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K'sMoH: Del Norte LbNA #24844

Owner:Kristal & Ron
Plant date:Aug 12, 2006
Location:
City:Del Norte
County:Rio Grande
State:Colorado
Boxes:2
Found by: the.lovebugs2004 (2)
Last found:Apr 10, 2012
Status:FFFFFOFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Aug 12, 2006
In this chapter of the Kristal’s Memories of Home Series, we go back to my REAL hometown. I was born in the little hospital on the east end of Del Norte, Colorado. My parents both grew up here and both sets of grandparents lived here most of their lives. We moved to Arizona when I was two, but we came back here to visit the family several times a year until I went away to college in Tucson.

From Highway 160 (running through the middle of Del Norte) go south on Penasco, cross 6th Street and park in the paved lot. The beige house to the north is where my dad grew up – it still has his father’s name above the steps. The hill to the south was our sledding hill in the winter.

To find the “K’sMoH: Del Norte #1, It’s Snow Fun” letterbox, go to the white pole at the southern edge of the parking lot. Walk uphill 6 paces on the right side of the bushes that mark someone’s property line. The box is under the near edge of an elephant man tree knot on the ground, covered by wood and a rock.

Now take Highway 160 west to the edge of town and turn south on County Road 14. (Look at the cliffs along the road here – they’re covered in mud swallow’s nests and are so much fun to watch in the spring!) Set your odometer to zero at the corner and follow this road exactly 5 miles to get to the ranch where my mother grew up. As you crest the hill at this point, pause on the side of the road for a minute. The house down to the left belonged to my grandparents in its former life when it was ¼ the current size and held twice as many people! The ranch stretched left to the creek, right with acres and acres of irrigated alfalfa and pastureland, ahead to the pond, and behind you to the corner. They raised sheep here until the year I was born, and then Black Angus cattle after that – 44 years altogether. (My grandfather used to take some yellow paint and doctor the cattle crossing signs because Angus don’t have horns!)

To find the image of their brand and the “K’sMoH: Del Norte #2, r bar quarter-circle” letterbox, pass the house by about 50 yards and turn right on the dirt road. Drive a short distance to a T-junction and park. From the crossroads, look to 290* from north and find a large rock uphill. The box is on top of this rock, under a few smaller ones.