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Miss Risley LbNA #14808

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:May 1, 2005
Location:
City:Vernon
County:Tolland
State:Connecticut
Boxes:2
Planted by:Rubaduc
Found by: Trailhead Tessie (2)
Last found:Mar 18, 2020
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:May 1, 2005
One box high atop Box Mountain (how appropriate is that?) Three miles round trip. This is an official CT. blue trail hike and is listed in the CT. Walk Book.

From I-84 east, take exit 66, turn right to Tunnel Road, turn left onto Tunnel Rd. taking it to the end, turn left onto Lake St. Drive until you see Risley Pond on the left. Parking is at the far end by the blue gate.

Miss Risley is the fourth in a series of Magical, Mystical, Mythical creatures hand carved by Talking Turtle, the ring leader of the infamous Alphabet Bandits. This mermaid lives in Risley Pond but since I have to make you walk at least three miles to find her, she's moved her residence temporarily.

After parking the car, walk towards the dam and just before you get there turn right at the yellow arrow on the rock leading down a set of steps. Now the tricky part. Get across the brook. In dry weather I guess this is no problem but today I had to jump across on the rocks closer to the dam. Some of the blazes in the beginning will be yellow with a blue stripe through it but you soon see the blue trial going to the right with yellow going left. Go right on blue the whole way. You will cross one brook and then see the yellow with blue stripe going left, stay on blue and as the trail begins to climb it becomes dryer. The trail goes gradually up until you come to a left turn and the trees ahead of you have some dark blue paint on them, go left with the CT. blue and follow just below the ridge line. Looking right you might see a large boulder with a good set of "lips" on it. No box but I thought about it.
After a relatively flat walk and just before you start downhill, you'll walk over a rocky ledge on the trail with a cell tower to the right. Standing on this ledge site 80 degrees (right) take 18 steps to a round rock for box #1 which is really the bonus box. If you see bonus clues in Miss R's box, please wipe them out. Thanks.

Just after this point there's a fork with an unmarked trail to the right but stay straight (left) even though it might take a min. to see the next blaze. Just before you see the beautiful white birch trees, there's a perfect letterboxing stump to the right of the trail. This is half of what was once a two sister tree but too close to the trail so walk past it at 340 degrees to the next stump for the Mermaid's new home. She's covered with bark and could use another layer if anyone is shedding and would like to add some.

Continue on, staying on the blue trail until you need to cross a brook on the two large logs, turn left and follow along the edge of the pond back to your car.