Pink Power Puff LbNA #55660
Map
Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | oj drinker  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 11, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Amherst |
| County: | Hampshire |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Nairon |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Aug 7, 2016 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFOFF |
| Last edited: | Sep 11, 2010 |
Ask a video game fan to name a game series by Nintendo, and chances are they'll immediately reply "Mario" or "Zelda." Make no mistake, Mario and Zelda are amazing game series, and I love them. But the Kirby games tend to be overlooked. I think this adorable blob should get some more attention!
Similarly, I've observed that people hiking the Holyoke Range tend to zoom straight to Mount Norwottuck's summit. Some wonderful views can be had from the top of this peak, but there's more to the Holyoke Range than Norwottuck. I thought I'd plant a letterbox in a pretty woodland area that most people don't see. Not in the mood to trek up a mountain? Then this letterbox is for you!
The Pink Power Puff letterbox is located on the Northside/Sweet Alice trails just west of intersection 273, where they meet the Amherst Conservation trail. If you know the Holyoke Range well, feel free to plan your own route. The closest trailhead would be the one for the Sweet Alice trail, which should be off of Bay Road between Middle Street and Chapel Road. However, even though the official Holyoke Range State Park map says that people can park here, I haven't verified the parking situation for myself. (I'm not sure that Sweet Alice's trailhead can be seen from Bay Road, either...) I'll update if I get any information about this.
It seems that most people who hike this part of the Holyoke Range start from the Notch Visitors Center. So, with this in mind, I'm describing a route from the Notch that should be easy and pleasant while offering a modicum of challenge, just like the Kirby video games.
Directions
Make your way to the Notch Visitors Center on Route 116 in Amherst. It is about 5 miles south of the intersection of Route 9 and Route 116 in the center of Amherst, and is just north of Amherst's borders with South Hadley and Granby. I recommend printing out a map (available from here) of the Holyoke Range before you set out. Sometimes the map box at the Visitors Center kiosk runs out of maps. Also, wear bug spray.
The distances and times listed are my estimates. You may hike at a slower or faster pace than me. The route I lay out below is about 2 miles one-way; I'd guess that it would take you around 45 minutes to walk to the letterbox.
Instructions
The trailhead for the Robert Frost trail is behind the Visitors Center building. Look for a white sign that says "Welcome to the Robert Frost Trail." The white-blazed Metacomet-Monadnock trail and the blue-blazed Laurel Loop trail run concurrently with the orange-blazed Robert Frost trail for a little bit. The blue Laurel Loop trail is the first to break away. The path will skirt the edge of a quarry three times. Eventually the Robert Frost trail heads off to the left while the M-M trail goes off to the right and zigzags up Mount Norwottuck. Pay attention to the orange blazes!
After Robert Frost and the M-M part ways, the Robert Frost trail soon meets another trail (the blue-blazed Northside). Once you pass through this intersection, you'll be walking along Robert Frost for another four-fifths of a mile or so to the next intersection, which may take you 15-20 minutes to reach.
Straight ahead of you at intersection 262 is a tree with a double orange blaze and an arrow pointing right. Ignore this tree. You'll be turning left onto the yellow-blazed Amherst Conservation trail here.
In just a few yards down the Amherst Conservation trail, notice a sign on the right reading "To Summits, To M+M Trail" and an arrow pointing in the direction you just came from. The sign is next to an unmarked trail heading east into the woods. But keep following the yellow blazes.
Around 10 minutes later, arrive at intersection 273. Here, on the right side of the trail, nailed to a yellow birch tree, are a white sign reading "Location ID 273" and a brown sign that says, "Robt. Frost" with an arrow pointing right (this line is painted in orange) and "Bay Road" with an arrow pointing left (this line is painted in yellow). On the left side of the trail is a three-trunked beech tree. The medium-sized trunk has a yellow blaze on it; that's for Amherst Conservation. We will instead be heeding the double blue blaze and the blue arrow on the widest trunk. Turn left here.
Now you are walking along the combination of the blue-blazed Northside Trail and the yellow-blazed Sweet Alice trail. Because of this, the trees along this path are blazed in both blue and yellow.
The letterbox is not far. About 100 feet along the path, spy an old stone wall to your right in the trees. In about 150 feet, you'll pass the point where the stone wall meets the trail. After 220 feet, look for a fairly large, flat-topped rock on your right side. It's about 20 feet off the trail and down a slight slope. The rock is roughly oval in shape and is about seven feet across at its widest. Moss covers its sides, and on top of the rock are leaf litter and a couple of tiny striped maple saplings.
Admittedly, the rock might be a little hard to see with saplings in the way. It shouldn't take more than five minutes to walk to the rock from intersection 273. If you pass a three-trunked oak tree on your right, you've walked too far. This oak tree is about 45 feet down the trail from where you should look for the rock.
If you would rather not count 220 steps, here is a list of blazes that you'll pass as of this writing. (But keep in mind that since trees get blown or cut down all the time, some of these blazes may not be there in the future.)
1 double yellow/blue blaze
1 single blue blaze
1 double yellow/blue blaze
1 single blue blaze
3 double yellow/blue blazes
1 single blue blaze (begin looking for the rock once you reach this blaze)
Investigate the far side of the rock. The letterbox is wedged into a crevice about a foot off the ground in one of its corners.
Note: Please leave the Kirby charm on the logbook. I put it on there to decorate the logbook; it's not meant to be a first finder's prize or anything like that. Besides, what would you do with the charm, anyway? Kirby wants to play in the forest!
Note 2: Hey folks, I'd appreciate it if you log in your finds online. If the letterbox disappears, as letterboxes unfortunately so often do, I have no other way of knowing who found it.
Note 3: Feel like exploring the Holyoke Range some more? Want to collect more letterboxes? Rattlesnake Knob can be reached in a hike of moderate difficulty that should take around 30 minutes from the letterbox location. Hiking to the summit of Mount Norwottuck from the letterbox will take about 45 minutes, depending on your speed, and is pretty strenuous. Both places offer superb vistas. The views from Rattlesnake Knob are almost as good as the ones from Mount Norwottuck, and since fewer people hike to here than Norwottuck's summit because it's farther away from the Notch, you're more likely to have Rattlesnake Knob to yourself for a good chunk of time. Enjoy!
Similarly, I've observed that people hiking the Holyoke Range tend to zoom straight to Mount Norwottuck's summit. Some wonderful views can be had from the top of this peak, but there's more to the Holyoke Range than Norwottuck. I thought I'd plant a letterbox in a pretty woodland area that most people don't see. Not in the mood to trek up a mountain? Then this letterbox is for you!
The Pink Power Puff letterbox is located on the Northside/Sweet Alice trails just west of intersection 273, where they meet the Amherst Conservation trail. If you know the Holyoke Range well, feel free to plan your own route. The closest trailhead would be the one for the Sweet Alice trail, which should be off of Bay Road between Middle Street and Chapel Road. However, even though the official Holyoke Range State Park map says that people can park here, I haven't verified the parking situation for myself. (I'm not sure that Sweet Alice's trailhead can be seen from Bay Road, either...) I'll update if I get any information about this.
It seems that most people who hike this part of the Holyoke Range start from the Notch Visitors Center. So, with this in mind, I'm describing a route from the Notch that should be easy and pleasant while offering a modicum of challenge, just like the Kirby video games.
Directions
Make your way to the Notch Visitors Center on Route 116 in Amherst. It is about 5 miles south of the intersection of Route 9 and Route 116 in the center of Amherst, and is just north of Amherst's borders with South Hadley and Granby. I recommend printing out a map (available from here) of the Holyoke Range before you set out. Sometimes the map box at the Visitors Center kiosk runs out of maps. Also, wear bug spray.
The distances and times listed are my estimates. You may hike at a slower or faster pace than me. The route I lay out below is about 2 miles one-way; I'd guess that it would take you around 45 minutes to walk to the letterbox.
Instructions
The trailhead for the Robert Frost trail is behind the Visitors Center building. Look for a white sign that says "Welcome to the Robert Frost Trail." The white-blazed Metacomet-Monadnock trail and the blue-blazed Laurel Loop trail run concurrently with the orange-blazed Robert Frost trail for a little bit. The blue Laurel Loop trail is the first to break away. The path will skirt the edge of a quarry three times. Eventually the Robert Frost trail heads off to the left while the M-M trail goes off to the right and zigzags up Mount Norwottuck. Pay attention to the orange blazes!
After Robert Frost and the M-M part ways, the Robert Frost trail soon meets another trail (the blue-blazed Northside). Once you pass through this intersection, you'll be walking along Robert Frost for another four-fifths of a mile or so to the next intersection, which may take you 15-20 minutes to reach.
Straight ahead of you at intersection 262 is a tree with a double orange blaze and an arrow pointing right. Ignore this tree. You'll be turning left onto the yellow-blazed Amherst Conservation trail here.
In just a few yards down the Amherst Conservation trail, notice a sign on the right reading "To Summits, To M+M Trail" and an arrow pointing in the direction you just came from. The sign is next to an unmarked trail heading east into the woods. But keep following the yellow blazes.
Around 10 minutes later, arrive at intersection 273. Here, on the right side of the trail, nailed to a yellow birch tree, are a white sign reading "Location ID 273" and a brown sign that says, "Robt. Frost" with an arrow pointing right (this line is painted in orange) and "Bay Road" with an arrow pointing left (this line is painted in yellow). On the left side of the trail is a three-trunked beech tree. The medium-sized trunk has a yellow blaze on it; that's for Amherst Conservation. We will instead be heeding the double blue blaze and the blue arrow on the widest trunk. Turn left here.
Now you are walking along the combination of the blue-blazed Northside Trail and the yellow-blazed Sweet Alice trail. Because of this, the trees along this path are blazed in both blue and yellow.
The letterbox is not far. About 100 feet along the path, spy an old stone wall to your right in the trees. In about 150 feet, you'll pass the point where the stone wall meets the trail. After 220 feet, look for a fairly large, flat-topped rock on your right side. It's about 20 feet off the trail and down a slight slope. The rock is roughly oval in shape and is about seven feet across at its widest. Moss covers its sides, and on top of the rock are leaf litter and a couple of tiny striped maple saplings.
Admittedly, the rock might be a little hard to see with saplings in the way. It shouldn't take more than five minutes to walk to the rock from intersection 273. If you pass a three-trunked oak tree on your right, you've walked too far. This oak tree is about 45 feet down the trail from where you should look for the rock.
If you would rather not count 220 steps, here is a list of blazes that you'll pass as of this writing. (But keep in mind that since trees get blown or cut down all the time, some of these blazes may not be there in the future.)
1 double yellow/blue blaze
1 single blue blaze
1 double yellow/blue blaze
1 single blue blaze
3 double yellow/blue blazes
1 single blue blaze (begin looking for the rock once you reach this blaze)
Investigate the far side of the rock. The letterbox is wedged into a crevice about a foot off the ground in one of its corners.
Note: Please leave the Kirby charm on the logbook. I put it on there to decorate the logbook; it's not meant to be a first finder's prize or anything like that. Besides, what would you do with the charm, anyway? Kirby wants to play in the forest!
Note 2: Hey folks, I'd appreciate it if you log in your finds online. If the letterbox disappears, as letterboxes unfortunately so often do, I have no other way of knowing who found it.
Note 3: Feel like exploring the Holyoke Range some more? Want to collect more letterboxes? Rattlesnake Knob can be reached in a hike of moderate difficulty that should take around 30 minutes from the letterbox location. Hiking to the summit of Mount Norwottuck from the letterbox will take about 45 minutes, depending on your speed, and is pretty strenuous. Both places offer superb vistas. The views from Rattlesnake Knob are almost as good as the ones from Mount Norwottuck, and since fewer people hike to here than Norwottuck's summit because it's farther away from the Notch, you're more likely to have Rattlesnake Knob to yourself for a good chunk of time. Enjoy!