The Countryside Letterboxes LbNA #34830

The Countryside Letterboxes


This set of two letterboxes were placed in the park during Countryside Community Church of the Nazarene’s (located in Lebanon, Ohio) annual Labor Day Weekend Campout at the Cowan Lake Campground. Several members of our church go letterboxing and we were sad to learn that there were none in this area. This is our first plant. We hope to plant more every year from now on.

*Some things to keep in mind:
*Box will only be checked once a year. It has a stamp pad but we make no guarantee it will work.

*You will need your own writing utensil. We did not put one in the box.

*Always stick to the path unless otherwise indicated.

Directions are as follows:

1. Once you enter the Cowan Lake area, follow the directions to the Cowan Lake
Campground. You will go past the ranger’s station (they may charge you $3.00
to park) and proceed past the entrance way to the cabins. Soon, you will see the
tent camper’s area. The trail you seek is in section 2 of the tent camping area,
near the 200’s.

2. Head down the Beechnut trail.

3. You will go over a walkway over a small stream bed.

4. Continue down path over top of the hill and down the other side.

5. Soon you will come upon two bridges. You are now very close to the first
Countryside box. There are two ways to access the box:
1. Walk across broken bridge and pay your respects to Burton (look at
trees) and jump off the end of the small broken bridge. This will take you off the trail. The drop is
about four or five feet. The box you seek is next to the support
beam located on the underside of the bridge amongst some brush and sticks.

2. If you are more cautious (like myself) , you can cross the second bridge
and loop back to the exposed underside to the broken bridge. This will take you off the trail.
There next to the support beams amongst the brush and sticks, you should find Countryside #1.

6. Discreetly stamp books and hide box same or better.

7. Proceed back to the path and continue on down the trail. You will soon come to a
place where the path splits. At the split, proceed down the path that is on the left
side.

8. You know you are heading in the right direction when you see a tree with the
name ANDIE written in a heart. Just a little further, you will see some walking
planks that cover a small gully. STAY ON THE PATH.

9. Soon you will see a set of uneven wooden steps that head up the hill.

10. The trail once again will split. At the split, turn right.

11. Take about 11 medium sized steps and look right. About five feet off the trail,
you should see a set of three trees. One is very skinny and the other two are a bit
bigger.

12. Countryside Box 2 is hidden between the two bigger trees under some limbs and
brush. This will take you off the trail. Please stamp discreetly and replace same or better.

13. You then have 2 choices, turn back around and go back the way you came. This
is the easiest route and makes your round trip about 30 minutes to 45 minutes. OR
you can complete the loop. The path gets much steeper and is much more
difficult. It loops around after following the side of the Lake. This will add about
fifteen minutes to your walk (and some muscle!)