Elora Gorge Series LbNA #8226 (ARCHIVED)
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | N/A |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 1, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Elora |
| County: | Ontario, CAN |
| State: | Ontario, Canada |
| Boxes: | 3 |
| Planted by: | Ili & Lil
  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Lone R |
| Last found: | Jul 12, 2004 |
| Status: | Faa |
| Last edited: | May 1, 2004 |
*****It looks like this whole series is missing :-( I do hope to fix them one of these day...Will repost when they're back up***********
This is a series of THREE letterboxes in the Elora Gorge Conservation Area:
http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=27&Sub1=124&Sub2=0
The full set will probably take at least an hour and a half.
During the winter, when the park is closed, you’ll have to park along the road across from the park entrance. Then walk in up the long driveway, and there is no entrance fee. In-season, you can enter the park for a fee of about $4.00 per adult and $2.00 per child.
After you enter the park, turn left and go for about 100 meters until you see a sign for the beach house/change rooms/concession area. Park in that lot on the right.
Note: in the winter snow, many landmarks may be altered/covered/less prominent.
To the Elora Tubing Letterbox:
With the beach house on your right, walk to the main road and turn left. Turn right onto the path for campsites 59-68. Keep walking until you hit a T in the road (you will be between campsites 67 and 68). Cross the road between the one-way sign and the warning sign and walk into the woods. Note the time now, since clues given are based on time.
**You will be walking toward the gorge, so be careful and keep your dogs on leash.**
Walk to the edge of the gorge and turn left. Follow the edge of the gorge for approximately 3 minutes. At the beginning of the walk, you’ll be at the top of a sheer cliff. After a while, the upper edge of the gorge levels out and you would be able to walk down to the water. Stay on the upper edge. Whenever a path moves to the left away from edge, find the path that continues along the edge (always safely). There will be paths that go down toward the water: never take them. Stay as close as possible to the right while still staying on the upper ridge.
At one point, the cedars along the path will crowd the trail, but if you look up, you'll see the sky. Right here, there's a trail that goes down and right, a trail that does a U-turn to the left, and a trail on the left that goes forward. Take the latter trail, then veer right slightly.
There will be paths that go down toward the water: never take them. Stay as close as possible to the right while still staying on the upper ridge.
You should see a rotting stump right in the middle of the path...the trail then splits and it looks like the left path is more well trodden. Take the right path that goes up and hugs the edge of the cliff.
About 4 minutes after the gorge edge initially flattens out, you will run into two large fallen trees (one on top of the other) that are blocking the path. Go over or around the trees and walk between 30 paces (if you’re like Ili) and 34 paces (if you’re like Lil) along the gorge. Turn 90 degrees to your left. Walk straight toward the rocky cliff and turn right when you’re in front of the clump of 5 or more trees coming out of the rocky cliff; go over or under the thin fallen tree trunk and to the tree stump a few feet away. The letterbox is hidden in the far right side of the large crevice in the rock structure behind the stump.
To the Elora Waterfall Letterbox:
Go back the way you came along the gorge for about 7 minutes. Instead of turning back onto the road, continue straight along the gorge. As a marker of where you entered the forest and started timing for the previous box, you will see a slim broken tree, about 3 ½ feet tall, with all the bark removed so that it looks white. Use this marking to start your next set of timings.
Walk along the gorge (this time the cliff will be on your left) until you reach a small stream (the top of the waterfall). This will take about 11 minutes. Cross the stream and stand with your back to the stone pillar. Take about 10 steps forward (upstream). You should be near a clump of three trees; one trunk is lying across the river. With your back to the clump, look up the slope at a clump of about five trunks. The letterbox is below the roots, behind some flat rocks.
NOTE: if you are visiting on a weekend in summer, there may be people camping VERY near by, so you must be discreet. You can sit on the roots and contemplate the stream while reaching backward with your hand to get at the box.
To the Elora Camping Letterbox:
Continue north along the gorge, crossing the pedestrian bridge, until you get to the vehicular bridge (about 12 minutes). Cross the bridge and walk up the hill. At the top of the hill turn left (there are pedestrian shortcuts up the hill on the left if you don’t want to walk as far as the cars go). Turn right into campsite #488.
You’ll see a large tree in the middle of the campsite. Walk to the left of the tree and turn left into the woods. Walk a few paces into the woods and on your right you’ll see a group of large fallen trees. The letterbox is hidden on the far side of the first set of trees.
NOTE: if you are visiting on a weekend in summer, there may be people camping in this site, so it’s possible to get to the box by walking about 15 feet past campsite #488 and turning right into the woods. Then you need to walk about 40 feet up from the road to get to the fallen trees.
This is a series of THREE letterboxes in the Elora Gorge Conservation Area:
http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=27&Sub1=124&Sub2=0
The full set will probably take at least an hour and a half.
During the winter, when the park is closed, you’ll have to park along the road across from the park entrance. Then walk in up the long driveway, and there is no entrance fee. In-season, you can enter the park for a fee of about $4.00 per adult and $2.00 per child.
After you enter the park, turn left and go for about 100 meters until you see a sign for the beach house/change rooms/concession area. Park in that lot on the right.
Note: in the winter snow, many landmarks may be altered/covered/less prominent.
To the Elora Tubing Letterbox:
With the beach house on your right, walk to the main road and turn left. Turn right onto the path for campsites 59-68. Keep walking until you hit a T in the road (you will be between campsites 67 and 68). Cross the road between the one-way sign and the warning sign and walk into the woods. Note the time now, since clues given are based on time.
**You will be walking toward the gorge, so be careful and keep your dogs on leash.**
Walk to the edge of the gorge and turn left. Follow the edge of the gorge for approximately 3 minutes. At the beginning of the walk, you’ll be at the top of a sheer cliff. After a while, the upper edge of the gorge levels out and you would be able to walk down to the water. Stay on the upper edge. Whenever a path moves to the left away from edge, find the path that continues along the edge (always safely). There will be paths that go down toward the water: never take them. Stay as close as possible to the right while still staying on the upper ridge.
At one point, the cedars along the path will crowd the trail, but if you look up, you'll see the sky. Right here, there's a trail that goes down and right, a trail that does a U-turn to the left, and a trail on the left that goes forward. Take the latter trail, then veer right slightly.
There will be paths that go down toward the water: never take them. Stay as close as possible to the right while still staying on the upper ridge.
You should see a rotting stump right in the middle of the path...the trail then splits and it looks like the left path is more well trodden. Take the right path that goes up and hugs the edge of the cliff.
About 4 minutes after the gorge edge initially flattens out, you will run into two large fallen trees (one on top of the other) that are blocking the path. Go over or around the trees and walk between 30 paces (if you’re like Ili) and 34 paces (if you’re like Lil) along the gorge. Turn 90 degrees to your left. Walk straight toward the rocky cliff and turn right when you’re in front of the clump of 5 or more trees coming out of the rocky cliff; go over or under the thin fallen tree trunk and to the tree stump a few feet away. The letterbox is hidden in the far right side of the large crevice in the rock structure behind the stump.
To the Elora Waterfall Letterbox:
Go back the way you came along the gorge for about 7 minutes. Instead of turning back onto the road, continue straight along the gorge. As a marker of where you entered the forest and started timing for the previous box, you will see a slim broken tree, about 3 ½ feet tall, with all the bark removed so that it looks white. Use this marking to start your next set of timings.
Walk along the gorge (this time the cliff will be on your left) until you reach a small stream (the top of the waterfall). This will take about 11 minutes. Cross the stream and stand with your back to the stone pillar. Take about 10 steps forward (upstream). You should be near a clump of three trees; one trunk is lying across the river. With your back to the clump, look up the slope at a clump of about five trunks. The letterbox is below the roots, behind some flat rocks.
NOTE: if you are visiting on a weekend in summer, there may be people camping VERY near by, so you must be discreet. You can sit on the roots and contemplate the stream while reaching backward with your hand to get at the box.
To the Elora Camping Letterbox:
Continue north along the gorge, crossing the pedestrian bridge, until you get to the vehicular bridge (about 12 minutes). Cross the bridge and walk up the hill. At the top of the hill turn left (there are pedestrian shortcuts up the hill on the left if you don’t want to walk as far as the cars go). Turn right into campsite #488.
You’ll see a large tree in the middle of the campsite. Walk to the left of the tree and turn left into the woods. Walk a few paces into the woods and on your right you’ll see a group of large fallen trees. The letterbox is hidden on the far side of the first set of trees.
NOTE: if you are visiting on a weekend in summer, there may be people camping in this site, so it’s possible to get to the box by walking about 15 feet past campsite #488 and turning right into the woods. Then you need to walk about 40 feet up from the road to get to the fallen trees.