A Trip to Alamogordo

Thomas has to be in Alamogordo tomorrow for a meeting so we decided to leave this morning and do a little letterboxing along the way. So we headed out around 8:00am and made our way to Stanley.
Here we found Guardians of Stanley: The Cemetery which was placed by Children of the Forest. This was a pretty easy find once I got past the snow. After stamping in and replacing the box we got back on the road and continued our drive. It was a great day to be on the road - there was no traffic and the weather was fantastic. Our second stop was at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. We found nmcanchaser's Ancient Writings and Hi Desert's Face in the Rock. Both were quick and easy finds. The next find was just a box hidden on the side of the road. It was Harden My Heart and was a letterbox/geocache hybrid - it was nice to see the stamp was still there. Next we headed to La Luz which is just a little north of Alamogordo and we found cowpatti's Yoga-OM (Aum). I was the first finder of this box and I was glad we made the stop to find it. Then we headed in to Alamogordo and found four more boxes - cowpatti's Flying High and Bark at the Moon (Jim Griggs Multi-Sports Complex), Twinville Trekkers' Beatles Series #17 "Across the Universe" and CT Nite Owl's Scissors Sisterz. We had a nice time letterboxing today and found a great batch of stamps. There are still a few boxes in the area I haven't found yet so I guess another trip will need to be planned.

Albuquerque With Visiting Friends

This morning I went to Albuquerque to meet some friends who flew in late last night from Massachusetts. Lazy Letterboxer and The Letterboxing Ham came to New Mexico to visit us for Thanksgiving. I picked them up at their hotel and we headed out to do some letterboxing before heading up to Santa Fe.

Our first stop was at the Hotel Parq Central. Here we found Ghost of Parq Central letterbox. This was a quick and easy find. We stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box. Our next stop was at the Standard Diner for the Standard Diner letterbox. You had to go in and ask for the box. The Letterboxing Ham went in and got the box and brought it back to the car. Again we stamped in while sitting in the car. When we were done he returned the box to the diner. But it seemed to take him a while and when he finally came out he was carrying something - fried pickles. So we had fried pickles at 9:45am and they were delicious. From here we went to Old Town. I didn't need to find boxes here but I thought it would be a good place to bring the friends. So we spent a little time wandering around Old Town looking for boxes and did a little sightseeing. For lunch we ended up at Marble Brewery for a little snack. After eating we headed back to Santa Fe but instead of taking the interstate I decided to give them the back road tour and drive home on Hwy 14. In Tijeras we stopped to drive on the Singing Road. It was so worth the detour and then it was on the road home. We had a fun time letterboxing in Albuquerque and hopefully our friends will enjoy their visit to New Mexico.

Denver Botanic Gardens and a Little Letterboxing

This morning Thomas and I had plans to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens to see the Chihuly Exhibition. So after a nice breakfast we made out way there. We were a tad bit early and we had to wait in line to get in. The wait was short and we already had tickets so we immediately started walking around. I was amazed and fascinated by the glass sculptures. And I love the way they were incorporated with the plants. We ended up walking almost every path, I took about 250 photos and we spent about 3 hours in the Gardens. It was wonderful and a terrific way to spend a Sunday morning. I am so glad we made the trip to Denver to see this show.  After we finished at the Gardens we started walking back to the car but took a detour to find The Woodshed's Modern Lilly hidden in the parking garage. We easily found the box and I took it back to the car to stamp in. Once I was done I returned the stamp to its hiding spot and we left the Gardens.

We next made our way to Governors Park to find preboxed's Hey Guv box. We arrived at the park and we started looking for the box. The park was filled with homeless people. I counted nine people sleeping all over the park. Fortunately I was able to find the box without being seen. I took the box back to a bench to stamp in. When I was done Thomas had to stand in front of me while I hid the box so that a couple of people sitting against a wall wouldn't see me hide the box. Once that was done we went have some lunch at a restaurant across the street. We ate at Lala's Wine Bar + Pizzeria. The food was so good and we just sat and relaxed. Two hours later we decided to move on.

We looked for two boxes in the downtown area . . . Then and Now: Denver's Chinatown and 100 Years. I had no luck with either of these boxes. The Chinatown box was confusing since there were so many buildings and so many metal boxes. We looked under quite a few metal boxes and didn't have any luck. We also spent a little time at Union Station, which they have really fixed up. We sat and had a snack and enjoyed the building. Then we went for a walk in City Park which was great - the day was beautiful. Eventually we gave up and decided to call it a day. Tomorrow we will visit the Capitol Building and then head home. We had a great time in Denver and we are l1ooking forward to our next visit.

Here are a couple of slideshows from our visit to the
Denver Botanic Gardens.

I hope you enjoy! 

Chihuly Exhibition

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Denver Botanic Gardens

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A Day in Denver

This morning we slept in and just relaxed. After getting showered and dressed we decided we wanted to get some breakfast - and not the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, so we headed out in search of something. Just down the block from us we found a Le Peep and headed there. We had a great breakfast and then decided to do a little letterboxing until Thomas' brother drove in from Broomfield to spend the day with us. We drove to Fairmount Cemetery to find a few boxes. Thankfully I had printed out a map off the internet and had mapped out the boxes. So we started at one box and followed the map and did a circle around the cemetery finding boxes along the drive. We looked for eight boxes and found seven. We found three of the Fairmount Halloween 2011 Series, Hello Zombie, Which? C Sharp M or A Sharp M, Memento Mori, Fairmount Cemetery: Treestone and Quoth the Raven. When we finished at the cemetery we headed for another box nearby but Thomas' brother called and we headed to The Container Store to meet them. Here we did a little shopping and the headed over to Meininger Art Store where we did a little more shopping. By this time it was around 2:00pm and we were getting hungry. So we headed for Park Burger on S. Pearl Street. We had a great meal and got to visit for a while. After eating they needed to get back home so they headed out. Thomas and I decided to try for another box before calling it a day and heading for the hotel. We drove to Four Mile Historic Park to look for Supernatural Series: Vampire. It was a short walk and a quick find. Now we are at the hotel and we are relaxing and taking it easy. We had a good day and enjoyed visiting with Thomas' brother and sister-in-law.

A Quick Find on Our Way to Denver

Thomas and I are headed to Denver to visit his brother this weekend. We left Santa Fe sometime around noon. I had a clue for a box in Raton that I had been wanting to get but haven't been up to that area.

View from the Box

So we made plans to stop on our way to Colorado. We drove from Santa Fe and didn't stop until we got to Raton. We made our way to the parking area for the Climax Canyon Nature Trail. From the parking area we had to walk a short distance up a road to the trailhead. We passed a couple of guys working in the area on erosion control and then met up with a doe and her fawn right at the trailhead. We also talked with a man who was a volunteer who helped build the trail. In the area where you park and then along the road and near the trailhead were Christmas decorations. Raton had their annual City of Bethlehem lights at the entrance of Climax Canyon. We walked a short distance up the trail to a trail junction and then turned right on the East Loop Trail and only a short distance up we found Silver Eagle's Climax Canyon box. I stamped sitting next to the tree where it is hidden and then replaced the box. The views from here were terrific and the trail was really nice. We then returned to the car to continue our drive to Denver. Thanks Silver Eagle for the break in driving and the short but wonderful walk to the box.

A Fantastic Event and Trip

When I woke up this morning my plan was to leave Somerville and letterbox my way back to Abilene. There I would spend the night and then leave for Santa Fe in the morning. So I started getting things packed and was mapping out a few boxes to find when all of a sudden I had this feeling that I didn't want to do any of it. I only wanted to get home. So I abandoned my plans, packed everything and loaded the car. I was about to make the entire drive home today. The car was full of gas so I just got on the road and headed out. When I got to Caldwell (just north of Somerville) I decided to grab some breakfast and coffee. So I pulled into McDonald's. When I went in I noticed Mosaic Butterfly and Corazon. So I went and said hi, then ordered my food. I decided to eat while driving so I took my food to the car and headed out. The drive was uneventful. The weather was great and since it was Sunday the traffic was light. I stopped a few times for gas and snacks but that was it. I made it home around 7:00pm and even though I was tired I was really glad I was home. Now that I have unpacked and showered I guess it is time for some sleep. If you want to read about my trip you can go to Artistic License Letterboxing Event and Trip.

Attending the Artistic License Event

Tomorrow I am leaving to take another trip to Texas. This one is to attend the Artistic License Letterboxing Event at Lake Somerville State Park in Somerville, TX. I have decided to take a pretty direct route. The drive will take me from Santa Fe to Clines Corners then through Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner, Clovis, Lubbock and to Abilene. This is where I will spend the first night. Then on Tuesday I will take Hwy36 all the way to Somerville which will be my base for a week. I will letterbox all around the area and attend the event on Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and then on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon I will back track to Abilene for the night. On Monday I will make the drive back to Santa Fe. I am looking forward to this trip as I haven't spent much time in that area and I think it will be an interesting trip. You can read all about the trip by clicking on the image.

One Quick Find in Santa Fe

A short time ago Wronghat planted a box in downtown Santa Fe near the Cathedral. Unfortunately the box didn't last long (which is a symptom of boxes in the Plaza area of Santa Fe). But I received a notice yesterday that he had replanted Santa Fe Pastiche. So I decided while out today I would stop by and find this box in case it doesn't last long. This morning I met with Astro D for a chat and a cup of coffee at Iconik Coffee Roasters and then I had a few errands to run. Once all that was done I headed to the Plaza. I found a parking spot a couple of blocks away and made the quick walk to Cathedral Park. When I got to the park I was happy to see it was empty. I followed the clues and made my way to the bench near where the box is hidden. I sat and looked around to make sure no one was around and then I got up and grabbed the box. I sat on the bench to stamp in, and I enjoyed the cool morning and the peace and quiet of the area. Normally the Plaza isn't like that. Luckily the park was still empty when I needed to return the box so it was easy getting it back in place. It was another nice stamp by Wronghat and I am very glad he replaced it. Thanks!

A Quick Find While Aspen Viewing

This morning Thomas and I took a drive up Hyde Park Road to view the aspens. You can read about that at Aspen Beauty. When we arrived at the Aspen Vista Picnic Area we made a stop to find a box that was recently placed in the vicinity. Back in 2010 I was contacted by Wanda and Pete to carve a stamp to commemorate Wanda's hike on the Continental Divide Trail. I ended up carving three stamps. Wanda placed them in Rhode Island and she had an event in May of 2010. Recently she moved the stamps - one she placed in Colorado and two she brought back to New Mexico. Today I found Wanda's Wandarings: Continental Divide Trail - #3 Cabezon. It was an easy and quick drive by find. The area was packed and we found one parking spot and it just happened to be right in front of the rock where the box is hidden. That helped to block anyone seeing me grabbed the box. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box without a problem. Wanda did give me permission to move the box to another location if I wanted. I am seriously thinking of moving the box out near Cabezon Peak and on the Continental Divide Trail. But that will have to wait until the Spring. It is nice to have my carving in New Mexico and close to the area it represents.

Replanting and Maintaining Boxes

For a few weeks now I have been evaluating some of my boxes. I had pulled some and was trying to decide if I wanted to replant them in safer places or retire them and I also checked on some boxes and worked on updating clues so they were more appropriate. For some of the boxes I cleaned the stamps and then added new baggies before finding a good hiding spot in the same general area. Others were in great condition and all I needed to do was make sure they were hidden well and that the clues made sense. Today I went out and replaced boxes and checked on a few more. I am feeling relieved that a good number of my boxes in the Santa Fe area are in great condition. Once the boxes were in place and I had notes for clues I came home and update the boxes on the web.

The boxes that were taken care of are . . .

City Different Walking Tour
Goodbye Mom
lionsmane's 5 Year Letterboxiversary

I am still working on a couple  . . .

Alphabetical New Mexico: Y (Yucca)
Dreams of Eames

When these two are done I will update clues on Atlas Quest.

Not Finding a Letterbox with Astro D

Last week sometime Astro D went out to look for a new box planted by PI Joe. She had trouble finding the box which is weird since it had just been planted a few days before. She was sure she was in the right spot but there was no box. She contacted me and asked if I wanted to go out with her today and try to find the box. I met her at her house and we made our way to the Dale Ball Trails off of Hyde Park Road. We headed down the trail following the clues and when we arrived at a junction we stopped. Here she wanted me to continue with the clues to see if I would end up at the same spot as she did. So I continued with the clues and after counting off the number of steps I stopped. I wasn't quite at the landmark mentioned in the clues but it was close enough. Then I looked uphill for the tree mentioned in the clues. When I located it I asked Astro D if that was the same tree that she found - it was. We made our way up the hill and to the tree and found a SPOR nicely stacked behind the tree. There were rocks but no box. We started talking and it actually looked as though the rocks were stacked but no box was ever placed there. Usually you would see an imprint of the box but we didn't even notice that. We moved some dirt and really checked the spot but still came up empty handed. Since we hadn't found the box we decided to search all the trees in the near vicinity. We found nothing! After a little while we returned to the trail and walked a little further and checked behind other trees. We spent about a half hour searching all around the area but we came up empty handed. We even started joking that PI Joe had forgotten to actually put the box in place. Of course that was just a joke. But it is sad that a box just planted has disappeared in less than a week. I hope we were just in the wrong spot and eventually the box will be found. We had a nice walk and enjoyed looking for the box - a great way to spend the morning.

Double Checking on Boxes

This past weekend we had our Letterboxing with Altitude event up at Hyde Memorial State Park in Santa Fe. We had about 30 people attend the event. So today I decided to head up the mountain and check on the boxes that got the most action. I wanted to make sure after lots of finds that they were all closed properly and hidden well. It is likely that these boxes won't be found again until next Spring. Since they are in the mountain they will be covered with snow for the winter. So today I drove to the to the top of the mountain and then worked my way down checking on boxes along the way. I made sure baggies were closed well and lids were on tight. Then I made sure that they were hidden well, covered and secure. I was pleasantly surprised that most of the boxes were in great shape but I was glad I checked on them - it made me feel better. So the boxes I checked on were . . .

Purple Skeleton
Inching Along One Letterboxer at a Time
Beatles Series: In Spite of All the Danger
Trembling Poplar
Beatles Series: The Long and Winding Road
WrongHyde
Hyde Memorial State Park Series
The Trill of Flying
Hyde Park Lodge
Susan's Black Eye
Howling Moon
Celtic Warriors
My Favorite Swine: Piglet
Pin Up Stamp Swap 2: Tess
A Boy and His Tiger
The Art of Ebrû
Heroes on the Line
Gnome Day 2014: Amelie's Gnome
Southwest Charm

I am hoping that by checking on these boxes that they will be safe through the winter and be available next Spring. Thanks to everyone who came to the event and looked for our boxes.

My Longest Hike to a Letterbox

This morning Bell Motel, PI Joe and I went on a hike. They were after five letterboxes and I had my sights set on one - the other four I had already found. Now I had done part of this hike back in July but before I could get to the last box it started to rain so I had to turn around and head back. You can read about that hike at Hiking, Letterboxing and Getting Wet. I knew that this hike would be hard since I had done a good part of it before but it turned out to be really tough. I am not in the best shape and haven't done much hiking this year so I wasn't sure what exactly would happen. But I was willing to try and I was looking forward to it. The hike we did today was to Puerto Nambe.

The first part of this hike is a few switchbacks leading up to the National Forest fence. I have done this part quite a few times and it is always hard for me. Along the way we stopped so they could find Purple Skeleton. At the fence we took a detour up to Ravens Ridge (we didn't actually hike up the ridge) where they found Astro D's Ravens Ridge letterbox. We didn't stay there long as it was really windy and cold. Back at the gate to the National Forest they found Southwest Speedster. From the fence line to the creek near the junction for the trail to Nambe Lake wasn't too bad for me - it is mostly level (some ups and downs but nothing serious). Near the creek crossing we stopped and they found their fourth box - What's it all about Mr. N? At this point I seriously thought about turning around and heading back. I was tired and the hike was kicking my butt. It didn't seem to bother PI Joe and Bell Motel and I felt like I was hindering them. But I really wanted to make it to the meadow and get this box so I continued on. I kept telling them to hike at the pace they wanted and eventually I would catch up to them but they would stop and take breaks with me along the way. Then we arrived at the switchbacks just before the meadow and here I really had trouble - I had to take frequent breaks. PI Joe kept stopping to let me catch up and Bell Motel went on ahead at her own pace. Finally I arrived at the meadow and they were already stamping into Ché What? so I walked up and joined them. After a short break and a snack Bell Motel went and put the box back in place (since she was actually the one who had found it) and we started on our return trip.

This part of the hike back to the intersection with the trail for Nambe Lake wasn't too bad. Mostly downhill or level and along the way PI Joe hid a box he had with him. But the next part was all up hill and I was really tired. I needed frequent breaks to give my legs a rest. The others took breaks with me but I think by this time they were getting frustrated - I could see it on their faces and I was feeling really bad about holding them up and it made the last part of the hike that much worse. All I could think about was how I messed up their hike and just wanted to get back to the car so this day would be over. When we finally made it to the fence line I was elated since I knew the last half mile was all down hill. The hike took the better part of the day. We started a little after 9:00am and arrived back at the car somewhere around 5:00pm. PI Joe had a GPS and Bell Motel had a FitBit and we figured that we had hiked somewhere between 10 and 11 miles. I was just glad it was over - if I had done this alone I would have felt better about completeing a 10 mile hike (I have never hike this far before.) but I know they could have shaved an hour or so off this time if I hadn't been there. They were both supportive and cordial but I could tell they were also frustrated. Later tonight it got back to me that I did hold them up and they were a little frustrated which didn't make me feel any better. I know now that I can't keep up with them so I won't go on any hikes with them again - I am just not in good enough shape.

After the hike we met other boxers that had attended our event yesterday - Letterboxing with Altitude (You can read about that at A Letterboxing Event in Santa Fe.). We met at Second Street Brewery and had a great time. It was a good way to end the day and the weekend. Those that attended the dinner were Azroadie, Desert Flower, PI Joe, FamilyTreeShaker, Bell Motel, ArnoldZiffel, Agent 86, Astro D, The Great Wuga Wuga, The Woodshed, Highwayman and myself.

A Letterboxing Event in Santa Fe

Back in May of this year, Astro D, ArnoldZiffel and I met to plan a letterboxing event. We talked and came up with some ideas and then tweaked those ideas into an event. We spent the summer planning Letterboxing with Altitude. Things were divied up and we all did our part over the summer to check on boxes, carve stamps, reserve the location and send out notices. We decided on Hyde Memorial State Park and before we knew it things had fallen into place and the event was upon us. Today was the event and it turned out great. Lots of folks showed up - boxers came from all over New Mexico (Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Galisteo, Farmington and Tijeras) and from Colorado, Arizona and Texas.

I arrived just before 8:00am at the gate and had to wait for the Ranger to open up the area. Thomas was with me and while we were waiting a couple of people showed up as well. About 8:10am we were at the group shelter and setting up. The event was actually scheduled for 10:00am but people started arriving soon after we were set up. Everyone gathered at the shelter and visited. There were exchanges, personal travelers and event stamps. Throughout the day people would head out to letterbox and then return to visit or get exchanges. There were plenty of incredible boxes for the event and most of them are staying around.

The day turned out fantastic. We had great weather and the aspens were already showing a hint of yellow. Letterboxing in Hyde Park and along Ski Basin Road was wonderful and I recommend that anyone planning a visit to Santa Fe put that area on their list. You will find some great boxes and enjoy a beautiful area. Thanks to everyone who attended the event and for traveling to be here with us. We hope you had a great time and hopefully we can have another event in the near future.

A Little Letterboxing and Final Preparation for Our Event

This morning I joined Astro D and ArnoldZiffel to get some final things done for the Letterboxing With Altitude event tomorrow at Hyde Memorial State Park. We met at Astro D's house and then drove up to the park. First we checked on three boxes Astro D had planted a few days ago to make sure her clues were good. Then ArnoldZiffel planted two boxes she had with her. Next we checked on the four boxes I placed two days ago. Thankfully my clues were okay. So now that all the boxes we needed to plant were in place and the clues were good we decided to go to Group Shelter #2 and go over things for tomorrow. We went over the list of things we needed to do and everything is in place. I will arrive at the shelter around 8:00am and get some things ready and be there in case anyone wants to get an early start and needs any assistance. Astro D and ArnoldZiffel will get to the shelter around 9:00am and the event officially starts at 10:00am. After we talked I took Astro D and ArnoldZiffel back to their car so they could leave since they had things to do. I decided to stay in the mountains and do a little letterboxing.

There are two series of boxes I wanted to look for - one by Astro D and one by Front Range Hiker. My first stop was at Forest Road 102 to look for Finbar's First Road Trip by Front Range Hiker. I parked in a pullout near the junction of Hyde Park Road and FR102. I quickly found the first box -
We're Going For a Ride and found a place to stamp in. After stamping in and replacing the box I walked down FR102 a short distance and found Are We There Yet?. This was another quick find and there was a log to sit on and stamp in. Then I replaced the box and started walking down the road and then I heard a noise and stopped and listened. It sounded like a gunshot, so I waited and then hesitatingly continued a little ways. I then saw a red truck and a man shooting at something in the trees. So I turned around and went back to my car. I waited a few minutes and I saw the truck coming up the road. Now I felt a little more comfortable so I drove down the road to the last box - Home and Happy. I was feeling better now that the shooter was gone and I found the box and stamped in. I replaced the box, got back in the car and returned to Hyde Park Road. This series of stamps is amazing and I am glad I took the time to find them. Now I made my way back down Hyde Park Road to the Big Tesuque Trail. I parked, crossed the road and went down the stone steps. I followed the clues for Astro D's Sangre Series. In no time I arrived at the first box - Ole Man Winter. I took the box and found a place to sit and stamp in. I was amazed at the carve. I finished stamping in and replaced the box and then continued to the second box. I found So Very PC quickly, stamped in and replaced it - all the while thinking that this carve was even better than the first one. Continuing along the trail I arrived at the third box in no time. I found Bright-eyed and Feathery-tailed in a beautiful meadow. When I opened this box I couldn't believe how incredible this carving was. I stamped in and looked at my logbook and was in awe of the three beautiful carvings I had just found. Eventually I replaced the box and made my way back to the car.

I continued my drive back down Hyde Park Road and returned to Group Shelter #2. Here I was going to look for 4 boxes. I started with two that began at the volleyball area. I followed the clues and they took me to a small shelter. I didn't find the boxes because there were some people camping there and I didn't feel comfortable searching around the shelter with all their things there. So I turned around and walked over to the big group shelter. From here I followed the clues to a box and was a little surprised to find two boxes hidden together. I stamped into both and then replaced them. Then I went to look for one more. I walked down the trail a bit and quickly found the last of the four boxes I had wanted to find. I sat and stamped in and then replaced it. At this time I decided I was done for the day. I wanted to go home and get a few things ready for tomorrow. I have done that and I am ready for the event. Stay tuned for a report on everything that happened at the event.

Our Dartmoor Trip Has Come to an End

We are home from our fantastic trip to Dartmoor. To keep a record of this trip I started a blog just for Dartmoor back in September 2013. I made a post each month leading up to the trip and then I posted each day of the trip. The blog is up to date and I plan on making at least one more post just to finalize any post trip information. We had a great time and were fortunate enough to get to Cranmere Pool and Duck's Pool. We met some great local boxers and found plenty of boxes. We got our Dartmoor 100 Patch and lifetime membership card while there as well. If you want to read about our activities you can go to lionsmane goes to dartmoor. I highly recommend to any letterboxer that you take a trip to Dartmoor. Not only for the boxes but for the history of letterboxing and the beautiful moors. It truly is a magical place and I hope to make it back there someday.

A Couple of Quick Finds

I had some free time today and decided to go out and find a couple of letterboxes in the area. After getting my stuff together I headed north on I25 to Pecos. The Bear Team placed a box at one of the pullouts with a Pecos National Historic Park sign. I arrived there and thankfully there was no one else there and there wasn't much traffic on the road. This made it easy to find and nab the box. I read the clues while sitting in the car and located the spot where the box was hidden. I made sure there was no one around and I went and grabbed Last Wagon Wheel of the Santa Fe Trail. I went back to the car and stamped in and then I replaced the box - this was a quick and easy find. Now it was time to return to Santa Fe and look for one more box.

To get to the next box I took the Old Pecos Trail exit and made my way to Museum Hill. A couple of weeks ago AutumnsFolly visited Santa Fe and left a PREsent. This means that she planted a box and the stamped was carved by preboxed.  I arrived at Museum Hill, parked and then followed the clues to find Kokopelli's Dance. Thankfully there is a bench very near the box which was a perfect place to sit and stamp in. Once I was done I replaced the box and then decided to take a walk around Milner's Plaza - they have an outdoor exhibit of some great sculptures.

Thanks to The Bear Team and AutumnsFolly for leaving us these letterboxes.

Letterboxing in Galisteo

Back at the end of May and the beginning of June Children of the Forest planted a couple of boxes in Galisteo. I have had the clues printed out for a while but never seemed to find the time to get out there and find them. So today I decided I needed to get out of the house and take a drive. From my house I take NM 14 headed south and then CR 42 - it is a nice, pleasant drive. I arrived in town and made my way to the cemetery (well cemeteries) - there are two and they are across the road from each other. First I went to The Old Catholic Cemetery and found Guardians of Galisteo: The Old Catholic Cemetery. This was an easy find and I found a spot to sit and stamp in. After I put the box back in place I walked around the cemetery and took a few pictures and then headed across the street to find the next box. The gate to this cemetery (The Old Galisteo Cemetery) was locked so I couldn't go in and take any pictures but I was able to get a few from outside since the wall around the cemetery is pretty low. I then followed the clues and found my second box - Guardians of Galisteo: The Old Cemetery. This box is hidden outside the cemetery and I sat against the wall while stamping in. Once the box was back in place I walked back to my car and headed home. It was a great little drive and a nice outing. Thanks Children of the Forest for these two wonderful boxes.

A Mini Meet with AutumnsFolly

A few weeks ago I got an email from AutumnsFolly that she was going to be doing some work in Santa Fe and she wanted to get together for an exchange. So I got in touch with a few other letterboxers in the area and let them know and we eventually decided on meeting at a restaurant after work one day. I let AutumnsFolly know about it and she set up an AQ event called Hooray for Santa Fe and a mini meet was scheduled. We met at Bumble Bee's Baja Grill and had a nice meal and visit. There were six people that attended  . . . AutumnsFolly, Astro D, rubberpeace, trilla_marion, Highwayman and myself. After dinner and exchanges AutumnsFolly and trilla_marion wanted to do a little letterboxing in Santa Fe. So Astro D and I took them to Museum Hill. The four of us walked around the area so they could find the boxes in the area. We spent about an hour and finally had to call it quits when the sun started to set. It was a great mini meet and we really enjoyed having AutumnsFolly and trilla_marion in Santa Fe.

Finding, Planting and Maintaining Boxes

Since we are having an event on September 20 (Letterboxing with Altitude) we have decided to try and check on all the boxes off of Hyde Park Road. I have done a few but I decided to head up today and do some more checking, planting and finding.

The first stop was at a pullout between mile markers 5 & 6. There is a trailhead across from this pullout which is the start of the Little Tesuque Trail and the Burn/Juan Trail. Unfortunately there are no signs anywhere on the trail to mark this, but there is a wooden post at the start of the trail. Not far down the trail I checked on a box I had found quite a while ago - Heroes on the Line - which is still there. Then I went a little further and found a box - Gnome Day 2014: Amelie's Gnome by ArnoldZiffel. I easily found the box and sat down to stamp in. It is a great little stamp and I enjoyed finding this box. After replacing it I was ready to plant some new boxes. At first I thought I was going to take the Burn/Juan Trail off of the Little Tesuque Trail and plant the boxes there. But after walking the trail for five minutes I realized that the trail was nothing but uphill and decided to return to the Little Tesuque Trail. I spent about a half hour to forty-five minutes walking the trail looking for hiding spots for a couple of boxes. I had an idea of what I was looking for but finding just the right spot was a little harder than I thought. Eventually I found a spot for the main box and I got it hidden and the clues written down. Then I continued along the trail to look for another area for a few more boxes - this is where it took me a while. Finally I made a decision and got the rest of the series hidden - this box is called Southwest Charm. Now that I had the boxes in place and the clues jotted down I could return to the car and continue on with my plans.


Driving along Hyde Park Road I stopped in at the Hyde Park Visitor Center. I picked up some brochures and paid my $5 fee. Then I drove a little further up the road and stopped at a pullout with a fence and a bridge. Here I looked for Wronghat's WrongHyde box. I only had to walk a short distance before I found the box. There was no one around so I found a nearby spot to sit and stamp in. I always love his carvings and I loved the play on locations that he used on the stamp. After stamping in and replacing the box I walked back to my car and headed up the road. My next stop was at Aspen Vista Picnic Area to plant another box - Trembling Poplar. For this box I took the side trail right near the gate - this is the Alamos Vista Trail. About a week ago I had hiked this trail and I had scoped out hiding spots so this time around it didn't take me long to get this box hidden. Once the box was in place I found a spot to sit and write out the clues. While in this area I decided to check on a box on the Aspen Vista Trail. So I took the short walk up the trail and then the side trail to find Astro D's Aspen Vista box - I am happy to report that it is alive and well. Now it was time to head back down the trail and make my way home. It was a good day . . . I found two boxes, planted some boxes and checked on a couple of boxes . . . I loved my time driving and hiking along Hyde Park Road.

Hyde Park Road Box Checking and Maintenance

This morning I made plans to go for a drive along Hyde Park Road to check on and do some maintnance on boxes hidden there. On Tuesday I did a hike and checked on two boxes - Southwest Speedster and What does it all mean Mr. N? - both of which are alive and well. Today I drove the entire 16 miles up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin to begin my work.

My first order of business was to plant a couple of boxes. Back in February of this year I received two boxes from PineTree in Connecticut that she wanted me to plant in New Mexico. So I walked a short distance up the Winsor Trail and found a nice place for the first box. I wrote out all the clues and when I get home I will email them to PineTree and she can log the box on Atlas Quest. Then I made my way to the Santa Fe Ski Basin sign to check on Ski Bear #2. Unfortunately I believe the box to be unavailable due to a large tree that has fallen over and I think is now covering the box. If anyone feels like digging you might be able to find it. Next I got back into my car and headed back down the mountain. I stopped at the parking area for the NorSki Trail to plant the second box that PineTree sent me. I did a short walk along the trail and found a good spot for the box. I again wrote out the clues so I can email them later. While here I checked on In Spite of all the Danger which is in good shape and waiting to be found. I returned to my car and drove about 200 feet to the observation deck to check on two boxes. First I looked for I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK which I wasn't able to locate. Hopefully Astro D can check on it and maybe I just missed it and it is still there. I also checked on You're so vain you probably think . . . and wasn't able to find it. I am pretty sure this box is missing. My next stop was at Aspen Vista Picnic Area to scope out some hiding spots for boxes I am working on. I wasn't there long before I found what I needed and then I was on my way again. As I made my way down the mountain I stopped at a pullout to check on The Long and Winding Road. This box is still in place and doing well. Back on the road I made my next stop at Black Canyon Campground. I had received some notes that my clues for my Pin Up Stamp Swap2: Tess were a little off. So I stopped to retake some pictures so that I could update the clues. After getting the shots I needed I headed down the road again. My next and last stop of the day was across from the parking area for the Chamisa Trail. My The Art of Ebrû letterbox also needed updated photos for the clues - so I did a quick walk and got new pictures and then made my way back to the car.

I was really hoping to get more done but I will have to get back up there sometime next week and continue checking on boxes. It was a great day along Hyde Park Road and I had a nice time on my drive.

Hiking, Letterboxing and Getting Wet

I woke up this morning and decided I wanted to get out and do something. I have been wanting to get up to the ski basin and hike the Winsor Trail to look for a few boxes. Since I am not in that great of shape I didn't make any real plans - I just decided I would hike until I felt I needed to turn around and head back to the car. So I got a few clues, my letterbox stuff and my backpack and headed for the mountains.

It was around 8:30am when I arrived at the ski basin and parked. The day was beautiful and I was really looking forward to this hike. There were four people at the trailhead that started hiking just before me and there were also about 12 cars in the parking lot, so I felt I would have plenty of company. The first part of this hike is pretty much all uphill via a bunch of switchbacks until you reach the Forest Service fence. So I took my time (and plenty of rest breaks) along the way. I did meet up with quite a few people during this part of the hike. Once I got to the fence I started looking for my first letterbox - Southwest Speedster. I followed the clues and I found the box pretty quickly and then I looked for a nice place to sit and stamp in. I was surprised to find that I was the first finder and there was a hitchhiker in the box that the placer had left there. Anyway, I stamped in and then replaced the box. Once back on the trail I was feeling good and decided I would hike to the junction with the trail to Nambe Lake and look for another letterbox. Along the way I met up with about 18 people - both coming and going. This was the first time I have taken this trail this far. I usually stop at the fence and go up to Raven's Ridge. The hike was beautiful and I was really enjoying myself. When I finally arrived at the turnoff for Nambe Lake I read the clue for the letterbox. I then crossed a wooden foot bridge and followed the rest of the clues to find What's It All About Mr. N? by BlindSmiley. Once I had the box in hand I found a nice flat rock near the water and stamped in. After about 20 minutes of just sitting there I replaced the box and then started thinking about how I felt and if I wanted to continue or head back or take the trail to Nambe Lake.

Assessing everything, I decided to continue on the trail and try and make it to Puerto Nambe and look for one more letterbox. Everything was fine and I was taking pictures, meeting up with other hikers and loving the hike . . . and then it started to thunder. Soon after the thunder started the clouds started turning dark. I am not sure exactly where I was and how much further it was to Puerto Nambe but I decided it was time to turn around. So I started heading back and just before I reached the turnoff for Nambe Lake it started to rain. It was only a few drops at first but in no time it evoled to a steady drizzle. Thankfully it only drizzled and thundered - there was no lightning. Heading back was mostly uphill and I was doing a steady walk just trying to get back to my car which was really getting to my legs. I did have to stop a few times and let my legs relax for a minute before continuing. Finally I made it back to the car and I was glad to be out of the rain. I ended up seeing around 25 people on the trail. Of those 9 were children under 10 years of age hiking with their parents. I also met up with five dogs.

My original plan included this hike and then I was going to check on a few boxes as I drove down the mountains but with the rain I decided to just call it a day and head home. I really enjoyed the hike and would have loved making it to Puerto Nambe - so I guess I will just have to make it out there soon and try again.

An Event in Santa Fe

Back in April I was in Sedona and Prescott, Arizona to do some letterboxing and attend an event. The event was for Mark and Sue Pepe and was hosted by Azroadie and Desert Flower. You can read about my trip at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. During that trip it was suggested that there should be another event in Santa Fe. I realized it had been a while since our last event and when I got home I mentioned it to Astro D. We decided to get together and talk about and ArnoldZiffel expressed interest in helping plan it.

We met this morning at Astro D's house and discussed things at length. Here is what we came up with. We are having an event on September 20, 2014 at Hyde Memorial State Park in Santa Fe. For more information you can go to Letterboxing with Altitude on Atlas Quest. This is the event sign up page and has all the information you will need. We had an event at Hyde Park back in October 2007 and we had a great time. So we are hoping to have as much fun this time. We hope to see you there!

One Quick Find

Today I had to run a few errands and I was going to be in the vicinity of a new letterbox so I decided to take my letterboxing supplies with me and stop for this box. The box is called Risen! and was placed by C4. It is hidden in Amelia White Park off of Old Santa Fe Trail. Once parked I sat in the car and read the clues. The box was a short walk away and I debated whether to take my things with me or just run and get the box and bring it back to the car. The wind in Santa Fe had been brutal for the last few days and I wasn't sure I wanted to sit out in the wind while stamping in. Eventually I decided to just take my things and make the best of it. I followed the clues and when I got to the hiding spot I had to wait a few minutes for a guy who was walking a dog. Once he left I was all alone and I nabbed the box easily. To help block the wind I sat next to a wall and protected all the papers and baggies. Fortunately nothing blew away and I got the box back into its hiding spot without any incidents. this was a quick and easy find and a nice break during my errands.

Pojoaque and Taos Letterboxing

Yesterday Thomas and I talked about getting out of the house and doing something today. So I suggested some letterboxing between Santa Fe and Taos. So I did a search and printed out all the clues for letterboxes that I hadn't found in these areas and got all my supplies ready last night. This morning after having some coffee we headed out. Our first stop was Cities of Gold Casino. We were looking for Tewa Yiya by C4. This box is hidden about 100 feet from the front door of the casino hotel at the handicap parking spots. We parked and I started walking toward the hiding spot and immediately noticed two people standing at the front entrance and there was someone sitting in their car right in front of where the box was hidden. So I turned around and went back to the car and we decided to move and scrap that box - just a really bad hiding spot. We next took NM503 toward Chimayo to find two boxes. First we drove approximately 6.5 miles and stopped at a crossover to find Life is Good by Sunny Delight. This was an easy and quick find. I took it back to the car to stamp in because it was pretty windy this morning. After stamping in and replacing the box we drove about another half mile to find No Longer There! by C4. This was another quick and easy find and again I stamped in while sitting in the car because of the wind. After I stamped in I replaced the box and then we returned to US285/84 and headed north through Espanola and then NM68 up to Taos. When we arrived in Taos we decided to stop and get a bite to eat. So we had a good breakfast at Sagebrush Inn and some more coffee before continuing on. For the next box we headed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We were looking for Popular by The Cruising Crew. We drove across the brigde and to the rest area on the west side. As we pulled in we noticed four EMS vehicles, a hearse and a BLM truck and the trail head was blocked off with yellow crime tape. There were also about 20 people at the trail head. We asked a couple of guys what was going on but they said they couldn't talk about it. They did tell us that the trail would be open in about 10 minutes. We watched them roll a body on a stretcher up to the hearse and load it and then in less than five minutes all the people and vehicles left. We are not sure if it was a suicide or murder but there definitely was a dead body. Anyway, after all everyone left we headed down the trail to find the box. It was only a short distance to the box and we found it without a problem. We found a flat rock to sit on so I could stamp in and I had to have Thomas help me hold papers and logbooks because the wind was quite active. Thankfully we got through the stamping in without anything blowing away and then we got the box back into its hiding spot. We then headed back toward Taos and stopped at Taos Mesa Brewing Company to find a box of the same name by The Cruising Crew. We followed the clues which had us drive through the gate and park. Then they said to walk back toward the gate to the wooden fence on the left. Then it said to follow the rocks to the corner and look under a large rock. I have to tell you by this time I was so confused and I felt very exposed because the building had big windows and I couldn't tell if someone was watching. Also there were a lot of rocks and the clues were a little confusing so I decided to scrap this box as well and we headed out. From here we made our way through Taos and back toward Santa Fe. We made one last stop of the day at a pull our along the Rio Grande to find ArnoldZiffel's Blue River. This was another quick and easy find and a great stamp. Again I brought it back to the car to stamp in because there was still wind to deal with. Once the box was back in its hiding spot we decide to call it a day and return home. We had a great outing and enjoyed the four boxes we found.

Cerrillos Hills and Museum Hill

A couple of days ago I got a note about one of my boxes at Cerrillos Hills State Park and I have been wanting to go out there and hike anyway so I made plans to head out there today. Also there is a new box that I could look for. I made it to the parking area and paid my fee. Then I crossed the road to the Jane Calvin Sanchez trail. When I arrived at the first mine I stopped and from this point on I was checking the clues for my Felis concolor box. So I read the clue and checked the degrees for the side trail and it was fine. I then counted the steps and made it to the next point - everything still good. From here I kept going checking the clues along the way until I reached the box. All the clues were pretty good but since I had a note that the clues were a little off or confusing I decided to tweak them a little. So I added a couple of landmarks and then I added a compass reading at the end to help find the hiding spot. So after I checked the clues and made sure the box was in good shape I returned to the main trail and continued on to find the new box - Cerrillos Birr by Wronghat. I found the landmark and followed the rest of the clues and easily found the box. The box is hidden near a bench so I sat there to stamp in. This is another great stamp by Wronghat and the hiding spot is nice - the views are fantastic. After I replaced the box I continued on the trail which takes me to the main road in the park but up a ways from the main parking lot. So then I walked along the road back to my car.

From Cerrillos I made my way back to Santa Fe and more specifically to Museum Hill. I went back to check on two boxes I couldn't find on Sunday. The first one I looked for is in the overflow parking area for the Folk Art and Indian Museums. I did a really good search and even dug down a bit because the clue said the box was buried. I made sure to check all around the area but I still didn't find the box. So I went over to the Spanish Musuem to check on that box. I first looked under the rock again but no box so then I kept searching the area around the tree and I found the box about a foot from the rock. I took Year of the Horse by Sunny Delight to the car and stamped in there. Wen I was done I returned the box to its hiding spot and made sure the rock was over the box. I am glad I found this one and I hope I just missed the other one - I would really hate it if that box was already missing.

Anyway I had a nice day of letterboxing and I enjoyed my little hike at Cerrillos Hill. There are still a few boxes in the Santa Fe, Pojoaque and Taos areas that I can still look for. Hopefully soon.

Letterboxing on Easter

Today Thomas and I had a quiet morning at home and then went to his Aunt's house for lunch. After a nice meal and visit we decided to get out and do a little letterboxing. I had clues for six boxes in Santa Fe and my letterboxing bag, so we were ready to go.

We drove to Museum Hill where I had clues for three boxes. We first went across from the entrance to the Folk Art, Indian Arts and Anthropology Museums and looked for Straight From the Horses Mouth. From the clues I thought this would be a quick and easy find. We parked and I went to the juniper and saw the flat, red rock but after a few minutes of searching around I couldn't find the box. So I went back to the car and read the clues again and checked under the tree again. I still didn't find the box so I asked Thomas to go and try and he also came back empty handed. I thought this is crazy since the box was just hidden yesterday. Anyway, we decided to try for the next box which was at the Spanish Museum. So we went there and parked. Thomas stayed in the car and I went to find the box - Year of the Horse. It was only a short walk and again I found the rock and a hole but no box. So I returned to the car and wondered what was going on. Two new boxes and both missing. I was not feeling good about the way our letterboxing outing was starting. But we continued on. We next stopped at the entrance to Museum Hill at the Santa Fe Trail sculpture and this time we had better luck. We found Horsin' Around right where it was supposed to be. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box. From here we drove to Amelia White Park and again we had good luck. We found Horse of a Different Color and again I stamped while sitting in the car. After replacing the box we headed for the last box(es) we had clues for. We parked at Monica Lucero Park and walked the trail heading east first. We found Mystery Animal: Of Course without any problems and after stamping in we returned back to the park and then took the trail in the opposite direction to find Mystery Animal: A Horse. Again this was an easy find and I found a nice place to sit and stamp in. After replacing the box we returned to the car and headed for home.

We had a great day out letterboxing and enjoyed all the great stamps we found. I hope that I was just off on the first two but it all seemed very weird. Thanks to Sunny Delight for all these boxes.

Home From Arizona

This morning I was up very early 4:30am and I was on the road by 5:00am. I guess I was ready to be home. I got some coffee and filled the car with gas before leaving Flagstaff and started driving east. I didn't stop until I reached Gallup where I stopped for gas and to get some breakfast and coffee. I took the food to eat in the car and continued my drive. I had an uneventful drive and I was home at about 11:15am.

I had a fantastic trip and you can read all about it at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. I found quite a few letterboxes, met some great new people, visited with old friends and got to see places I had never been. I really loved the area I was in and hope to visit the area again. Now I just need to get back to my normal routine and start planning my next trip.

A Letterbox Trip to North Central Arizona

Even though I was just in Arizona visiting the Grand Canyon and celebrating my friend's (Regina's) birthday I have decided once again to make my way west. This time I am headed out to the Sedona/Prescott area. There is a letterboxing event taking place this coming weekend in Cottonwood and it was schedule for Mark and Sue Pepe's visit to the area. I decided I wanted to get out and do some letterboxing and there are plenty of boxes between here and Prescott. And there is the added bonus of the event. This will be my first time to actually stay in the area, Thomas and I made a quick pass through Sedona a few years ago but we only stayed about half a day. Now I actually get to really see the place. I have decided to write a trip blog about this and you can read all about it at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. I hope to keep up with blogging each night to journal what I did each day. Well it is time to go I have last minute things to do before leaving in the morning.

Lunching with Letterboxers and Finding Two Letterboxes

Today I met Astro D, rubberpeace and ArnoldZiffel for lunch at The Ranch House. We had a great visit and talked a little about trips we have planned. ArnoldZiffel is leaving soon for Eastern Europe, rubberpeace is going to Tucson, Astro D had plans for Truth or Consequences, Flagstaff and Sedona and I am leaving on Monday for the Sedona and Prescott areas. It was a good lunch and visit and it was nice to catch up with everyone.

After lunch I decided to look for a couple of boxes that were recently placed by ArnoldZiffel here in Santa Fe. My first stop was Travel Bug. This is one of my favorite spots - a travel book store and coffee shop. I went in and asked for the box at the counter. The woman knew exactly what I was asking for and I took the box to a table to stamp in. This box is called An American Pig in Paris and I loved the stamp. It was nice to be inside and have a table to use to stamp in - I got a great image of the stamp. When done I returned the box to the woman at the counter and was ready to get to the next box. I drove to Governor Miles and Nizhoni and parked. I read the clues in the car and was able to spot the area where the box was hidden. So I grabbed my things and headed out. I grabbed the box (called Revegetation - great stamps) from its hiding spot (which is wonderfully done) and took it to a spot where I could sit and stamp in. While stamping in someone came up and asked what I was doing - thankfully it was ArnoldZiffel. She lives just around the corner and was taking her dog for a walk. They continued on and I finished stamping in and then replaced the box.

I had a great afternoon visiting with letterboxers and finding letterboxes. I wish I could do that everyday. Thanks ArnoldZiffel for the new boxes and thanks to Astro D, rubberpeace and ArnoldZiffel for a nice visit.