Sonoran Desert Animals 2011 Series LbNA #57294

RT: 2.8 mi
Trail difficulty: fairly easy to slightly moderate; dirt & a little rocky desert trail with a few moderate ups and downs.
Stamp hand-carved
Status: alive on February 14, 2022

These boxes are in a scenic natural desert area with great views of the Rincon Mountains. They are hidden along the Arizona National Scenic Trail.

From I-10 take exit #279 and drive north/northeast on Colossal Cave Road. Turn right on Colossal Cave Road. Turn left (northeast) on Pistol Hill Road. After crossing Old Spanish Trail, continue straight on “dirt” Pistol Hill Road. Drive for about 1.8 miles and turn right into a dirt parking area (it is just before the “cattle guard”).

After finding a letterbox, please take a different route back to the main trail to help prevent creating social/unofficial/wildcat trails!

Please please be sure the contents are double ziplocked when you put them back in the box (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 box. Please rehide the boxes well under the rock and cover with some twigs and plant debris so that they can not be seen from any direction.

Verdin Letterbox: Walk southeast on the Arizona Trail, brown Carsonite trail stake with AZT emblem marks the beginning of this series. Just after passing under power lines the trail will cross a dirt road. From the center of this junction go at about 170 degrees (from mag. north) for about 24 steps to a small Mesquite Tree with a cluster of Yucca behind it. The box is behind the tree under a flat rock covered with some twigs.

Palo Verde Root Borer Letterbox: Continue walking south on the trail. The trail will cross a good dirt road – keep going. You will then arrive at a narrow side trail coming in from the right. From this junction continue on the main trail for about 157 steps to a medium-size Palo Verde Tree a couple of yards off the right side of the trail. From the southeast side of this tree, go at about 190 degrees for about 26 steps to a small Palo Verde Tree. The box is behind this tree under a flat rock covered with some twigs. [This is the 2nd stamp, log book, and container for this letterbox; the 1st was destroyed by an animal which I think was a Javalina based on the footprints found around the box location!]

Ringtail Letterbox: Continue south on the trail. After walking for about 8 - 10 minutes the trail will make a left turn into and out of a significant shallow wash (you will cross over several drainage courses that look like small washes but none of them are the wash you are looking for). From the bottom of this wash, continue up the trail for about 90 steps. As you walk up and out of the wash look ahead to the large saguaro. At 90 steps look to your left for a large multi-armed Saguaro Cactus, about 37 steps from the trail. Walk over to it. From the Saguaro’s east side, go at about 100 degrees for about 9 steps to a small Mesquite Tree. The box is behind the tree under a flat rock covered with some twigs and plant debris.

Desert Tortoise Letterbox: Continue south to southeast on the trail. The trail will cross a dirt road – keep going. The trail will then cross another dirt road. From this junction, continue on the trail for about 73 steps. Look to your right for a large Palo Verde Tree with a Saguaro growing up through it. From the south side of the tree, go at about 180 degrees for about 15 steps to a small Ocotillo with a large Prickly Pear Cactus cluster behind it. The box is behind the Ocotillo under a flat rock covered with some twigs and plant debris.

These boxes were placed for the 7th 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/ .



Hike length: 2-3 miles