T&T’s New Hobby LbNA #56865

Last checked/found: 1-JAN-11

Starting point: Parking lot on 104th Avenue, just south of 111th Street.

Distance/Time: Approximately 4 mile loop; 1.5 to 2 hours depending on season & trail conditions.

Terrain: A bit paved, some gravel and some dirt trail in the woods with minor slopes. ALSO – One water crossing! Take your hiking poles along to balance across rocks, or pick up some sturdy sticks along the way.

There once was a couple who used the alias of T&T to slip into a secret, cult-like activity they learned about in 2002 and then decided to join in 2003. Sometimes they used the even more secret alias of Ivor & Gunhild to disguise their true identities. After starting down this slippery and dangerous path, they claimed that the thrill of the hobby was the anticipation of what lies ahead. They persisted through rain, sun, wind, snow, humidity, gentle breezes, a tornado, and even bicycles. They quickly became addicts and reveled in any opportunity to get wet and muddy, meet raccoons in action, flee from howling coyotes, thrash through nettles & poison ivy, endure boot sucking mud and bravely make stream crossings. They became so obsessed that they were soon slipping away from wedding events and changing costumes in some odd spots to find “just one, or maybe two”. They eventually succumbed to the powerful hold of letting the hobby dictate trip itineraries. This resulted in many shared adventures together that otherwise would have never happened. However it also garnered them many comments from friends & relatives who were worried, or embarrassed, that T&T had been so consumed by this strange activity. T&T tried to throw some people off track by saying they were match-booking, and T seriously thought about using matchbooks in one of her art classes to give more credence to this cover. Things finally came to head after almost eight years of searching for rubber in the woods... their pastor used them as an example in his sermon! He thought they were skipping out of church on some Sundays to partake in a hobby, so the one he mentioned is the one they figured they’d better take up. To learn what this new hobby is, you’ll need to find the box!

Head west from the parking lot, crossing 104th Avenue to join the yellow trail. Within 5 minutes on this main trail you’ll curve to the left. After this, keep a sharp lookout for an orange post on the right marking a smaller trail where horses and bikes aren’t allowed. Like T&T, it’s time to get adventurous and take the road less traveled! This is a small trail that winds around quite a bit. Generally stay to your right, cross a tiny stream (if it’s wet out) and eventually you’ll make a wide hairpin turn so you’ll be heading west again. Next you’ll reach a wider creek - this is where those sticks will come in handy! Make your way across the water (don’t lose your water bottle in the creek!) and head up the bank, continuing along the trail. Tramp along and you may notice a geocache in a log on the left, very near the trail. Continue to wind along, and then head down through a meadow (probably somewhat wet in spring or after a heavy rain). As you head back up out of the meadow, look to the right for another orange post. This signals you are getting close! From this post, take a bearing of 220° and walk to the V of a fallen tree to discover T&T’s new hobby.

To complete your journey, continue west/southwest along the esker until you reach a “T”. Choose the southeast path and travel along, passing through a thicket [recent reports indicate the thicket has been cut down; hopefully you can still make out a trail through the area] and winding about until you reach a bright red-orange post. From here take a left on a wider path and stay left until you return to the parking lot.

We live quite a distance from here, so we’d really enjoy an email update to let us know how this box is doing. Thanks!