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Lepidoptera Letterboxes LbNA #18706

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 15, 2005
Location:
City:Shoreline
County:King
State:Washington
Boxes:2
Planted by:Green Guillemot
Found by: TrailTroll
Last found:Dec 28, 2007
Status:FFFFF
Last edited:Oct 15, 2005
This series is located at my favorite new "local" park - Shoreview Park, adjacent to Shoreline Community College. Shoreview Park has restrooms, athletic fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, and ample parking. The trails wind between beautiful mature trees and bubbling Boeing Creek. There is a bit of up and down, and the trail can be muddy after the rain. My feet stayed completely dry, but you do have to cross the creek so wear sturdy shoes. This is a great place for (leashed) dogs, so bring your canine boxer. Total boxing time is about an hour, maybe a bit more if you stop to enjoy the park. Bring your binoculars – as I was planting, there were loads of chickadees, wrens, kinglets, and woodpeckers out and about. All compass readings are magnetic.

December 3, 2006 Update
The Blue Jewel was missing for a few months, but I have replaced this box so both of them should now be available. There is some on-going construction on the back side of the park, but it doesn't affect the clues much.

Clues
Find the lower baseball field, near the restrooms. If you were standing on third base, with first base directly behind you, you could almost see the trailhead a couple hundred meters distant.

At the trailhead, note that dogs must be on a leash. Entering the mature conifer forest, wander down into a slightly open area beneath the giant trees. Many different trails intersect here, but you are looking for the one straight ahead at 15 degrees. This is one of two trails that goes down the hill. Watch your step as you start down the incline.

Continue down this path until it forks. Take the right (uphill) fork at about 75 degrees. Soon the trail forks again. This time take the left (downhill) path. Walk for a bit. Just after passing a very large cedar on the left-hand edge of the path, you will intersect another trail: turn right here.

Follow this trail first up then down a hill. As you head down, you will be taking some steps down towards the creek. At the bottom, cross the creek and scramble up the opposite bank. When you have reached the top of the creek embankment on the far side, follow the path straight (in a N/NW direction). Ignore the little side trails that branch off in different directions – stay on the straight and narrow. When you intersect a large, wide, gravel path, turn left and follow it. If you run into a construction barrier before you get to the wide path, turn left at the construction barrier and follow the little side trail that runs parallel to the barrier for a bit until you can come back onto the wide main trail.


This wide path splits – stay left, and avoid the right one (which just leads out of the park). From this point it’s a short little walk on the main path to the first box – again, avoid the branching side trails. On the left, you will see a medium-sized cedar. At this place, the ground has sunk lower on the left forming a natural depression; two fallen logs make some primitive benches. Stop here and sit for a moment. Then reach around to the very back of the cedar, at its base. There, under a rock, is the Blue Jewel. Please re-hide it well.

Continuing on your way, turn left back onto the main path (the same direction you were heading before). As you head down a hill, a number of different paths converge here – but keep heading straight. Cross the creek again on the beautiful stepping stones (note the designs), and follow the path on the SE side of the creek for a bit.

Just as Hidden Lake is coming into view, there are three large cedars on the left side of the path: two standing, and one leaning heavily. Go around behind the trees to the one that is leaning. The Fire Moth rests here on top of the leaning tree, about 4 feet high under some bark and leaves. Again, please re-hide very carefully.

After you are done stamping, you can continue on to the lake. Taking a left and following the path up the hill will take you back around to the parking lot area.

I hope you enjoy this lovely park and my hand-carved stamps. If you have some extra time, be sure to check out the Twin Ponds Letterbox, which is only 5 minutes away by car – it is one of my all time favorite stamps. Email me to tell me of your find, or if the boxes need attention.