The Blue Hills Birthday Letterbox LbNA #693
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 31, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Milton |
| County: | Norfolk |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | Cavy Lovers  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Scaffonthree |
| Last found: | Jun 27, 2023 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Nov 7, 2015 |
Please see the web page at http://home.comcast.net/~adelcoll/letterboxing/#blue_hills
Blue Hills Reservation, Milton, Massachusetts
Driving directions to the start: From Route 128/Route 93, take Exit 2 toward Milton onto Route 138. Take a right onto Blue Hill River Road. Where Blue Hill River Road turns left at a stop sign stay straight and the road becomes Hillside Street. Continue past the parking lot for Houghton's Pond until you come to the Blue Hills Reservation Headquarters and the State Police Station on the Left. Opposite are 2 small parking lots. If these are full, go back and park in the Houghton's Pond lot.
The Blue Hills Birthday Letterbox
To celebrate her 11 years
Maddie invited to a hike her friends' dear
They all knew the Hills of Blue
What could be done to make this new?
So, a letterbox, carefully hid
Added a treasure hunt for all the kids.
The hill named for a great signatory
Was chosen for this special foray
A rocky trail, if they followed the clues
Would lead them to an awesome view
To duplicate their climbing feat
First by the State Police Station you should meet
Visit their horses if you like
Before you begin this pleasant hike.
And here now ends this little rhyme
To be sure you find this box this time!
This is a short hike at Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, MA. The trip to the box may take as little as 15 minutes if you ignore the views. However, the trail is steep in places with lots of loose rocks and protruding tree roots. Proceed carefully and wear shoes appropriate for hiking. Placed by Adelcoll, Cavy Lovers in August 2002.
Hike: Enter the driveway next to the stables – at the road is a waist high post marked for the North Skyline Trail and there is a large sign for Reservation Headquarters. Head up the hill, past the visitor center (which is a small house on the right). You may want to pick up a map for $1.00 there or have with you the map posted at the Blue Hills Letterbox Clues, http://www.whiteblazes.com/lbna/bluehills.pdf
Walk past the barrier to cars. About 70 steps further uphill, you will see on the right a sign for the North Skyline Trail and a blue rectangle – the sign for this trail. Turn right onto this trail and follow those Blue rectangles up the hill. Depending on the season, there will be places where you will see small trails crossing yours or bearing off. When in doubt scout for the blue markers. They are never far apart.
You will come to a spot where the trail levels out and there is a great view to the Right. Admire the view, but then continue. Stop where the trail starts going downhill. Stand on the blue marker in the middle of the exposed rock area. The microwave tower on Big Blue Hill can be seen at 260 degrees. There will be two small trails off to the right. Take the left one that heads off at about 340 degrees. (The middle trail, if the Skyline Trail is considered).
Continue a short distance until you come to a clearing. Stop where the trail meets the clearing. A pretty pine tree will be to your left at 280 degrees. Boston, if the sky is clear, is at 20 degrees. Walk at 60 degrees (right) 10 adult steps. Face the continuing trail – 80 degrees. See a jumble of rocks going slightly downhill on the left of the trail. They might be a good place to sit and look at the Boston view if they were smoother.* One of the larger rocks leans on another, leaving a tilted rectangular shaped opening. Go around the rocks to where the opening comes out. To the right, see a flat triangular rock leaning against the big leaning rock and another oblong one. Look in the gap under the triangle rock for your prize. [Please replace triangle rock carefully after you put away the box.]
*If you haven't found the box, from the asterisk above, try these alternate instructions: Notice that 2 of the larger rocks, at about 320 degrees, have points toward the sky. Go the point furthest from you. The point is lichen covered and, if you put your compass on it, you will see it points toward Boston and nearly true north. Go around the rock so you are downhill from it. (Careful – the smaller rocks are loose). A shorter oblong rock is beside you and meets the pointed one. A flat triangle rock has been placed to mask the gap between these two. Remove that rock and reach into the gap for your reward.
To return, retrace your steps until you meet up again with the Blue skyline trail. To go back to Headquarters and your car, follow the blue path toward the left. To continue onto Big Blue Hill or the either of the Blue Hills Letterbox or City Lights Letterbox, follow the blue trail downhill to the right – see those clues for further directions.
Blue Hills Reservation, Milton, Massachusetts
Driving directions to the start: From Route 128/Route 93, take Exit 2 toward Milton onto Route 138. Take a right onto Blue Hill River Road. Where Blue Hill River Road turns left at a stop sign stay straight and the road becomes Hillside Street. Continue past the parking lot for Houghton's Pond until you come to the Blue Hills Reservation Headquarters and the State Police Station on the Left. Opposite are 2 small parking lots. If these are full, go back and park in the Houghton's Pond lot.
The Blue Hills Birthday Letterbox
To celebrate her 11 years
Maddie invited to a hike her friends' dear
They all knew the Hills of Blue
What could be done to make this new?
So, a letterbox, carefully hid
Added a treasure hunt for all the kids.
The hill named for a great signatory
Was chosen for this special foray
A rocky trail, if they followed the clues
Would lead them to an awesome view
To duplicate their climbing feat
First by the State Police Station you should meet
Visit their horses if you like
Before you begin this pleasant hike.
And here now ends this little rhyme
To be sure you find this box this time!
This is a short hike at Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, MA. The trip to the box may take as little as 15 minutes if you ignore the views. However, the trail is steep in places with lots of loose rocks and protruding tree roots. Proceed carefully and wear shoes appropriate for hiking. Placed by Adelcoll, Cavy Lovers in August 2002.
Hike: Enter the driveway next to the stables – at the road is a waist high post marked for the North Skyline Trail and there is a large sign for Reservation Headquarters. Head up the hill, past the visitor center (which is a small house on the right). You may want to pick up a map for $1.00 there or have with you the map posted at the Blue Hills Letterbox Clues, http://www.whiteblazes.com/lbna/bluehills.pdf
Walk past the barrier to cars. About 70 steps further uphill, you will see on the right a sign for the North Skyline Trail and a blue rectangle – the sign for this trail. Turn right onto this trail and follow those Blue rectangles up the hill. Depending on the season, there will be places where you will see small trails crossing yours or bearing off. When in doubt scout for the blue markers. They are never far apart.
You will come to a spot where the trail levels out and there is a great view to the Right. Admire the view, but then continue. Stop where the trail starts going downhill. Stand on the blue marker in the middle of the exposed rock area. The microwave tower on Big Blue Hill can be seen at 260 degrees. There will be two small trails off to the right. Take the left one that heads off at about 340 degrees. (The middle trail, if the Skyline Trail is considered).
Continue a short distance until you come to a clearing. Stop where the trail meets the clearing. A pretty pine tree will be to your left at 280 degrees. Boston, if the sky is clear, is at 20 degrees. Walk at 60 degrees (right) 10 adult steps. Face the continuing trail – 80 degrees. See a jumble of rocks going slightly downhill on the left of the trail. They might be a good place to sit and look at the Boston view if they were smoother.* One of the larger rocks leans on another, leaving a tilted rectangular shaped opening. Go around the rocks to where the opening comes out. To the right, see a flat triangular rock leaning against the big leaning rock and another oblong one. Look in the gap under the triangle rock for your prize. [Please replace triangle rock carefully after you put away the box.]
*If you haven't found the box, from the asterisk above, try these alternate instructions: Notice that 2 of the larger rocks, at about 320 degrees, have points toward the sky. Go the point furthest from you. The point is lichen covered and, if you put your compass on it, you will see it points toward Boston and nearly true north. Go around the rock so you are downhill from it. (Careful – the smaller rocks are loose). A shorter oblong rock is beside you and meets the pointed one. A flat triangle rock has been placed to mask the gap between these two. Remove that rock and reach into the gap for your reward.
To return, retrace your steps until you meet up again with the Blue skyline trail. To go back to Headquarters and your car, follow the blue path toward the left. To continue onto Big Blue Hill or the either of the Blue Hills Letterbox or City Lights Letterbox, follow the blue trail downhill to the right – see those clues for further directions.