Looking for Nuts LbNA #5872
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 17, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Orick |
| County: | Humboldt |
| State: | California |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | PenGwen  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Lost Sailor |
| Last found: | Jun 13, 2018 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Sep 17, 2003 |
NOTE: 1/26/2007 there was a report of a cougar attack on a 70 year old man. His wife, 65, fought off the big cat and saved his life. Do not hike alone in this or any other wilderness area.
$5.00 fee but if you are staying at a near by state park bring along your camping/parking stub for your window
Trail: start at sea level gaining about 200 feet.
No strollers, no dogs, restrooms are at wide parking area.
Plan on several hours to explore and linger in the area.
Note: road in from 101 is very steep and definitely no RVs/trailers. There are several stream crossings before arriving at the trailhead. There is a campground on the beach as well as a day use area. Bring lunch and watch the elk on the beach. What a treat. There are many state parks with camping facilities near by on 101: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park as well as several private RV parks.
Directions: From Eureka drive north on 101 for 41 miles to Orick then continue north for 2.5 miles to Davison Road, then turn left (west) and drive 7 miles to the Fern Canyon Trailhead. Anne Marie Brown’s “California Waterfalls” by Foghorn Press was our inspiration for this letterbox. When you see Fern Canyon you will think you are in Hawaii! The lushness of the canyon and the cool creek make for a splendid hiking experience, but you can get wet! The letterbox is hidden near the waterfall on the James Irvine Trail. There are 2 ways to reach the letterbox: the recommended trail is up through Fern Canyon which ends in a series of steps up into the redwoods, Sitka spruce, and alders joining up with the James Irvine Trail to the waterfall.
If you are hiking during summer or fall, Home Creek through Fern Canyon will be low enough to navigate but if winter or spring, the creek might be too deep (but you could slosh through anyway if you have waterproof boots). The trail to the end of Fern Canyon is about a ½ mile. Then you climb up to join the James Irvine Trail taking a right turn where the 2 trails join in the redwoods.
The second way of entering the trail is via James Irvine Trail to the left of Fern Canyon. There are signs for both trails and each is about a mile to the falls.
While hiking note the octopus trees, which are Western Hemlocks that have sprouted in the stumps of redwoods, then the roots have grown over and around the stumps. A half mile after leaving the back of Fern Canyon or a mile from the parking lot, if you have been on the James Irvine Trail all along, you will come to a bridge with 2 small wood benches on it. There is a plaque on the bridge and the waterfall is just up from the bridge delicately falling over the bank into the creek.
To find the box: After you have read the plaque dedicated to John Baldwin go to the north corner of the bridge and very carefully walk around to the outside of the bridge standing on a long cross beam sticking out from under the bridge (the beam is about 1 by 2 ½ feet). Now kneel down on the beam and reach under the bridge into the wood tunnel created by the beam. You will feel some small rocks. Pull them out and the container will be behind the rocks. Go back onto the bridge to stamp in. Note that the container is difficult to open. Make sure when you are closing it up again that you push very hard along the edges to make a tight seal and close the container completely. Anchor the box with rocks so water does not wash the box out of the tunnel. The little squirrel was once gray but has become red from eating redwood, or he may be mad as heck since there are no other squirrels in the area.
From here it is down hill back to the trailhead at the beach. Take either trail back the way you came.
When researching our clues please be aware that when previous searchers list “ATTEMPTED” on the clue sheets it may reflect more on their abilities as finders than indicate whether the box is viable or not. We do monitor our clues and boxes pretty well and appreciate the notes written to us by those that find or attempt our letterboxes.
Please contact placer directly or through the LBNA chat list regarding status rather than unofficial data bases. Up to date status can only be ascertained from placer as other information services will not have current data. Listing information about this letterbox on unauthorized information services is not appreciated by the placer.
$5.00 fee but if you are staying at a near by state park bring along your camping/parking stub for your window
Trail: start at sea level gaining about 200 feet.
No strollers, no dogs, restrooms are at wide parking area.
Plan on several hours to explore and linger in the area.
Note: road in from 101 is very steep and definitely no RVs/trailers. There are several stream crossings before arriving at the trailhead. There is a campground on the beach as well as a day use area. Bring lunch and watch the elk on the beach. What a treat. There are many state parks with camping facilities near by on 101: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park as well as several private RV parks.
Directions: From Eureka drive north on 101 for 41 miles to Orick then continue north for 2.5 miles to Davison Road, then turn left (west) and drive 7 miles to the Fern Canyon Trailhead. Anne Marie Brown’s “California Waterfalls” by Foghorn Press was our inspiration for this letterbox. When you see Fern Canyon you will think you are in Hawaii! The lushness of the canyon and the cool creek make for a splendid hiking experience, but you can get wet! The letterbox is hidden near the waterfall on the James Irvine Trail. There are 2 ways to reach the letterbox: the recommended trail is up through Fern Canyon which ends in a series of steps up into the redwoods, Sitka spruce, and alders joining up with the James Irvine Trail to the waterfall.
If you are hiking during summer or fall, Home Creek through Fern Canyon will be low enough to navigate but if winter or spring, the creek might be too deep (but you could slosh through anyway if you have waterproof boots). The trail to the end of Fern Canyon is about a ½ mile. Then you climb up to join the James Irvine Trail taking a right turn where the 2 trails join in the redwoods.
The second way of entering the trail is via James Irvine Trail to the left of Fern Canyon. There are signs for both trails and each is about a mile to the falls.
While hiking note the octopus trees, which are Western Hemlocks that have sprouted in the stumps of redwoods, then the roots have grown over and around the stumps. A half mile after leaving the back of Fern Canyon or a mile from the parking lot, if you have been on the James Irvine Trail all along, you will come to a bridge with 2 small wood benches on it. There is a plaque on the bridge and the waterfall is just up from the bridge delicately falling over the bank into the creek.
To find the box: After you have read the plaque dedicated to John Baldwin go to the north corner of the bridge and very carefully walk around to the outside of the bridge standing on a long cross beam sticking out from under the bridge (the beam is about 1 by 2 ½ feet). Now kneel down on the beam and reach under the bridge into the wood tunnel created by the beam. You will feel some small rocks. Pull them out and the container will be behind the rocks. Go back onto the bridge to stamp in. Note that the container is difficult to open. Make sure when you are closing it up again that you push very hard along the edges to make a tight seal and close the container completely. Anchor the box with rocks so water does not wash the box out of the tunnel. The little squirrel was once gray but has become red from eating redwood, or he may be mad as heck since there are no other squirrels in the area.
From here it is down hill back to the trailhead at the beach. Take either trail back the way you came.
When researching our clues please be aware that when previous searchers list “ATTEMPTED” on the clue sheets it may reflect more on their abilities as finders than indicate whether the box is viable or not. We do monitor our clues and boxes pretty well and appreciate the notes written to us by those that find or attempt our letterboxes.
Please contact placer directly or through the LBNA chat list regarding status rather than unofficial data bases. Up to date status can only be ascertained from placer as other information services will not have current data. Listing information about this letterbox on unauthorized information services is not appreciated by the placer.