. The rest of the journey is smooth and flat. Cross the bridge. To the right is a view point for looking at the Gravelly Pond if you want. To the left is the path you want to take. Go past the green gate and onto the road. Turn left. On the left is what looks like two beaver dams. Walk down the road for a bit, past the rocks that line both sides of the road. After the rocks, turn left down the trail and past the green gate. The third pond, Round Pond, is on your left. You’ll pass a scenic opening. Soon after, a trail will enter from the right. Keep going along the pond. You’ll pass two more scenic openings to the pond, one small, and another large. You'll travel most of the way along the pond.
The third box: Look for a stone wall on the right heading diagonally into the woods away from you. Walk up the stone wall keeping it on your left. Count 15 steps up the hill. A small sapling/tree, possibly a beech tree, is in front of you. The completely hidden box is tucked between two stones to the left of the small sapling covered in bark and leaves. The two stones are just past a group of 5-6 stones. Round Pond is on the top of the pond stamp. Center the stamp along the top edge of the pond stamp.
Continue along the trail in the same direction you were going. When you reach a T, go right on the Red Dot Trail. Soon you’ll be at another T, go right onto the Blue Dot Trail.
Fourth box: Look for a 8-9 foot snag on the right. Count ~ 45 steps. Look to the right. You'll see a good sized beech tree with a smaller pine in front. Behind the stone wall is another beech and pine combo. The final box and logbook lie between the two trunks under a log. Coy Pond is on the upper left side of the pond stamp. Line the Coy Pond stamp up with the top left corner of the pond stamp.
When you are done stamping and get back on the blue dot trail, you have two choices.
1. You can continue right on the blue dot trail. It is 1.2 miles back to the starting point if you choose this route. It is a nice flat trail around Coy Pond, highly recommended if you have a bike or are very energetic. The trail will end before the parking area. Just follow the road keeping the pond on your left until you get back to the kiosk.
2. If you are tired, turn left. You’ll be back at your car in about .25 miles. Go past the trail you came in on and continue straight ahead. Marshy areas will be on both sides. Stay on the trail until you come to the big mulch pile on your left. Gull Pond will be in front of you. Turn right onto a dirt road. At a tilted T, bear right back to your starting point.
Terrain: 3
Time: 1.5 to 2 hours on foot, about 45 - 60 mins by bike
Distance: 4 - 5 miles
Other info: Bring ink for stamps 2 and 3
About the journey: This hike takes you past four ponds and through bits of 3 towns, Wenham, Manchester, and Hamilton. The first stamp is large and contains an outline of all four ponds and the trails you are following. Gull Pond, the pond you will travel around to reach the first box is labeled on the pond stamp. As you follow the trails and find the other three letterboxes, you will find stamps to label the other ponds. A stamp pad is included in the first and last boxes ONLY. The logbook is in the last box. All boxes are completely hidden. You will have to follow the directions exactly to locate the boxes. Please rehide them as completely as you found them.
Bikes are allowed. The journey from the first to second letterbox is via a woody, hilly, rocky trail. There are many ups and downs and tree roots. It is possible to walk your bike through the rough parts if you want. I did it when I was scouting the location. Since getting lost for the second time, I found a slightly easier route should you have your bike. From the a little way pas the second to fourth boxes and back to the start, the trails are level, smooth and great for biking.
Getting there: Enter at the “main entrance” of Gordon College. If you are coming from Wenham, the main entrance is on the left after some college buildings also on the left. You’ll turn left just before the Bennett Athletic Center Bldg that is on the right. If you are coming from Rt. 128, take the first right after the highway just after three houses set close to the road. The Bennett Athletic Center will be on your left.
Follow the road as it parallels 128, goes down hill and turns sharply to the left and the right. Park at the kiosk and Emergency pole.
Start down the trail (dirt road). At the Y stay to the right. When you arrive at the 4 way intersection, you can go straight or left. The straight route was wet during the summer, probably too wet to walk. If you have a bike, however, the road is sandy underneath the water, not muddy so you can take this route. Follow the appropriate set of directions below.
If you go straight, follow the trail as it bears right, then hugs Gull Pond until you come to an intersection. The pond trail will continue in front of you, a trail will go off to your right at 90? and a third trail with a mulched surface and a rock in front of it is at about 45?.
If you go left, follow the trail until you come to the beach and swimming area. Keep Gull Pond in sight on your right. Cross the sandy area past the canoes/canoe racks and continue on the trail until you come to an intersection. The pond trail will continue straight ahead, a trail will go off to your left at 270?, and a third trail with a mulched surface and a rock in front of it is at about 225?.
Finding the pond stamp: Turn 90* to the left or right so your back is to the pond. Pass the trail on the left. About 9 steps before the wooden planks on right, look off the trail to the left. About 8 steps into the woods are 2 trees growing close together. In the hollow of the second trunk towards the left side of the hollow is what you seek. Please make sure the hole on the right side of the hollow remains covered by the piece of bark so the box doesn't accidentally journey to the bowels of the world. Pray to the stamp gods for a good stamp impression. A good impression of the first stamp will help you complete your map accurately.
Go back to the trail and continue over the plank "bridge". Ignore all small trails made by the students. Continue on this trail. After about 3-4 mins of hiking, a trail joins your trail from the left. Bear to the right. A green arrow on a tree on the right hand side points to the right. The second pond, Gravelly Pond, will shortly be visible on your left. Continue until the pond is directly in front of you. At the T, take a left. The trail narrows and there’s water on both sides.
Go up a loooonnnnggggg hill. At a T junction, go left on the yellow trail. This is a hard to see junction since the “trail” that goes off to the right into the woods isn’t very visible. Pay attention. Then go down a short hill through the hard to see remnants of a stone wall. At the next T, go right. A little further along the trail on the right, you’ll see a trail lined with logs on the ground. Turn right and follow the “log” trail down the hill. At the bottom, go right toward the pond.
The second box: Look toward the pond. You’ll see 3 tree trunks growing next to each other. Walk to the 3 tree trunks. Then turn around 180?. A fourth trunk is lying on the ground. Its end points toward a tree at 2:00 with a large hollow at the bottom of the trunk. The box is resting in a “bunk bed” covered with a rock and leaves. Gravelly Pond is the pond on the right side of the pond stamp. Line the stamp up so it is centered on the right hand edge of your pond stamp.
Walk back to the trail and continue to the right so the pond is on your right. The trail heads up a short hill. After hiking about 2-3 minutes, the third pond. Round Pond, will be ahead and on your left. Soon the trail has a layer of woody, mulchy material. If you have trouble seeing the trail, just keep going ahead with the pond on your left. Soon the trail bears to the right away from Round Pond and back towards Gravelly Pond. You’ll come to a bridge! Yeah! Civilization! That was the hard part. The rest of the journey is smooth and flat. Cross the bridge. To the right is a view point for looking at the Gravelly Pond if you want. To the left is the path you want to take. Go past the green gate and onto the road. Turn left. On the left is what looks like two beaver dams. Walk down the road for a bit, past the rocks that line both sides of the road. After the rocks, turn left down the trail and past the green gate. The third pond, Round Pond, is on your left. You’ll pass a scenic opening. Soon after, a trail will enter from the right. Keep going along the pond. You’ll pass two more scenic openings to the pond, one small, and another large. You'll travel most of the way along the pond.
The third box: Look for a stone wall on the right heading diagonally into the woods away from you. Walk up the stone wall keeping it on your left. Count 15 steps up the hill. A small sapling/tree, possibly a beech tree, is in front of you. The completely hidden box is tucked between two stones to the left of the small sapling covered in bark and leaves. The two stones are just past a group of 5-6 stones. Round Pond is on the top of the pond stamp. Center the stamp along the top edge of the pond stamp.
Continue along the trail in the same direction you were going. When you reach a T, go right on the Red Dot Trail. Soon you’ll be at another T, go right onto the Blue Dot Trail.
Fourth box: Look for a 8-9 foot snag on the right. Count ~ 45 steps. Look to the right. You'll see a good sized beech tree with a smaller pine in front. Behind the stone wall is another beech and pine combo. The final box and logbook lie between the two trunks under a log. Coy Pond is on the upper left side of the pond stamp. Line the Coy Pond stamp up with the top left corner of the pond stamp.
When you are done stamping and get back on the blue dot trail, you have two choices.
1. You can continue right on the blue dot trail. It is 1.2 miles back to the starting point if you choose this route. It is a nice flat trail around Coy Pond, highly recommended if you have a bike or are very energetic. The trail will end before the parking area. Just follow the road keeping the pond on your left until you get back to the kiosk.
2. If you are tired, turn left. You’ll be back at your car in about .25 miles. Go past the trail you came in on and continue straight ahead. Marshy areas will be on both sides. Stay on the trail until you come to the big mulch pile on your left. Gull Pond will be in front of you. Turn right onto a dirt road. At a tilted T, bear right back to your starting point.