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Bean Hole LbNA #60481 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:pennylodge
Plant date:Jul 30, 2011
Location: East Shore Drive
City:Silver Lake
County:Carroll
State:New Hampshire
Boxes:1
Found by: The Quilt Maker
Last found:Aug 21, 2017
Status:FFFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Jul 5, 2016
According to the Maine Folklife Center, Native Americans originated bean hole beans by baking beans with bear grease and maple syrup in clay pots covered with deerskins and buried in coals in the ground. Beans baked in cast iron pots buried in the ground became a lumber camp specialty. It’s been many years since the lumber camps but, Bean Hole Suppers continue as a long time New England tradition. It takes lots of folks, doing lots of work to get it all done. A long deep pit is dug and lined with stone. Madison’s lake front bean hole has been in use for generations with a number of upgrades along the way. The day before the supper, a fire is started in the bean hole. It is tended to all day as hard wood is added to create a good hot coal bed. During that time the bean pots are being prepared by another group of folks. After the secret ingredients are added, a strip of bread dough is worked onto the top edge of the pots for a seal, and then the cover is wired closed. The pots are transported by pick-up truck to the bean pit and when the coals are deemed perfect, they are shoveled away; the pots are added and then covered in coals. A cover of metal roofing is carefully placed then buried in a deep layer of beach sand. Nothing more to do then, but wait till the next afternoon around 5:00 when the pit is shoveled out and the first pot of beans is ceremoniously opened to the cheers of the awaiting, hungry crowd. I welcome you to wander around the sandy beach to see if you can locate the now covered bean hole awaiting its honorary task.
Clues: Turn onto East Shore Drive from Rte 41 in Silver Lake. Follow the road a little over a mile to find the Foot of the Lake Beach on the left. Park just past the beach in the grassy parking area on the right side of the road. Stand at the back and center of the parking area just at the forest’s edge. Look into the forest about 25 feet in front of you. Find the large Oak tree with a double trunk shaped like a “V” This tree holds your prize deep inside. Carefully replace this Letterbox as you found it.


Hike length: 0.1 miles