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Bailey's Washington Island Series LbNA #4190

Owner:Leapin' Lizards
Plant date:Jun 1, 2003
Location:
City:Town of Washington Island
County:Door
State:Wisconsin
Boxes:6
Found by: The Gamer Ruettens (2)
Last found:Aug 27, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Jun 1, 2003
A 1/2 hour ferry ride to Washington Island is required. For information on rates and times visit www.wisferry.com. Trying to walk the island is not recommended. Bring your car or a bike to get around the island. Getting around the island is very easy, but a map would be helpful.


Box # 1 Heritage Nature Trail--Planted 6-1-2003
Checked on box and clues updated -- 7-6-2015

It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning. The air was warm and the light breeze was cool. Bailey decided she would go for a walk down to the ferry dock. Along her way down the road to the ferry dock, Bailey saw a sign to her right for the Heritage Nature Trail. She decided to make a short detour before reaching the ferry dock. She read some information about the island at the trailhead and then continued on the path after acquiring a trail map.
As she walked she noticed the triplet birch trees to her left. Soon she came to a clearing before the path entered the woods again. She stopped at marker #5 to read about the interesting looking dead tree surrounded by many smaller living trees. She walked a little further before taking a seat on the bench to her left. She closed her eyes and listened to the birds.
She continued on her way to marker #7. From there she took 14 paces down the trail to a large stone about 4 feet off the path. Something in the woods behind it made Bailey want to leave the path for a moment. She crossed over and through a decaying log to a dead, moss covered birch. The dead tree looked like a broken “V” and was being hugged by another large dead branch. There Bailey found what she was looking for.

Box #2 Sand Dunes--Planted 6-1-2003
CAUTION!!! Unfortunately, this beach may be taken over by poison ivy, including the location of the box. Wear shoes and watch what you are touching. With a little care, the box can still be found. 6/29/04
Box needed a new book..replaced 7-5-08
Checked on box--all is well. 7-6-15


It was a hot, humid summer day—a perfect day to go to Sand Dunes Beach. Bailey kicked off her shoes as the main path from the parking lot to the beach changed from gravel to sand. She stopped once she reached the crest of the incline. The water was not as high as it once was, but it was still fun to walk out into the water for what seemed like forever.
Bailey walked straight ahead to the water. Facing the the water, she wished the water level would return and bring the beach back to it's former beauty. Turning left she walked to the wooden fence. When she reached the wooden fence she turned to her left again. Walking up the sandy incline she found some birch logs. She took a seat on the the western most log when she noticed something beneath them.

Box #3 School House Beach--Planted 8-19-2003
Box checked and OK. Clues updated -- 7-6-2015


One of Bailey’s favorite places to visit on Washington Island was School House Beach. She loved how clear and cold the water was, she love how she could swim out to the raft, and she loved the sight of the smooth limestone rocks that covered the beach. On this particularly warm day, Bailey grabbed her goggles and beach towel, hopped on her bike and rode to the beach.
When Bailey got to the beach she stopped and leaned her bike up against the sign which read, “Welcome to School House Beach.” After reading the information on the sign about the beach, Bailey walked straight out to the water’s edge. She turned around and saw her friend Ashley and her family, who lived on the island, sitting at the picnic table and grilling hamburgers for lunch.
Bailey ran over to Ashley to say hello. Ashley invited Bailey to stay for lunch and soon the two girls were busy talking about the past school year and summer plans. Ashley’s mom told the girls lunch would be ready in a few minutes, but they had time for a quick swim. The girls ran to the newer bathrooms to change. But before they did, they decided to explore the woods.

From the covered well head across the road from the newer restrooms, the girls followed the road as it curved to the left. When they had to make a decision, they chose right and took 26 paces. Facing the water, they spied something just beyond a large split/fallen birch and headed toward a pile of rocks in an upturned cedar.

*This is a very popular place in the summer so use stealth and rehide well.



Box #4 Mountain Tower—Planted 8-19-2003
Box checked - all is well. 7-4-15

Later that day, Bailey and Ashley decided to get the best view of the island and rode their bikes to Mountain Tower.

“Race you to the top!” Bailey shouted.

“You’re on!” Ashley called back.

The girls tossed their bikes on the ground and raced up all 119 steps. “I win!” Bailey said when she reached the top terribly out of breath.

“Barely!” Ashley said as she climbed the last step, only seconds behind Bailey.

“But I’ll beat you to the top of the tower.” Ashley said once she caught her breath, and took off on the path toward the tower.

Laughing the girls climbed the tower’s 64 steps until they reached the top and the best view on the entire island.

“You can see forever up here,” Bailey said.

The girls took some photos, added their names to the many others already tattooed onto the tower, and then headed back down. Once they reached the bottom of the steps the girls saw something by a large boulder. To see what Bailey and Ashley found, add the number of stairs from both sets of steps. Divide the sum by the number of posts on the tower that are suspended by cables. Standing at the base of the tower steps, take that answer and use it as your bearing. Walk 20 paces and you will come to the large boulder on your right and resting against a small tree.


Box #5 Stavkirke—Planted 8-19-2003…Clues Posted 6-22-04
Box is ok. Clues updated. 7-4-15

It was a beautiful June day on the island—sunny, breezy and warm. The sky looked as blue as the cool big lake.
“A perfect day for an Island Wedding,” Bailey thought. And it had been. Just about an hour earlier, Bailey’s cousin Rachael got married at Stavkirke. Now the wedding party was getting their pictures taken and Bailey was growing bored while she waited.
She walked back out to the road and sat on a rock, drawing a picture in the dirt with the toe of her shoe. A rattling noise got her attention. She looked in the direction of the noise and saw a piece of paper trapped in the tall grass.

“What’s that?” she wondered. Bailey picked up the piece of paper. “It looks like some sort of clues.”

With nothing else to do, Bailey started to follow the clues.

--Take the Stavkirke Prayer Path.

--At the rock, left is wrong.

--Follow the path past a log pile, a bench on the right and another bench on your left.

--When you come to a third bench you can see Stavkirke through the trees in front of you.

--This time, right is right.

--Look at Stavkirke.
*Count the number of crosses on the church’s roof=______(A)

*Count the number of square windows on the church=______(B)

*Count the number of crosses in complete circles on the beam on the church’s east
side.______(C)

--Facing the church’s main doors, follow the low rock wall back to the path. Step over the low rock wall to continue on the path.

--Find the number 2_ 4_ _ _ _4.

--Now add the 2nd and the 6th digits of the number you found=______(D)

--Add the last two digits of the number you found=_______(E)

--Multiply D x C = ____________

--Take that number of paces from where you found the number.

--Standing in this new spot, multiply A x B = ______(F)

--Now subtract E from F=_________

--Use your answer as your bearing and follow it to a hollow stump.


Box #6
Planted 9-5-05
A Ghostly Shipwreck
BOX CONFIRMED MISSING - 7-4-15

No one told stories better than Bailey’s grandpa—especially ghost stories.

The wind howled outside, as waves crashed in the harbor. Not many boats on the water today, Bailey thought, sipping her hot chocolate. Grandpa followed Bailey’s gaze.

“Ahh. The weather on that day was probably very close to today.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Bailey’s focus quickly switched to Grandpa. She heard this story a hundred times, but it still gave her chills. Grandpa leaned over the table toward Bailey.

“And it’s on windy, stormy days like today that some people claim they’ve seen the ghost ship sail again. Why, not too long ago, two men were out in their boat fishing when the winds changed suddenly and the sky grew very, very dark. They struggled against the rising waves and fierce wind. Then, what sounded like a cannon shot rang through the air, piercing the wind’s howl.

“’Look!’ called one of the men, pointing to the large shadow of a ship in the distance.

“’Is it one of the ferries?’ the other man ask. He didn’t need to wait for an answer. As the ship moved into closer, the men clearly saw it was not one of the ferries but a large, wooden ship! The kind that sailed these waters hundreds of years ago.

“Astonished, the men tried to move in closer to the ship, but a roll of fog swept across the water, swallowing up the ship. As soon as it appeared, it was gone. The men only had one explanation for what they saw.”

“They saw the Ghost Ship, didn’t they Grandpa?”

“That’s what they say.”

Clues: Perhaps you, too, will get the rare chance to spy this ghostly ship that set sail from the Island and was never seen again. Leave the restaurant that Bailey and Grandpa were at. Stand in front of the “ship’s wheel” and spy that which will quench your thirst. Too bad it’s dry. But quench your thirst for a find by looking in blue to find your prize.


Box #7
Sunset Park
Clues posted 8/9/07 Planted 9/5/05 (It's normal to post clues 2 years after the box is planted...right?)
Box checked. All is well. 7-4-15

Bailey had her list of “must dos” whenever she visited Grandpa and Grandma on Washington Island—skip stones at School House Beach, climb Mountain Tower, get burgers and ice cream at the Albatross…her list went on.

But the one thing Bailey never left the Island without doing was watching the sun set at a park she called, “Sunset Park.” It really had another name—but Bailey liked hers because it made the park her own special place, even though it was a very popular place to watch the sunset with many people.

So on the evening of her last visit with Grandpa and Grandma, the three made a special trip for this very occasion. They set out their blanket and watched the big fiery ball begin to sink behind the water. After a few moments, Bailey stood up and walked toward the fence, where she stood between two fire pits to get a picture of this beautiful sight. Then, she turned around and walked 60 paces down the gravel path. There, at the base of an arborvitae a few paces off the path, she tucked a memento of that spectacular sunset for all to enjoy.