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Bear's Den Quartet LbNA #59565

Owner:the lazy letterboxer
Plant date:Sep 17, 2011
Location: Nielson Road
City:New Salem
County:Franklin
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:4
Found by: Nairon (4)
Last found:Jun 6, 2020
Status:FFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Sep 17, 2011
Bear's Den Trio
New Salem, MA

Not recommended in icy conditions.

The original box at Bear's Den was planted on 03/24/2002 by Gingerblue and, unfortunately, went missing sometime ago. Since I had to go out there to replace a logbook in a box that I had planted there in 2002 I asked Ginger if I could replace the missing Bear's Den box and she said “yes!”. So, I have replanted it but with a new stamp design and new hiding spot.
To get to Bear's Den take Route 2 to Route 202 south. 2 miles down 202 you will pass the intersection of Route 122 in New Salem. Continue on for another .4 miles and take a right onto Elm Street. Follow Elm Street for .7 miles and take a left onto Nielson Road. You will see a Trustees of Reservations sign for Bear's Den on the right. Parking is on the street in a small pull off area.
Walk downhill to the trail leading in to Bear's Den. The spot you want to enter the actual trail is marked by a ground level round cement signholder with a square cut-out in the middle. Walk on down toward the river crossing a small foot bridge. Just before you reach the river a trail heads uphill to your left. Follow this trail to the top of a knoll which will give you a towering view of a waterfall. Continue climbing up along the cliffside with the river to your right. You will find yourself in an enchanting forest of hemlocks. Keep walking until you see a stone wall ahead and to the left. Continue straight ahead passing between two trees, a large oak hugging the stone wall and a hemlock grabbing the riverbank. Turn left and walk along the stone wall. Up ahead you will see an outcropping of rock with a dead looking tree in the middle and a big hemlock to it's right. Look behind the hemlock at the base of the outcropping to find the bear in his den...you are probably going to wake him so he may look a little angry.
Now, to find the second box, which is the one we planted in 2002, The Path of Life. After finding the bear go back to the path along the water. Follow it for a short distance until you come to a fallen tree where the river bends to the left. Look to where the end of the tree points to a stone wall and rocky knoll in the woods. Climb up the knoll and find a twin trunk birch tree emerging from a crop of rocks. Look at the base of the tree for a crack in the rocks that holds The Path of Life.
Now, take about 20-25 steps over this "mountain" to the other side. Look for a lichen covered rock with 2 skinny hemlocks. Look for a small cave under the point on that rock to find The Bear Who Went Over the Mountain". Return to your car the way you came in.
BUT....when you get back to the trailhead instead of turning left to get to your car, look to the right for 3 large stones. The middle stone is lighter in color and underneath it lies Sleepyhead. Don't worry about waking him...he can snooze through anything!