Hog's Neck Boxes LbNA #20969
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | wood thrush  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Mar 19, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Savage |
| County: | Howard |
| State: | Maryland |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Found by: | wood thrush (2) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Oct 31, 2018 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFO |
| Last edited: | Oct 31, 2018 |
Clue updated 10.31.18
This box is in the same neighborhood as our Wincopin Daffodil and Patuxent Confluence letterboxes. The intrepid letterboxer will take note, and perhaps spend an afternoon in this delightful park!
Here are two nice hand-carved stamps in a very scenic, peaceful and unusual area of Savage Park. If you have the time, these stamps look especially good inked or markered in multiple colors. Hog’s Neck Ridge benefits from a “woodlands” palette, while, as you might suspect, ducky and watery colors work well for Hog’s Neck Mallards.
Driving directions. From either the Baltimore or Washington, D.C., area, take I-95 to the exit for Route 32 west. Take the first exit for Broken Land Parkway. Stay to the left. At the end of the exit ramp, make a left turn onto Broken Land Parkway, and follow it to its end at a traffic light. Make a left turn at this light onto Guilford Road. Stay to the right, and at the next light, make a right turn onto Murray Hill Road. Follow this road to a left turn at Vollmerhausen Road. You will see a wooden sign for “Huntington.” Travel Vollmerhausen until you cross over I-95 and begin going down a hill. After a short distance, look to your right for the parking lot that leads to Wincopin trailheads in Savage Park. If you reach the bottom of the hill and begin to climb the other side, you have gone too far and will need to turn around.
To the letterboxes. Park in the lot. Notice an informative board with, among other things, a map of the trail system in this part of the park. The boxes are found along the red-blazed trail.
Head into the woods, on a paved trail that quickly turns into a dirt footpath. Follow the trail past a left junction with a green trail and another left junction with a blue trail. At about .4 mile, you’ll see a trail post that indicates another part of the green trail veering left, while the red trail and a yellow trail go right. Head right.
Shortly you will come to another trail marker that indicates you can either go straight or left for the red trail, and that the yellow trail is straight ahead. Don’t take the left junction here—keep going straight ahead.
In another short distance you’ll come to a place where the red trail heads left and the yellow trail goes straight. Now is the time to turn left on the red trail.
Hog’s Neck Ridge Letterbox. You are now on a ridge that forms the “neck” part of the Hog’s Neck area. You’ll go down a hill and will be able to see the Middle Patuxent River on both sides of the ridge. Is that cool or what? In the distance to your right you can hear I-95. Keep following the trail, which soon heads up a hill. At the same time the land becomes wider again; you’re now in the “head” part of the imaginary hog. As you travel to the top of the hill, all around you will see lots of very dark grey rocks. When you reach the top, there will be fairly large versions of these rocks to your left, and then, after that, no rocks at all. Stop when you get to these large rocks. If you're at the right place, you will also see the last bunch of smaller dark grey rocks actually crossing the trail and going right up to a tall two-trunked tulip poplar tree. Walk over to this tree. Facing the direction of I-95, look towards a very old fallen tree that is quite long and now disintegrating. Notice the root end of this old giant straight ahead of you and walk to it. It's also in a field of rocks.
Still facing the direction of I-95, look immediately to your left. You’ll see two good-sized tulip poplars just steps away. Head to the one that is down slope. On the I-95, down-slope side of this tree you will see yet more piles of of the dark grey rocks. Small rocks are right next to the tree, while larger rocks are about three feet away. Find the largest rock in this pile (it has a nice flat top on an angle). In the front of it, under some smaller rocks, is the Hog’s Neck Ridge letterbox.
You are fairly well concealed from the trail here, so if the weather is nice, go ahead and sit on the rock, spread out your things, enjoy the river below, and stamp in.
When you are ready, conceal the box as you found it and return to the trail.
Hog’s Neck Mallards Letterbox. Continue on into the hog’s head, gradually going down a hill. Soon you will see the Middle Patuxent River in front of you, and some bird nesting boxes in the woods. As you get close to the river, the red trail turns left, but it is well worth it to leave the trail for a few minutes and walk up to the peaceful curve in the river. You’ve gone about .7 mile by now, you’re at the very top of the hog’s head, and with any luck you will begin seeing some of the many mallards that call this area home. When you are ready, return to the red trail and continue on your way.
In this pleasant section of the trail you’ll be walking with the river to your immediate right. Enjoy the tranquility! Pass by orienteering post #10 on your left. A ways up the trail you’ll notice a small but pointy rock right in the middle of the trail. Sometimes the park people paint this rock red or yellow because it is perfect for stumbling over. It’s also your wake-up call that the Mallards box is near. Pass by orienteering post #9 on your left, then begin looking to your right for a double-trunked, large beech tree that has been honored by someone named “Marki” in 2001 and “Marc” in 2003. The letterforms are suspiciously identical, so we can surmise that this person was having something of an identity crisis as to how to spell his name between 2001 and 2003.
Ahead seven steps from this tree is a large tulip poplar on the left of the trail. From this tree, look halfway up the hill. Directly behind the poplar tree, you will see that a huge tree has fallen sideways on the hill. What a mess it has made! In between a large branch of the tree and the main trunk of the tree is a fairly large lichen-covered rock. Walk the 20 steps up the hill, step over the large branch part of the downed tree, and stand in front of the rock. You will find the Mallards under small darker rocks to the right of this rock. Stamp in, enjoy the river, and replace the box as you found it.
Continue on the Wincopin Trail. At the end of the Hog’s Neck loop, you will need to climb a fairly steep hill. Take your time and pause for rest. When you get back to the post, turn right and head back to the parking lot.
We hope you enjoy the Hog’s Neck Ridge and Mallards Letterboxes!
Hike Length: 1.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 300 feet
This box is in the same neighborhood as our Wincopin Daffodil and Patuxent Confluence letterboxes. The intrepid letterboxer will take note, and perhaps spend an afternoon in this delightful park!
Here are two nice hand-carved stamps in a very scenic, peaceful and unusual area of Savage Park. If you have the time, these stamps look especially good inked or markered in multiple colors. Hog’s Neck Ridge benefits from a “woodlands” palette, while, as you might suspect, ducky and watery colors work well for Hog’s Neck Mallards.
Driving directions. From either the Baltimore or Washington, D.C., area, take I-95 to the exit for Route 32 west. Take the first exit for Broken Land Parkway. Stay to the left. At the end of the exit ramp, make a left turn onto Broken Land Parkway, and follow it to its end at a traffic light. Make a left turn at this light onto Guilford Road. Stay to the right, and at the next light, make a right turn onto Murray Hill Road. Follow this road to a left turn at Vollmerhausen Road. You will see a wooden sign for “Huntington.” Travel Vollmerhausen until you cross over I-95 and begin going down a hill. After a short distance, look to your right for the parking lot that leads to Wincopin trailheads in Savage Park. If you reach the bottom of the hill and begin to climb the other side, you have gone too far and will need to turn around.
To the letterboxes. Park in the lot. Notice an informative board with, among other things, a map of the trail system in this part of the park. The boxes are found along the red-blazed trail.
Head into the woods, on a paved trail that quickly turns into a dirt footpath. Follow the trail past a left junction with a green trail and another left junction with a blue trail. At about .4 mile, you’ll see a trail post that indicates another part of the green trail veering left, while the red trail and a yellow trail go right. Head right.
Shortly you will come to another trail marker that indicates you can either go straight or left for the red trail, and that the yellow trail is straight ahead. Don’t take the left junction here—keep going straight ahead.
In another short distance you’ll come to a place where the red trail heads left and the yellow trail goes straight. Now is the time to turn left on the red trail.
Hog’s Neck Ridge Letterbox. You are now on a ridge that forms the “neck” part of the Hog’s Neck area. You’ll go down a hill and will be able to see the Middle Patuxent River on both sides of the ridge. Is that cool or what? In the distance to your right you can hear I-95. Keep following the trail, which soon heads up a hill. At the same time the land becomes wider again; you’re now in the “head” part of the imaginary hog. As you travel to the top of the hill, all around you will see lots of very dark grey rocks. When you reach the top, there will be fairly large versions of these rocks to your left, and then, after that, no rocks at all. Stop when you get to these large rocks. If you're at the right place, you will also see the last bunch of smaller dark grey rocks actually crossing the trail and going right up to a tall two-trunked tulip poplar tree. Walk over to this tree. Facing the direction of I-95, look towards a very old fallen tree that is quite long and now disintegrating. Notice the root end of this old giant straight ahead of you and walk to it. It's also in a field of rocks.
Still facing the direction of I-95, look immediately to your left. You’ll see two good-sized tulip poplars just steps away. Head to the one that is down slope. On the I-95, down-slope side of this tree you will see yet more piles of of the dark grey rocks. Small rocks are right next to the tree, while larger rocks are about three feet away. Find the largest rock in this pile (it has a nice flat top on an angle). In the front of it, under some smaller rocks, is the Hog’s Neck Ridge letterbox.
You are fairly well concealed from the trail here, so if the weather is nice, go ahead and sit on the rock, spread out your things, enjoy the river below, and stamp in.
When you are ready, conceal the box as you found it and return to the trail.
Hog’s Neck Mallards Letterbox. Continue on into the hog’s head, gradually going down a hill. Soon you will see the Middle Patuxent River in front of you, and some bird nesting boxes in the woods. As you get close to the river, the red trail turns left, but it is well worth it to leave the trail for a few minutes and walk up to the peaceful curve in the river. You’ve gone about .7 mile by now, you’re at the very top of the hog’s head, and with any luck you will begin seeing some of the many mallards that call this area home. When you are ready, return to the red trail and continue on your way.
In this pleasant section of the trail you’ll be walking with the river to your immediate right. Enjoy the tranquility! Pass by orienteering post #10 on your left. A ways up the trail you’ll notice a small but pointy rock right in the middle of the trail. Sometimes the park people paint this rock red or yellow because it is perfect for stumbling over. It’s also your wake-up call that the Mallards box is near. Pass by orienteering post #9 on your left, then begin looking to your right for a double-trunked, large beech tree that has been honored by someone named “Marki” in 2001 and “Marc” in 2003. The letterforms are suspiciously identical, so we can surmise that this person was having something of an identity crisis as to how to spell his name between 2001 and 2003.
Ahead seven steps from this tree is a large tulip poplar on the left of the trail. From this tree, look halfway up the hill. Directly behind the poplar tree, you will see that a huge tree has fallen sideways on the hill. What a mess it has made! In between a large branch of the tree and the main trunk of the tree is a fairly large lichen-covered rock. Walk the 20 steps up the hill, step over the large branch part of the downed tree, and stand in front of the rock. You will find the Mallards under small darker rocks to the right of this rock. Stamp in, enjoy the river, and replace the box as you found it.
Continue on the Wincopin Trail. At the end of the Hog’s Neck loop, you will need to climb a fairly steep hill. Take your time and pause for rest. When you get back to the post, turn right and head back to the parking lot.
We hope you enjoy the Hog’s Neck Ridge and Mallards Letterboxes!
Hike Length: 1.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 300 feet