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Salmon Run Series LbNA #35814 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 7, 2007
Location:
City:Suamico
County:Brown
State:Wisconsin
Boxes:4
Planted by:gotta run
Found by: spinystars (4)
Last found:Sep 20, 2014
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Oct 7, 2007

This series of boxes is located at the Brown County Reforestation Camp on what used to be called the Salmon Trail. Apparently too many people didn't know what color "salmon" is, so it was changed to the Pink Trail. But Salmon Run sounds better than Pink Trail Run.

The boxes are not far from the trail. Please note that the trail is a multi-use trail, so watch out for mountain bikes. The area is also open for hunting during early bow deer season. It is closed to hiking during gun deer season (2 weeks in late November, check schedules with Wisconsin DNR). Lastly, the trail is closed to bikes from late fall through spring, so you may note "trail closed" signs by the trailhead. The Brown County Parks Department has told me that this applies only to bikes and the trails are open for walking.

(Note: This is a 'letterbox-geocache' hybrid, one that is posted both on letterboxing.org and geocaching.com. There are four boxes, each containing a stamp and logbook, as well as a number of small trading items for geocachers. If you plan to trade any trinkets, make sure you bring some with you.


There was a family who enjoyed letterboxing and geocaching. But over time, the argument arose, which game relies on the better method of finding hidden boxes in the woods?


It was decided that the only way to resolve the dispute would be to pursue a four-stage letterbox-geocache hybrid. It would be a test of satellite precision and high technology versus orienteering and intuition.


To start the quest, this family headed to the Brown County Reforestation Camp by taking Hwy. 41-141 North from Green Bay to Exit #176 (County B/Suamico/Sunset Beach Road), turning left on County Trunk B, heading straight four miles, then turning right on County Trunk IR. They turned into the south lot, on the east side of county IR, and parked at the far south end of the lot near the trailhead. This trail is a multi-use trail, including mountain bikes.


Dad turned on the GPSr while mom went to the trailhead sign and picked up a trail map. Even if no maps were available, the trails are well marked, and they knew that they should follow the Pink trail for all four boxes.


So off to the east on the Pink trail they headed, mom glancing at her map but mainly enjoying the scenery, while dad kept his head down, glued to the GPSr making sure the arrow was directing them toward the first point on the screen.


Soon, they were approaching a bridge when dad suddenly stopped. “It’s around here,” he declared. However, mom looked ahead at the little bridge and thought, “That looks like a good spot for a box.” So, she went to the bridge and quickly ducked under the northwest corner of the bridge. There was the first box.


“Got it!” she cried. Dad was puzzled, but soon realized that he had not been zoomed in far enough on the screen and therefore thought he was closer to the waypoint than he really was. Score one for intuition.


Having fixed his zoom error, dad took the lead and the family continued on the Pink trail. After about .2 miles, the trail turned to the north and, after about .1 mile, there was a four-way trail intersection. Everyone turned to the east and continued on the Pink trail.


Soon after the intersection, mom and the children, who were looking all around them, noticed that the tree canopy had changed. They had now entered an area of reforested pine trees. Well, dad noticed it too, because the change in canopy affected his GPSr. “No signal!” he yelled. Well, by this time, the children had already reached an inverse S-curve in the trail. At the very start of the curve, daughter-seeker turned due south and noticed a group of downed trees. She took a few steps off the trail and noticed a pair of trees that had fallen to make the shape of a T.


“It's almost like 'X marks the spot," she thought, and went to investigate. “Hootie Hoo!” she cried when she found the box. Score two for letterboxing.


Fortunately, dad got the signal back and caught up with the family. “I’ll find the next one,” he declared. The family continued on the Pink trail, through the curve and being careful to take the Pink trail at the next trail fork shortly ahead. After about .25 miles, daughter-seeker exclaimed “I see a pond!”


“So do I!” yelled son-seeker, who decided to investigate the pond further. He walked along the east shore of the pond but, when he reached a point about even to the small island in the pond, a large, rotten tree to his left caught his attention. “That looks like a good spot for a box,” he thought, and headed to it. “Found it!” he called.


“No fair,” said dad, “you didn’t let me even get up to it first!” Having made everyone promise to stick together for the fourth and final hunt, dad got everyone back on the Pink trail, which soon turned to the north.


They kept walking on the Pink trail for about .25 miles when they came to a T intersection where the Pink trail went west and the red hiking trail went east. Dad was in the GPS zone now and knew the box was close by. He turned to the east and headed 15 paces down the red hiking trail, then turned to the north, when suddenly…LOW BATTERY! His screen went blank!


Well, dad was not about to give up now and knew he was very close. He looked straight ahead to the north and noticed a large tree a few paces in with a hollow area near the base. He bushwhacked toward the tree, started to reach over when...OOOMPH! He tripped on a branch and landed face down on the forest floor. Picking himself up, he noticed…another tree, a bit smaller, just to the northeast of the one he had been heading toward. That one, too, had a hollow in it. Success!


“See, I told you!” he said. “Technology. Beats reading clues every time if you just give it a chance.” Mom smiled, and everyone continued onward on the Pink trail, which continued for about 1.25 miles back to the parking lot.


(Yes, all these things have really happened with dad's GPSr...except for the falling down part.)