CHARMING LITTLE BACKPACKING & CAMPING SERIES LbNA #60744
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Add Location| Owner: | wandaandpete  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 14, 2010 |
| Location: | Browning Mill Pond |
| City: | Exeter |
| County: | Washington |
| State: | Rhode Island |
| Boxes: | 7 |
| Found by: | Catzilla (3) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | May 12, 2019 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFa |
| Last edited: | Oct 5, 2020 |
343. CHARMING LITTLE BACKPACKING & CAMPING SERIES A charming mile or so semicircle around the northern side of Browning Mill Pond in Arcadia Management Area, Exeter, RI.
Stamps carved by Mim
We were so charmed by Mim's Charm Bracelet series in Westborough/Northborough, MA a while back that we hoped she might be willing to carve something like that for our "letterboxing retirement" in RI. Well, she did indeed carve us a very charming series reflecting our backpacking and camping backgrounds! We expected to plant it in a ring on the loop trail around Browning Mill Pond, but with all the recent flooding in RI, half of the bridge by the dam near the fish hatchery (at the far end of the loop) is gone. So we decided to turn this series into an "open bracelet", rather than have folks try to get across the rushing waters to close that currently missing link!
Anyway, to get your bracelet and 7 little lucky charms, start out from one of the dirt parking areas adjacent to Browning Mill Pond on the west side of Arcadia road which goes south from route 165 in Exeter, RI. You will be walking in Arcadia State Forest, so it is a good idea to wear something orange, especially if it is hunting season. And please, replace all boxes very carefully so that no part of them is showing! (The first lantern already went missing once and was graciously recarved by Mim , but we don't want that to happen again!)
BRACELET
Follow the yellow-blazed trail counter-clockwise around Browning Mill Pond. Pass the paths on the right leading up to a covered picnic pavilion. Continue on "yellow" to a stonewall crossing where there is a prominent two trunk tree with a yellow blaze. Go about 12 stones up the west side of the stone wall "bracelet" and look for the bracelet and series logbook under the tilted rock behind the "kissing pair" of a cluster of small trees.
1. TENT
Continue on the yellow trail until you find a large boulder on the left side of the trail before you reach a muddy area. From the boulder, continue ten more steps and look left beyond a log paralleling the trail to see an old, mottled beech tree. Look at the base of the tree below the carving: "I Love This Girl a Whole Bunch" for a charming little tent.
2. BACKPACK
Proceed along the yellow trail, crossing over some boardwalks, until you see a huge pine tree on the right. Just before it, about 7 steps off trail to the right, is the stump portion of a downed tree. Behind the stump under a rock is a little charm of a backpack.
3. SLEEPING BAG
Continue on the yellow trail, passing the stone ruins of a shelter. Since many shelters have resident rodents, we decided to place the sleeping bag a bit further down the trail. After passing through a stonewall and following it on your right, look right for a tree leaning away from the trail. The mummy bag charm rests at the base of this tree on its far side.
4. THERMAREST PAD
Continue on the yellow trail until - what's this? - a dam with water rushing over the spillway! Best stop and consult a map. Maybe even unroll a Thermarest pad to take a little break. Look towards the pond at the point where the actual trail descends the earthen dam and see the double blazed tree. Between it and a companion you'll find your next charm resting comfortably under pine needles.
5. LANTERN - Replaced 30 Sept. 2010
Well, the footbridge that once crossed the outlet creek below the dam was washed away by the spring floods, so now you'd better backtrack the way you came to pick up your lantern before it gets dark! Head back, passing through the remains of two stonewalls. When the wall, now on your left, turns a corner and marches off into the woods, look for a large oak tree at that corner with a "bump-out" at its base, about ten feet or so off trail. Tucked beneath this mossy bulge are two stones. The lantern charm to light your way awaits under the left stone amidst the leaves. (Please be careful of slippery rocks, root loops, briars and such when going off trail!)
6. COOK PAN
Getting hungry yet? It's time to eat, but first you'll need a cook pan. Continue back the way you came, passing the shelter ruins. Cross the remains of a stonewall and look for a large boulder on the left with the remains of an ancient campfire behind it. Across the trail just after that boulder is a pair of small entwined white birches. You'll find the cook pan charm on their south side under leaves and a rock.
7. CAMP STOVE
Open fires are no longer allowed here because of the forest fire hazard, so continue back the way you came, passing the paths to the pavilion and crossing a pair of footbridges. You are now in an area of what was once a beach. There are some tables around here where cooking up would be easy, but the cooking area you want is out on the peninsula ahead. About half way down the peninsula is a "double burner" stump and on its southwest side under a small stone is the camp stove charm - just what is needed to complete your charm bracelet and this charming little adventure!
Stamps carved by Mim
We were so charmed by Mim's Charm Bracelet series in Westborough/Northborough, MA a while back that we hoped she might be willing to carve something like that for our "letterboxing retirement" in RI. Well, she did indeed carve us a very charming series reflecting our backpacking and camping backgrounds! We expected to plant it in a ring on the loop trail around Browning Mill Pond, but with all the recent flooding in RI, half of the bridge by the dam near the fish hatchery (at the far end of the loop) is gone. So we decided to turn this series into an "open bracelet", rather than have folks try to get across the rushing waters to close that currently missing link!
Anyway, to get your bracelet and 7 little lucky charms, start out from one of the dirt parking areas adjacent to Browning Mill Pond on the west side of Arcadia road which goes south from route 165 in Exeter, RI. You will be walking in Arcadia State Forest, so it is a good idea to wear something orange, especially if it is hunting season. And please, replace all boxes very carefully so that no part of them is showing! (The first lantern already went missing once and was graciously recarved by Mim , but we don't want that to happen again!)
BRACELET
Follow the yellow-blazed trail counter-clockwise around Browning Mill Pond. Pass the paths on the right leading up to a covered picnic pavilion. Continue on "yellow" to a stonewall crossing where there is a prominent two trunk tree with a yellow blaze. Go about 12 stones up the west side of the stone wall "bracelet" and look for the bracelet and series logbook under the tilted rock behind the "kissing pair" of a cluster of small trees.
1. TENT
Continue on the yellow trail until you find a large boulder on the left side of the trail before you reach a muddy area. From the boulder, continue ten more steps and look left beyond a log paralleling the trail to see an old, mottled beech tree. Look at the base of the tree below the carving: "I Love This Girl a Whole Bunch" for a charming little tent.
2. BACKPACK
Proceed along the yellow trail, crossing over some boardwalks, until you see a huge pine tree on the right. Just before it, about 7 steps off trail to the right, is the stump portion of a downed tree. Behind the stump under a rock is a little charm of a backpack.
3. SLEEPING BAG
Continue on the yellow trail, passing the stone ruins of a shelter. Since many shelters have resident rodents, we decided to place the sleeping bag a bit further down the trail. After passing through a stonewall and following it on your right, look right for a tree leaning away from the trail. The mummy bag charm rests at the base of this tree on its far side.
4. THERMAREST PAD
Continue on the yellow trail until - what's this? - a dam with water rushing over the spillway! Best stop and consult a map. Maybe even unroll a Thermarest pad to take a little break. Look towards the pond at the point where the actual trail descends the earthen dam and see the double blazed tree. Between it and a companion you'll find your next charm resting comfortably under pine needles.
5. LANTERN - Replaced 30 Sept. 2010
Well, the footbridge that once crossed the outlet creek below the dam was washed away by the spring floods, so now you'd better backtrack the way you came to pick up your lantern before it gets dark! Head back, passing through the remains of two stonewalls. When the wall, now on your left, turns a corner and marches off into the woods, look for a large oak tree at that corner with a "bump-out" at its base, about ten feet or so off trail. Tucked beneath this mossy bulge are two stones. The lantern charm to light your way awaits under the left stone amidst the leaves. (Please be careful of slippery rocks, root loops, briars and such when going off trail!)
6. COOK PAN
Getting hungry yet? It's time to eat, but first you'll need a cook pan. Continue back the way you came, passing the shelter ruins. Cross the remains of a stonewall and look for a large boulder on the left with the remains of an ancient campfire behind it. Across the trail just after that boulder is a pair of small entwined white birches. You'll find the cook pan charm on their south side under leaves and a rock.
7. CAMP STOVE
Open fires are no longer allowed here because of the forest fire hazard, so continue back the way you came, passing the paths to the pavilion and crossing a pair of footbridges. You are now in an area of what was once a beach. There are some tables around here where cooking up would be easy, but the cooking area you want is out on the peninsula ahead. About half way down the peninsula is a "double burner" stump and on its southwest side under a small stone is the camp stove charm - just what is needed to complete your charm bracelet and this charming little adventure!