Sonoran Desert Animals 2009 Series LbNA #45578
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Azroadie  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Feb 8, 2009 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Tucson |
| County: | Pima |
| State: | Arizona |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Found by: | Heyford (5) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Apr 20, 2019 |
| Status: | aFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Feb 2, 2022 |
Trail difficulty: moderate; rocky desert mountain trail with significant up sections for last two boxes.
Stamps hand-carved
Status: alive and well on January 31, 2022
This series is placed in the Coronado National Forest northeast of Tucson. The boxes are at an elevation of about 4500 feet; so, there might possibly be some snow on them during the winter. Driving towards Tucson from the east on I-10, take exit 275 and go north on Houghton Rd. Turn right on Catalina Highway. Going towards Tucson from the north on I-10, take exit 256 and drive east on Grant Rd. Turn left on Tanque Verde Rd. Turn left on Catalina Highway. After passing the large Coronado National Forest entrance sign, continue for 5.7 miles. Between mile markers 5 and 6 make a left turn into the Molino Basin Campground. Park just outside the campground in the Day Use Area.
All compass degrees are from magnetic north. Please return to trails from letterboxes using a different route to prevent creating “wildcat (unofficial user or social)” trails. Be very alert for snakes.
Please be sure the contents are double ziplocked when you put them back in the boxes (i.e. the stamp is in a ziploc, the book is in a ziploc, and the two are in the larger ziploc bag), and put all of it INSIDE the boxes. Please rehide the boxes well under rocks, twigs and plant debris so that they can not be seen from any direction.
Clues:
Canyon Towhee Letterbox: Walk across the Catalina Highway using the lined crosswalk. Walk northeast on the Bellota Trail/Arizona Trail. From the large metal Arizona Trail sign, continue for about 100 steps to some natural rock steps in the trail. Go off trail exactly north for about 40 steps to a large old (now dead, tipped over) Oak Tree with small boulders around it. From the north outer edge of the tree, go at about 18 degrees for about 12 steps to a medium size flat circular leaning boulder. The box is under its northeast corner covered by rocks and plant debris.
Agave Billbug Letterbox: Return to the trail and go left. You will soon arrive at a brown fiberglass trail marker(missing). Go left (about 26 degrees) on an unmarked trail, in a short distance you will see a rusted metal pole on the right. The trail will go into a wash and cross it (crossing is marked by rock cairns) to the other side. After exiting the wash, go about 10 steps to left turn. After the left turn, continue for about 40 steps. Turn right and go off trail up slope for about 32 steps to a medium size Oak Tree with two trunks (the left one of two similar Oak Trees next to each other). The box is under the outer edge of the southeast side of this tree under a flat rock between two small boulders.
Blacktail Rattlesnake Letterbox: Return to the unmarked trail and go right continuing up the canyon. Walk for a while until you arrive at an old concrete slab in the trail. From the center of the slab, go at about 328 degrees for about 26 steps to a cluster of medium size boulders. The box is under the largest boulder (it is the most northwest boulder). The boulder is plump and rounded and just to the left of a Sotol (Dasylirion or Desert Spoon) Plant. The box is under the north side of the boulder behind some rocks.
Giant Desert Scorpion Letterbox: Return to the unmarked trail, go right, and return to the junction with the AZT/Bellota Trail. Go left. You will soon cross the stream. After going up slope for a while, the trail approaches a medium to large size rock lined wash and makes a significant right turn. After making the turn, continue up the trail for about 46 steps to a large boulder on the right leaning against another boulder. From the southwest side, go at about 234 degrees for about 30 steps to a large flat boulder level with and slightly above the ground. The box is next to its north corner under a flat rock.
Coyote Letterbox: Return to the trail and go right. The trail will wind up the slope. It will then pass between two large Juniper Trees a few feet off each side of the trail. It will then go into and make a left turn in a small wash. Just as you exit the wash you will pass on your right a dead Oak Tree with its top broken off. About 10 more steps up, the trail makes a right turn. And then in about 10 more steps it makes a left turn. After the left turn, continue for about 14 more steps. Turn right and go off trail up slope for about 25 steps to a large lone prone elongated boulder (from this boulder the restrooms in the Day Use Area may be seen at about 258 degrees). The box is behind (northeast side) the boulder under a flat rock.
These boxes were placed for the 5th Annual Tucson Letterboxers Gathering.
Please let me know if a box needs attention or is missing:
http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/azroadie.html
Please record your find at www.letterboxing.org/ or at www.atlasquest.com/ .
If you live in Arizona or New Mexico or have an interest in letterboxes in those states, you are invited to join the Letterboxing Southwest Discussion Group. Go here to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LetterboxingSouthwest/ .
Stamps hand-carved
Status: alive and well on January 31, 2022
This series is placed in the Coronado National Forest northeast of Tucson. The boxes are at an elevation of about 4500 feet; so, there might possibly be some snow on them during the winter. Driving towards Tucson from the east on I-10, take exit 275 and go north on Houghton Rd. Turn right on Catalina Highway. Going towards Tucson from the north on I-10, take exit 256 and drive east on Grant Rd. Turn left on Tanque Verde Rd. Turn left on Catalina Highway. After passing the large Coronado National Forest entrance sign, continue for 5.7 miles. Between mile markers 5 and 6 make a left turn into the Molino Basin Campground. Park just outside the campground in the Day Use Area.
All compass degrees are from magnetic north. Please return to trails from letterboxes using a different route to prevent creating “wildcat (unofficial user or social)” trails. Be very alert for snakes.
Please be sure the contents are double ziplocked when you put them back in the boxes (i.e. the stamp is in a ziploc, the book is in a ziploc, and the two are in the larger ziploc bag), and put all of it INSIDE the boxes. Please rehide the boxes well under rocks, twigs and plant debris so that they can not be seen from any direction.
Clues:
Canyon Towhee Letterbox: Walk across the Catalina Highway using the lined crosswalk. Walk northeast on the Bellota Trail/Arizona Trail. From the large metal Arizona Trail sign, continue for about 100 steps to some natural rock steps in the trail. Go off trail exactly north for about 40 steps to a large old (now dead, tipped over) Oak Tree with small boulders around it. From the north outer edge of the tree, go at about 18 degrees for about 12 steps to a medium size flat circular leaning boulder. The box is under its northeast corner covered by rocks and plant debris.
Agave Billbug Letterbox: Return to the trail and go left. You will soon arrive at a brown fiberglass trail marker(missing). Go left (about 26 degrees) on an unmarked trail, in a short distance you will see a rusted metal pole on the right. The trail will go into a wash and cross it (crossing is marked by rock cairns) to the other side. After exiting the wash, go about 10 steps to left turn. After the left turn, continue for about 40 steps. Turn right and go off trail up slope for about 32 steps to a medium size Oak Tree with two trunks (the left one of two similar Oak Trees next to each other). The box is under the outer edge of the southeast side of this tree under a flat rock between two small boulders.
Blacktail Rattlesnake Letterbox: Return to the unmarked trail and go right continuing up the canyon. Walk for a while until you arrive at an old concrete slab in the trail. From the center of the slab, go at about 328 degrees for about 26 steps to a cluster of medium size boulders. The box is under the largest boulder (it is the most northwest boulder). The boulder is plump and rounded and just to the left of a Sotol (Dasylirion or Desert Spoon) Plant. The box is under the north side of the boulder behind some rocks.
Giant Desert Scorpion Letterbox: Return to the unmarked trail, go right, and return to the junction with the AZT/Bellota Trail. Go left. You will soon cross the stream. After going up slope for a while, the trail approaches a medium to large size rock lined wash and makes a significant right turn. After making the turn, continue up the trail for about 46 steps to a large boulder on the right leaning against another boulder. From the southwest side, go at about 234 degrees for about 30 steps to a large flat boulder level with and slightly above the ground. The box is next to its north corner under a flat rock.
Coyote Letterbox: Return to the trail and go right. The trail will wind up the slope. It will then pass between two large Juniper Trees a few feet off each side of the trail. It will then go into and make a left turn in a small wash. Just as you exit the wash you will pass on your right a dead Oak Tree with its top broken off. About 10 more steps up, the trail makes a right turn. And then in about 10 more steps it makes a left turn. After the left turn, continue for about 14 more steps. Turn right and go off trail up slope for about 25 steps to a large lone prone elongated boulder (from this boulder the restrooms in the Day Use Area may be seen at about 258 degrees). The box is behind (northeast side) the boulder under a flat rock.
These boxes were placed for the 5th Annual Tucson Letterboxers Gathering.
Please let me know if a box needs attention or is missing:
http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/azroadie.html
Please record your find at www.letterboxing.org/ or at www.atlasquest.com/ .
If you live in Arizona or New Mexico or have an interest in letterboxes in those states, you are invited to join the Letterboxing Southwest Discussion Group. Go here to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LetterboxingSouthwest/ .