Back in Cheyenne for More Boxes

Today is our last day in Wyoming and Thomas is busy most of the day and this evening with the conference. I decided to get up and drive to Cheyenne to do a little letterboxing. I wasn't sure how long I would stay out letterboxing, it all depended on my foot. So I left Laramie around 8:15am and had a nice drive to Cheyenne. I haven't encountered any traffic at all since we have been here. I arrived in Cheyenne and made my way to a little park on the corner of Yellowstone Rd. and Dell Range Blvd. and tried to find a parking spot. There is a very narrow alley next to the park and I was going to park there but my car blocked the entire alley and I didn't think that was a good idea. So I drove around the block and parked on the next street over and walked. I took a couple of pictures of a statue of an elk and then looked for the box. It took me a couple of tries to find The Hunter by Seattle Bound because it was hidden really well. I found a spot to sit and stamp in and then replaced the box. I always like it when I find the first box that I looked for that day - it makes the day feel better. Back at the car I headed over to Lions Park. I had clues for three boxes.

No. 1242 - Old Sadie

First I looked for B&O RR by Celestini. I had to be careful because just around the bend in the sidewalk (slightly hidden by bushes) were six volunteers doing some clean-up. This box is hidden in the area of an old train engine. Once I found the engine I easily found the hiding spot and of course at that same time a guy came up and hung around taking pictures. I ended up waiting a good 15 minutes until he left and then I quickly snatched the box. I took it to a nearby bench and stamped in. Thankfully when I went to put the box back the coast was clear and it was easy to rehide. Next I went to look for 8 Seconds by Seattle Bound. Unfortunately as I followed the clues I ended up exactly where the volunteers were working - so I had to nix this box. I went back to my car and then drove to the back of the park to the Cheyenne Botanical Garden.

Koi Pond - Botanic Garden

Here I looked for Irish Lullaby by Seattle Bound. I followed the clues but at some point I got confused and lost. So I started over and still no luck. So I found one landmark toward the end of the clue and thankfully I found the spot. Then of course the area got busy - so I sat on a bench and waited. Finally there was a break and I dashed for the box. It took me a couple of minutes to find the box because it was really hidden well. I took it back to a bench to stamp in and then had to wait a few minutes for a women who was walking the labyrinth to finish. Once I got the box back into its great hiding spot I returned to the car to decide what to do next. From here I drove to Lakeview Cemetery to find I Left My Heart in Wyoming by Traveling Queen of Hearts. I had a little problem finding the gravesite I needed and I spent quite a bit of time searching in one area but still couldn't find the grave. After checking every head stone in that area I moved on to the adjacent area. I found the grave just past the marker for the next section. The clue said the box was in a tree and there was a small bush next to the head stone and the box was sitting at the base of the bush and not covered. I brought the box back to the car to stamp in. When I went to put the box back in place I tried to hide it better but the branches were really dense and I couldn't push it further under the tree. So I placed it as best as I could and then went to see if I could find a rock or some sticks or something to conceal it. I wasn't able to find anything. So I left it the way it was and planned to send the placer a note. I left the cemetery and made my way to the next box - Yummy Honey by The Woodshed. The clues were spot on and I easily found the box and stamped in quickly and then put it back in place. I worked quickly with this box because the area was really busy and I had to move between cars and people passing by.

I went back to my car and looked at the list of boxes I hadn't looked for yet and nothing appealed to me so I decided to head back west and stop at Vedauwoo Recreation Area to look for a few boxes.

Vedauwoo Recreation Area

Thomas and I had wanted to go to this area yesterday but it was raining so we changed our plans. So today I took the exit and made my way to the entrance of the recreation area. There was a parking area and fee station as soon as I turned in so I parked there, paid my fee and then read the clues to see where I needed to go. One of the clues sounded like it was where I was parked but one thing seemed off. I still went in search of it and ended up looking under every rock I could find. But I didn't find the box. And while I was walking around the sky darkened and thunder rolled and by the time I got back to the car it was raining. For some reason I felt that this was just a quick little downpour and it would stop soon. So I drove into the recreation area trying to find a parking area for the Box Canyon Trail. It was like a maze and with the rain I was getting confused but with pure luck I ended up in the right parking lot. I waited about 5 minutes and sure enough the rain stopped, the clouds moved on and the sun came out. So I gathered my things and headed down the trail. For the first part of the clue I was on a paved trail and needed to get to a gravel trail.

She Almost Made Me Pee in My Pants

So I am walking along and enjoying the scenery and not too far up ahead I could see the gravel. I was focusing on the gravel trail and all of a sudden I was brought back to where I was because of some loud noise and movement in the bushes to my right. I froze in place and turned to my right to look and a mama moose and her baby came from around a gigantic boulder through the bushes about ten feet from me. The mama looked at me but didn't seem concerned but I didn't want to take any chances. So I went off the trail on the other side and squeezed between about 25 trees all standing close together. I felt that if she did want to charge to protect her baby she probably couldn't get through. (Please don't tell me I was wrong about that because thinking I was safe in the trees is the only thing that kept me from peeing in my pants. At this point I decided I didn't want to continue looking for the box alone and was going to return to my car. But guess what - both the mama and baby were actually standing right in the middle of the trail blocking my path to the car. A few minutes later a couple came from the gravel trail and they stopped and talked to me. They had seen another moose on the trail where they had just come. That sealed the deal - there was no way I was going on that trail by myself. We ended up waiting almost ten minutes for the moose to move far enough away that we could pass safely. Once I got back to the car I decided it was time to call it a day. I partly used the excuse that I had been walking too much on my foot without my boot and I needed to get to the hotel and put it on.

The first thing I did when I got back to the hotel was to take a shower and then I got the boot on and finally felt relaxed. Then I got some things packed and ready so I don't have too much to do in the morning and we can get an early start. I had fun letterboxing in Wyoming and found some great boxes - thanks to all who placed boxes in Laramie and Cheyenne.