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Hikes a Lot! LbNA #56188

Owner:Bicko and Sniggles
Plant date:Oct 23, 2010
Location:
City:Moodus
County:Middlesex
State:Connecticut
Boxes:5
Found by: civilguy (4)
Last found:Nov 28, 2020
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Oct 23, 2010
(This series is being planted in celebration of Sniggles up-coming 82nd birthday! Sniggles hand-carved all the stamps in this series.)

Sniggles has aptly named this series of boxes “Hikes a lot!”
This is a series of five (5) letter boxes with stamps and log books in each box!

This approximately 1.7-mile-long trail goes up hills and down steep descents, so be aware before you head out!

Drive to Machimoodus State Park off Route 151 in Moodus.
From the parking lot go past the pond on your left and find the entrance to the Upper Vista Trail on your left. Take the Upper Vista Trail to find the boxes!

Once the trail levels off a bit on the left you will see a giant mound of soil with trees sprouting. Turn and look west to find the stone wall with the large “Y” pin oak standing tall within the wall. Box #1 “Y Me” is at the base of the oak.

Back on the trail, continue uphill (if you pass a wolf tree on your left, you have gone too far for box #1).
Congratulations! You have made it to the top of the rise! Now look east to see some large boulders in the distance. Walk off the trail toward the boulders. In a North-easterly direction you will see a cluster of several large stones with a stump protruding. Box #2 “Rocky Stump” is under the largest stone.

Return to the trail and continue south. (If you follow the next trail to the right, flanked by two large stones and a trail marker, you will find our “Happy Birthday Teagan” pair of boxes. Next time?)

Continue straight, passing the marked trail to your right. Soon you will come to a trail to your left (beautiful overlook of Johnsonville that way) with a wolf tree guarding the stone wall. Look to your west to find a stone wall. Take a short walk toward the wall and find the 4 ft cedar stump. Box #3 “Topless” is waiting for you there.

Return to the trail and continue walking southeast. The trail will pass through a stone wall as an entrance to highest overlook. There are benches there to rest and enjoy the view! Continue on the trail in a westerly direction, now. You will descend a STEEP hill. Be careful! (And please look for a very expensive pair of eyeglasses I lost ). Once the descent levels out a bit look to the right (north) for a old stone wall off the trail. Box #4 “See Wall” is under a flat stone at the end of the wall.

Continue on the trail, crossing a small bridge and down the hill to the Lower Vista Trail. If it is a windy day, be aware of the large tree overhanging the trail. You should now be in a large open area with benches to enjoy the lower view of the Salmon River. Follow the Lower Vista Trail now back toward the parking lot. ( Notice the lone white oak. Just past this lone tree to the right is the base of the “Happy Birthday Teagan” trail.)

Continue on the Lower Vista Trail, bearing left with a pond on your right (Teagan always stops here for a dip!). Just past the pond to the left you will see the trail guarded by a trail marker. That is the end the trail of our “Evergreen Trail” pair of letterboxes.

Continue north on the Lower Vista Trail. Soon on your left you will see moss-covered ledge with a leaning hemlock guarded by a woodpecker’s favorite. The last box, #5 “Hard Knocks”, is nestled in the seat of the hemlock. ( If you pass a hemlock with many legs and an open bottom, you have gone a bit too far!)

Continue north to the parking lot! (note: about 150 ft or so from the hemlock with many legs and an open bottom there is an unmarked trail to the left - a hemlock and a 20 ft broken hemlock guard the entrance. You can take this trail around to find our “Evergreen Trail” pair of boxes and come out back by Teagan’s dipping pond)

Hope you enjoyed the walk and seeing our favorite of Connecticut’s State Parks!

Bicko and Sniggles (and Teagan, of course!)
bickoandsniggles@gmail.com