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I-80 Series Box #5 Patty Reed's Doll LbNA #5080 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Doublesaj & Old Blue
Plant date:Aug 2, 2004
Location:
City:Truckee
County:Placer
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: The Moleskins
Last found:Sep 25, 2008
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Aug 2, 2004
ALERT: This 'box has been removed for safe-keeping by a letterboxing good-samaritin who overheard the Rangers there threatening to destroy the 'box. 6-21-09.

The first book I remember reading more than once (for pleasure) was in second grade: "Patty Reed's Doll". It told of one of the children in the ill-fated Donner party, Martha F. (Patty) Reed. Even when the journey to California became so arduous, the adults began dropping their precious cargo on the trail to lighten their load, Patty secretly kept her little doll in her pocket. The doll survived the journey (so did Patty), something a full half of the party could not boast. The site of this box is a monument and museum commemorating this incredible journey.

Rating
Clues: a little tricky
Difficulty: a nice, level 10-15 minute walk on a loop trail
Caution: In winter, snowy conditions will make this box impossible to reach

To the box: Go to the Donner Memorial State Park and park in the parking lot (free). Find the monument to the Donner Party and count the faces in the statue. Multiply this number by 3. There is a lovely loop trail which leads from the museum. There are stakes numbering from 1 to 17 on the trail. Go to the stake with the number you figured out. Just to the left of this stake, take the trail east through the meadow, about 97 paces. There you'll see a large, granite rock which seems out of place with all this greenery around. On the west side of this rock, under a rock of reddish hue, you will find the Patty Reed's Doll letterbox.

Go ahead and continue on this trail the rest of the way around and stand in awe at the huge rock with it's commorative plaque erected in 1919 on the site of the cabin where the Donner Party lived and died throughout that harsh and fateful winter.

Note: This I-80 series can be done in any order and probably is quite confusing if you do them in the order we've posted them. Therefore, #1, #2, #3, etc. is NOT the way you want to proceed. This box is between the Rainbow Bridge box and Auburn box, all on east bound I-80