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Spirit of Kokiwanee LbNA #9912 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Armadillo Jo
Plant date:Aug 8, 2004
Location:
City:Lagro
County:Wabash
State:Indiana
Boxes:5
Found by: JRD squared (3)
Last found:Oct 4, 2008
Status:FOFFFFFFaar
Last edited:Aug 8, 2004
12/08: Mossy Heights box appears to be missing, confirmed by placer. Hillcrest may also be missing, unconfirmed by placer.

History:
In 1945, the Kokomo Kiwanis Club donated 140 acres in Wabash County to the Tribal Trails Girl Scout Council in order for a camp to be built on the Salamonie River. The camp, Camp Kokiwanee (Kokomo Kiwanis...Kokiwanee) was open for nearly 50 years and provided generations of girls with glorious summers filled with activities. The camp closed after the summer of 1996, and has been subsequently sold to ACRES Land Trust. ACRES has re-opened the property as a nature preserve. The property boasts two waterfalls, numerous scenic vistas overlooking the Salamonie, and a small pond surrounded by native prairie. This series is dedicated to all who spent summers at Kokiwanee!

Rules:
As with any letterboxing outing, please stay on marked trails (unless a clue points you *slightly* off the trail). All boxes are trailside or less than 20 feet from a trail. Carry in, carry out applies here! Bring bug spray, as there are horseflies around bigger than birds! Bring water. Please hide boxes well! At least 2 boxes could be very obvious if not re-hidden properly.

Rating: Moderate. Hike is 1-3 miles long and you will be going up and down a small ravine twice.

Directions:
Take US 24 from East from Wabash, IN. Turn south on State Rd 524 to Lagro. Turn south on 524 at Marathon Station and proceed through Lagro. Cross Wabash River and follow 524 around 1st curve. At second curve, go straight instead of following curve. This is Hanging Rock Road. Follow road past Hanging Rock and around 1st curve. At second curve, again go straight instead of following curve. This is CR 500E. Follow road as is snakes through the woods. When you hit the straightaway, look for Kokiwanee Nature Preserve on the right side of the road. Park in front of the gate.

Clues:
Once inside the gate, head south down the main trail (old gravel road). After a brisk walk, you will see two buildings, one on left, one on right. Tribal House will be on your left, and Star Lodge will be on your right. When you arrive at Star Lodge, look for the Tanglewood Trail on the right. Head down the ravine and up the other side. You are now standing in the old Tanglewood unit, which had platform tents. Head towards the old shelter and look for a hollowed out tree on your right in front of the shelter. This is where you will find "Tanglewood". (9/25/04- during a box check, this box was found across the trail dragged off by animals. The box is still intact and was replanted. It may need a new outer bag. If the box is missing, look around the area...there are some really smart raccoons in Tanglewood!)

Proceed on Tanglewood trail past the shelter. Shortly, you will come to a fork. Take a left at this fork and proceed down the trail. After awhile, you will see an old picnic shelter with a stone chimney. Proceed past it until you can literally walk no more. You are now standing on Mossy Heights, the old primitive camp unit. Be sure to look out over the Salamonie and take in the gorgeous views! Head back to the shelter and stand in front of the stone chimney outside of the shelter. Look down to where the wood meets the concrete piling on the right of the chimney. "Mossy Heights" lies beneath the wood adjacent to the concrete.

Take a break at the shelter, or take some time to explore Mossy Heights. If you so desire, there is a Waterfall Trailhead marked SW of the shelter. When you feel ready to proceed to the next box, take the trail marked "Trail" with a red ribbon on a white disk. If the disk is no longer there, take the trail SE of the shelter. Follow the trail down the ravine, across the bridge, and up to where trail forks at top of the ravine. Take the trail to the right and it will end at another shelter, which once was the Arts and Crafts shelter. Walk towards the right along the small trail in front of the shelter until it ends and have a look at the Salamonie. It's beautiful, isn't it? Head back to the steps of the shelter and (9-25-04 update) you will see a new trail heading east in front of the steps. Follow the trail around 2 bends before you get to the third, you will see a stump on your right. Across the trail, on the left you will see another decaying stump. Here you will find "Sleepy Hollow". This area was once the old Sleepy Hollow tent unit, but was moved up the main road to let the ground recover.

Go back the way you came and head out to the main trail (gravel road) or follow the new trail to the end at the gravel road. Take a right on the gravel road and follow it a long ways. You will come to a fork in the road. Head right at the fork down past the old riding ring on the gravel road. You will come to another fork, take the left trail this time. Come back later to check out the waterfall on the trail to the right. Follow the main road for a bit until you come back into the woods. On the left you will see an old platform tent (#6). Look to the right for a tall pine tree that has fallen at a 45 degree angle. "Lost Haven" is lost beneath this tree's roots.

Go back to the main trail and continue to the right. Head downhill towards the pond (Fawn Lake). At the lake, head to the left where you will see a sign that says "Hillcrest Trail". Go to the sign, and you are faced with a choice. Down hill is the way to go, away from the lake. "Hillcrest" is hidden under the front right corner of the viewing platform you will eventually see on your right.
After you've found the last box, head to the right of the Hillcrest Trail sign around the lake. Go past the Fawn Lake Trail sign and continue around the lake. At the top of the lake, the trail meets the main trail. Head right on the main trail back to your car.