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Lynn's Birthday Letterbox LbNA #16469

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 3, 2005
Location: Pattee Canyon Picnic Area
City:Missoula
County:Missoula
State:Montana
Boxes:1
Found by: Danero1919
Last found:Jun 27, 2020
Status:FFFFFFOFF
Last edited:Mar 31, 2016
Orig Placed by:Rockmover & Quiltmaker
Adopted by MtMtnskies & BigSkygirl Adoption Date: October 4, 2014

*****This area has many trail markers that are missing/destroyed. Follow the instructions the best you can and you should find it easily*****

Difficulty: Easy
Rockmover & Quiltmaker note: This letterbox was planted in celebration of our daughter Lynn's 40th birthday. We wanted this box to appear as a separate box under its own directions on the letterboxing website.

Directions:
Lynn's Birthday Letterbox is planted in the Pattee Canyon Recreation Area. This area is a combination of Lolo National Forest, State, City Open Space and University of Montana lands that provide public access from Mount Sentinel to the Pattee Canyon Recreation area. To get to the picnic, ski and folfing areas take Southwest Higgins Avenue to Pattee Canyon Drive (Road #533). Go 3.5 miles east to the recreation area. To begin this adventure, continue to the Pattee Canyon Trailhead (3.75 miles) at the top of the hill. Park your vehicle in this lot.

Clues: From the Trailhead, cross Pattee Canyon Rd to a small trail (approx 20 deg magnetic) and follow it until you get to a paved road. Follow this road until you arrive at Group Unit C. Travel forward through Unit C angling to the right on a small path. This path will take you through a grassy patch to a dirt road that borders Forest Service land and private property. Turn left on this road and head north (uphill). Branching off to the left is an old road that is becoming overgrown. The tire tracks are still visable. You will see telephone lines overhead where this old road branches off of the dirt road. Take the old road (approx 300 degrees) and continue hiking up the mountain. The trail will swing to the left and west (approx 270 degrees).
The trail takes you beside an old pine tree on the right. This pine is so huge that it blocks the underbrush from growing around it. From here continue on this trail. You have already completed the hardest part. You will have level or downhill hiking from this point on. Continue traveling west on the trail until you come to a 2nd fork in the trail (do not take the 1st fork, trail 302.8). Here you might see a "Blue trail marker with an arrow" on your right, Take the right fork and continue west (approx 290 deg) for approximately 60/63 paces to a railroad tie that is sticking up out of the ground vertically. At this railroad tie make a 1/8 right turn (approx 320 deg) and face the hill. You should be looking at a large single pine tree. Walk 35 paces to this tree. Lynn's Birthday Letterbox can be found behind this tree under a cairn of beige-toned rocks.

This is also a Geocache Letterbox Hybrid, so You will discover tradeables for the little ones and maybe some Travel Bugs. Also Look for the occasional Hitchiker Stamp. Enjoy this beautiful area.