Rancho San Antonio Series LbNA #11425 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 4, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Cupertino |
| County: | Santa Clara |
| State: | California |
| Boxes: | 3 |
| Planted by: | Flying Pigs  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | lennie (2) |
| Last found: | Sep 28, 2008 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFaFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 4, 2004 |
Updated November 30, 2008
All three boxes are reported missing. We will replace soon and I'll report back then.
*********
About 3 miles round trip
Hard pack dirt surface - good for big wheel strollers and fat wheel bikes
Rancho San Antonio Park. Begin at the lowest parking lot off of Cristo Rey Drive in Cupertino. Proceed along the path to Deer Hollow Farm. Before you come to the tennis courts (which are never used by the way - if you want a place to play tennis, but the courts by your house are always full, this is the place) you will see a large California Bay tree with a low fence around it. Count the number of vertical posts that make up the fence. Write the number of posts here because you will need this number later: ________ There is a sign that describes the Bay tree. Read this sign. You will learn how many Bay trees are in existence that are larger than this one. Write down this number here: __________ You will also learn that there is a point system used to determine a tree's "bigness." Write down the number of points that represent the size of the tree now before you: __________
Continue on toward Deer Hollow Farm.
Box 1: "Quirky Quail"
Continue past the giant Bay tree toward Deer Hollow Farm. You will come to a "by permit only" parking lot that usually has zero cars in it. We frequently see quail in this area. But, when we planted the letterboxes, we saw a flock of wild turkeys here. Maybe this letterbox should be called "Quirky Turkey?" Walk to the right of the parking lot to the end of the straight logs on the ground. When you come to the end of the logs, look ahead and you'll see a path to a bridge that crosses a stream. Don't go there. Instead, from the end of the logs take the first digit from the number of points in the Bay tree and multiply by 4. Take about this many paces paces forward, and then turn to the right down a small dirt path. Now, take the last digit from the number of points in the Bay tree and multiply by 3. Take this number of paces down the dirt path, walking straight. Look down toward the right, and if you see a thin metal pipe sticking up out of the ground about 10 inches, you are in the right place. Make sure that no one is watching you. What you seek is hidden in the hollow of the tree in front of you under some bark. Please re-hide it well.
If you are quiet, and you listen carefully, you may hear the rustle of leaves. This is either quail or turkeys trying scratch up something to eat. If you are patient, you'll see them.
Box 2 - Piggly-Wiggly
Continue on to Deer Hollow Farm. When you reach the farm, be sure to enjoy it. Unfortunately, it is closed on Mondays. In the spring you'll usually see baby pigs and baby goats.
Continue past the farm. There is an open air barn with picnic tables - a great place for a snack or a picnic. A little way past the barn there are some pit toilets, and across from the toilets there is a place to drink, if you are a horse. There is also a place to get tied up, but again, only if you are a horse. If you are not a horse, begin at the hitching post. Remember how many vertical posts there were around the Bay tree? Take this number of paces straight toward some fallen logs at the beginning of the Farm Bypass Trail. Go to the largest log that is farthest from the farm -- the one whose tree-roots you can see. Make sure no one is watching you and duck behind the log. Look straight down underneath the roots and you'll find what you seek. Be sure to re-hide the letterbox well.
Box 3 - Vulcan Greeting
Go back down toward the hitching post a few steps, then turn left and follow the trail toward the Wildcat Loop Trail. We have seen bobcats in this area, but only once (bobcats are a bit larger than a house cat, but are too small to be dangerous to humans). Go a short distance up this trail and you will see the terminus of the Farm Bypass Trail. Head back toward Deer Hollow Farm along the Farm Bypass Trail. There should be a fence along your left. At the end of the fence, take the last two digits of the number of points in the large Bay tree, and multiply it by the number of Bay trees that were larger than the one you read about. Take this number of paces along the path toward Deer Hollow Farm. On your left should be a tree in the shape of Mr. Spock's greeting, "Live Long and Prosper." Poke your head through the "V" of the trunk and look down behind the tree. You'll see that the tree is hollow in the back and is hiding the Vulcan Greeting letterbox. Please re-hide it well.
When we hid this box, we came face to face with a buck and a doe along the trail. I'm not sure who was more startled - us or them!
There are lots of wonderful hikes in this area. Enjoy!
All three boxes are reported missing. We will replace soon and I'll report back then.
*********
About 3 miles round trip
Hard pack dirt surface - good for big wheel strollers and fat wheel bikes
Rancho San Antonio Park. Begin at the lowest parking lot off of Cristo Rey Drive in Cupertino. Proceed along the path to Deer Hollow Farm. Before you come to the tennis courts (which are never used by the way - if you want a place to play tennis, but the courts by your house are always full, this is the place) you will see a large California Bay tree with a low fence around it. Count the number of vertical posts that make up the fence. Write the number of posts here because you will need this number later: ________ There is a sign that describes the Bay tree. Read this sign. You will learn how many Bay trees are in existence that are larger than this one. Write down this number here: __________ You will also learn that there is a point system used to determine a tree's "bigness." Write down the number of points that represent the size of the tree now before you: __________
Continue on toward Deer Hollow Farm.
Box 1: "Quirky Quail"
Continue past the giant Bay tree toward Deer Hollow Farm. You will come to a "by permit only" parking lot that usually has zero cars in it. We frequently see quail in this area. But, when we planted the letterboxes, we saw a flock of wild turkeys here. Maybe this letterbox should be called "Quirky Turkey?" Walk to the right of the parking lot to the end of the straight logs on the ground. When you come to the end of the logs, look ahead and you'll see a path to a bridge that crosses a stream. Don't go there. Instead, from the end of the logs take the first digit from the number of points in the Bay tree and multiply by 4. Take about this many paces paces forward, and then turn to the right down a small dirt path. Now, take the last digit from the number of points in the Bay tree and multiply by 3. Take this number of paces down the dirt path, walking straight. Look down toward the right, and if you see a thin metal pipe sticking up out of the ground about 10 inches, you are in the right place. Make sure that no one is watching you. What you seek is hidden in the hollow of the tree in front of you under some bark. Please re-hide it well.
If you are quiet, and you listen carefully, you may hear the rustle of leaves. This is either quail or turkeys trying scratch up something to eat. If you are patient, you'll see them.
Box 2 - Piggly-Wiggly
Continue on to Deer Hollow Farm. When you reach the farm, be sure to enjoy it. Unfortunately, it is closed on Mondays. In the spring you'll usually see baby pigs and baby goats.
Continue past the farm. There is an open air barn with picnic tables - a great place for a snack or a picnic. A little way past the barn there are some pit toilets, and across from the toilets there is a place to drink, if you are a horse. There is also a place to get tied up, but again, only if you are a horse. If you are not a horse, begin at the hitching post. Remember how many vertical posts there were around the Bay tree? Take this number of paces straight toward some fallen logs at the beginning of the Farm Bypass Trail. Go to the largest log that is farthest from the farm -- the one whose tree-roots you can see. Make sure no one is watching you and duck behind the log. Look straight down underneath the roots and you'll find what you seek. Be sure to re-hide the letterbox well.
Box 3 - Vulcan Greeting
Go back down toward the hitching post a few steps, then turn left and follow the trail toward the Wildcat Loop Trail. We have seen bobcats in this area, but only once (bobcats are a bit larger than a house cat, but are too small to be dangerous to humans). Go a short distance up this trail and you will see the terminus of the Farm Bypass Trail. Head back toward Deer Hollow Farm along the Farm Bypass Trail. There should be a fence along your left. At the end of the fence, take the last two digits of the number of points in the large Bay tree, and multiply it by the number of Bay trees that were larger than the one you read about. Take this number of paces along the path toward Deer Hollow Farm. On your left should be a tree in the shape of Mr. Spock's greeting, "Live Long and Prosper." Poke your head through the "V" of the trunk and look down behind the tree. You'll see that the tree is hollow in the back and is hiding the Vulcan Greeting letterbox. Please re-hide it well.
When we hid this box, we came face to face with a buck and a doe along the trail. I'm not sure who was more startled - us or them!
There are lots of wonderful hikes in this area. Enjoy!