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Rock House Reservation LbNA #10890

Owner:The Tumbler
Plant date:Sep 5, 2004
Location:
City:West Brookfield
County:Worcester
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:3
Found by: Nairon
Last found:Nov 23, 2019
Status:FFFFOFFFFFFFFFFFFaaF
Last edited:Nov 26, 2019
Only box #3 was found on 11-22-19.
A massive, 20- to 30- foot high cave-like rock shelter, exposed after the glacial retreat 10,000 years ago, served as a winter camp for Native Americans. By the mid 1800s, it was part of a farm owned by William Adams whose descendant, F.A. Carter, dammed a small stream to create Carter Pond and built the cottage now serving as a trailside museum and nature center. Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset, this 75-acre property will intrigue anyone who loves the outdoors. For those who know how to read the landscape, the Reservation tells a story of glaciers, Native Americans, colonial farming, and the reforestation of former agricultural fields and pastures. Even the briefest of walks provides opportunities to see a variety of plants and animals and several different landscapes.

Directions: From the Mass Pike, take exit 8 and follow Route 32 north toward Ware, where Route 32 joins Route 9. Stay on combined Rt. 32/9. When the routes separate, follow Route 9 east for 1.1 miles to entrance and parking on left.

UPDATE: All three letterboxes are reported attempted in 2013. Will have to check on them and revive them this summer.

CLUES:

From the message board, walk through the green metal gate. Take the first right up the hill. At the Y intersection, bear left to the "Rock House." After walking around this amazing site, take the trail to the left of the Rock House away from Carter Pond. Turn left through two large boulders down a loose rock path. The Acorns letterbox now hides around the back side of the boulder to your starboard side. Cool cave!

Head back to Carter Pond. Follow the Red Trail to the left around the pond. Make sure to stop at site 7 at the crest of the hill for a breathtaking view of the pond. Then take a right onto the Fire Road (White Trail) passing site 8. Stop in and visit the museum for a while. Then continue up the White Trail to an opening. “Balance Rock” will be to your right (site 11). After exploring, continue up the White Trail to the “Butterfly Garden” beneath the power lines. Take some time here to walk around this overgrown garden because there’s much to see. Look closely and you may see a large green caterpillar with colored spots and spikes clinging to a branch or butterflies and bees busy, busy, busy at work. Continue up the White Trail into the Pines, but be on the lookout for the first White Trail marker lurking about. From this “spot”, walk approximately 20 paces to a split boulder on the left. The Sunflower letterbox lies here between the Pines wishing it could grow that tall.

Continue on the White Trail to where the stone wall ends and a trail map can be seen. Take the Blue "Summit" Trail between the two boulders. This will be a good climb, but watch your steps over the rooted trail. The stone wall will be on your left again. Follow the Blue Trail straight up and over the hill. You will come to an open meadow protected by a barbed-wire fence. You can take a break on the bench, but must continue on the narrow path overlooked by an ancient, "One-eyed Oak." If the path is under water, go back to the "Y" just before the crest of the hill and take the path to the right. Once you reach the “Scenic Vista,” you can leave a note for the birds or have a seat on a bench. With your back to the vista, spot an old Pine about 20 yards up the hill at 12 o’clock. You can reach it from the trail farther up. The Red Maples letterbox waits at the base of this majestic tree.

The return continues on the Blue Trail with the meadow off in the distance to your right. Follow the trail down the hill back to the Butterfly Garden, past the museum, then left up the Red Trail just after the pond. Pass site 6 where you will spot a Lichen-covered rock wall. Continue around the pond to site 3. Notice the rock mid-pond that laughed so hard it “split” at the seams. With your back to the pond, take the trail at 12 o’clock. Pass sites 2 and 1 on the way back to the parking lot.