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ANIMAL PRINT -- Series # I LbNA #47110

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:May 6, 2009
Location:
City:Thomaston
County:Litchfield
State:Connecticut
Boxes:3
Planted by:Trail Snail
Found by: Dark Wolf and Tiger Baby (3)
Last found:Apr 11, 2011
Status:FFFFFFFFFa
Last edited:May 6, 2009
Clues

This is the first installment in our Animal Prints Series. There will be 6 series for a total of 18 letterboxes. Enjoy the hunt!

HOW TO GET HERE: Travel from the North, South, East or West to the light on Main Street intersecting Clay Street and Union Street., Thomaston, CT. At this intersection you want to have the US Post Office and Town Hall/Opera House on your right and Webster Bank & Thomaston Savings Bank on the left. Head South on Main Street onto South Main (heading toward Waterbury), at the 2nd light which is the intersection of South Main and state Route 254 take a right onto Route 254. Take the first left onto Marine St. (House on your left has wood fence with “Beware of Dogs” signs.) Continue straight keeping the Stone Building on your left and go up the hill into Hillside Cemetery. In the cemetery there is a 4-way intersection, keeping the second smaller stone structure on you left, turn right on the paved road where you can see the Trail Head at the end of the paved cemetery road. Park anywhere off the road so other cars can get by.

The whole trail is about 1.25 miles, uphill with a couple of wet spots and a couple of downhill places to take carefully. Bring your clues, stamp, ink pad, water, a snack, compass & tape measure. Spray well with insect and tick repellant.

START AT THE TRAILHEAD: (HINT: Count the Wildlife Safety Zone (WSZ) signs as you walk the trail.)

Walk uphill on “Orange” past a boulder on the left; continue uphill watching for two (2) 8” diameter white birch trees on the Right. (Looking back you can see the Trail Head sign from here). Stand near the birch trees and sight 240° (mostly West) to a small twin sister tree on top of a sheer boulder. Under a stone at the base of the Twin Sister Tree you will find the print of a black bear. Black bears live in CT and have been seen in Litchfield, Northfield & Thomaston. Seal and cover well since this is quite open.

Continue uphill on “Orange”. There is an Orange Wildlife Safety Zone (WSZ) sign on a large tree on the right and a 3‘ stump on the left of trail. Note the Barberry bushes on the right off trail. These are invasive! Stop at the 2nd Wildlife Safety Zone (WSZ) sign, walk back 10 paces, turn right, walk up into the woods about 15 paces to a twin sister tree with the left twin dead. Under the left side at the base you will see the print of a White Tail Deer. White tail deer live in CT and live in this area. Keep your eyes open maybe you will see one. We did!

Continuing on “Orange” for a long hike uphill. You will eventually come to a “T“ intersection with “Yellow“ going straight and “Orange“ going right . You now go straight ahead on “Yellow”. At the top of the rise turn left on “Yellow” trail. The 7th WSZ sign is down lying at the base of the tree. Just past a standing dead stump at least 30’ high with a 4’ stump next to it. Look ahead to the left trail side and you will see two 8” diameter grey birch trees crossing to form an “X”. With your back to the birch trees, sight 275° to a standing dead with another dead leaning left onto a stone wall. Look under the root end for the print of a rabbit hiding. We can’t tell if it is an Eastern Cottontail or a New England Cottontail.

This part of the series is now complete. You may continue on the trail or turn around and go back down hill. Either way will bring you back to the trail head and your parked vehicle. We hope you enjoyed the hunt for animal prints, the trail, listening to the birds and seeing the wildflowers.

Please log your find at Letterboxing.org and/or Atlasquest.com. Thank you.