Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies

This box was planted for the 2008 Michigan Spring Gathering, Faeries of the Forest, at Bertha Brock County Park near Ionia, MI. A trail map is strongly recommended and can be found online.

Getting There…

Follow M-21 east from Grand Rapids. A few miles after passing through the town of Ionia, the park will be on your right.

Clues…

All the world is a stage and tonight’s performance on the 10-11 stage is the beloved “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies”. Enter stage south and proceed to the red sign marking the reserved seating area. Walk along the raised green corridor for 12 paces @ 300 degrees to the empty seat at the end. Enjoy the show!

Lake Michigan Chicken

This box was planted for the 2007 Michigan Fall Gathering (”It’s a Wing Thing”) at Pigeon Creek Park in West Olive, MI. A trail map is strongly recommended and can be obtained from the Ottawa County Park Commission. Trail maps are also posted at the park.

Getting There…

U.S. 31 north from Holland or south from Grand Haven. East on Stanton for about 3 miles to the park entrance.

Clues…

Down on his farm near the Lake Michigan shore Old MacDonald is distraught and puzzled. His beloved chicken has flown the coop! For some reason that darn bird thinks she is a pigeon and has headed over to Pigeon Creek Park. But in the hen house, she left some clues… a nesting box with numbers and letters scrawled on the eggs, and a hand-written note (hope her chicken scratch isn’t too difficult to read).

Wings of Beauty

This box was planted for the 2007 Michigan Fall Gathering, It’s a Wing Thing, at Pigeon Creek Park in West Olive, MI. A trail map is strongly recommended and can be obtained from the Ottawa County Park Commission. Trail maps are also posted at the park.

Getting There…

U.S. 31 north from Holland or south from Grand Haven. East on Stanton for about 3 miles to the park entrance.

Clues…

• 310°
• 26
• 6
• 360°
• 3

Heading north from ________, watch for Mark/Dave/AL. See a ________-trunk tree with one naked limb standing at ________. Find beauty ________ steps at ________ in the “Y” of a fallen log.

Morning Monster Mash

The 3 letterboxes in this series are part of a 15-box collection of boxes originally planted for the 2006 MI Fall Mystery Gathering (Cereal City Circus). The boxes are located at Fort Custer State Park in Battle Creek, MI.

A few additional notes:

• Much of Fort Custer Recreation Area is open to small game hunting this time of year. The ranger assures me they have not had an accident with a hunter and a hiker, but please be careful out there!
• Many of the trails at Fort Custer are shared with bicyclists and horses – watch for road apples and step to the side of the trail when bikes come through (or they will run you down).
• There is a lot of poison ivy in some areas of the park, so be careful as you hike and seek the letterboxes.

Clues…

On a sunny fall afternoon Frankenberry, Boo Berry and Count Chocula took off in search of a spot to hold their annual Monster Mash. Since they were sure the party would be rowdy, they headed as far away as the park road would take them. There they found a beautiful lake and a sandy trail heading from the parking area at 130 degrees.

They walked along the lake for a while before the trail turned away and took them through various landscapes – meadow, pine forests… After some time, they reached the intersection with a paved trail that looked like it had at one time been a road. Thinking that they had come back far enough, they started looking for nice hiding spots. Hoping to get lucky, they left the intersection, following the horseshoe and followed the trail until they came upon another horseshoe. This time a side path off to the left looked promising so they followed it as far as they could go. They looked around a little and decided it was a good spot. Boo volunteered to stay back while Frank and the Count looked a bit more. Boo spotted a fallen log at 325 degrees and slipped inside the hollow end, waiting for the others to return.

Frank and the Count headed back to the horseshoe intersection. They decided to follow the path at 275 degrees to a place that looked familiar, where they took a left. They walked through an area of creepy hanging evergreens, came out into a meadow area and then entered back into an area of brightly colored deciduous trees after rounding a hairpin turn. A short distance up the trail, they spotted something not natural to the forest on their left. Proceeding to the place on the trail where this object lay at 60 degrees, they noted a clearing on their right. They followed the clearing path 50 paces to a place where a 3-trunk poplar tree stood on the left and agreed this would also be a great spot. Frank volunteered to wait here while the Count went further up the trail. Frank spotted a fallen log at 155 degrees and slipped under it to wait for the Count to return.

The Count headed back out to the main trail and continued in a southerly direction. After passing through an area of large evergreens he could see the lake through the trees on the other side of the open field. The trail turned to the north and then rounded a hairpin turn as it headed up root steps. He walked for a while in a southerly direction until he came to the intersection with a less defined trail on his right. At 255 degrees he spotted another good spot and headed over to investigate. Hmmm, I think I’ll just rest for a minute right here in the end of this fallen tree.

Punkin’ Patch Kids Series

This 9-box series was originally planted for the 2006 MI Fall Gathering. Yankee Springs Recreation Area was once the hunting grounds of the Algonquin Indians and the famous Chieftain, Chief Noonday. The site was established in 1835 and the village was made famous by Yankee Bill Lewis who owned and operated a hotel along the stagecoach run from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids. The rugged terrain, the bogs and marshes, the lakes and streams, and the unique beauty of the park’s 5,200 acres lend itself to many forms of recreation.

Three special points of interest in the park are: Devil’s Soupbowl, a glacially carved kettle formation, Graves Hill Overlook and The Pines, accessible from the extensive 30 mile hiking trail system.

Getting There…

The main entrance to Yankee Springs is located off Chief Noonday Road (M-179), about 7 miles off U.S. 131 between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Exit U.S. 131 at M-179 (exit 61 - Bradley/Hopkins); follow M-179 east for 7 miles to Briggs Road. Entrance is about 3/4 mile south on Briggs Road. A Michigan State Parks vehicle sticker is required. A park map is highly recommended and can be downloaded here.

Clues…

If you look at a map of the Yankee Springs Rec Area, you will find a small lake along the northern edge called MacDonald Lake. At one time Sirus MacDonald, an old Yankee farmer, laid claim to the property across the entire area as a part of his farm. Now, we all know that there are cows and pigs and chickens down on Old MacDonald’s farm, but for years he also maintained a huge pumpkin patch in the area to the north of Long Lake. Much of the land is now overgrown with pine and deciduous forest, but if you search carefully, a few remaining traces of the pumpkin patch can be found. You see, pumpkins reseed themselves and one year as the pumpkins were carved with fancy designs for Halloween, the seeds were thrown back into the field, and the next spring, little sprouts came up. These little sprouts, known as the Punkin’ Patch Kids, have made themselves at home in hollows and crannies in the forest and delight in spooking hikers along the Long Lake Trail.

There are 9 Punkin’ Patch Kids to be found… Begin your quest at the trailhead along Briggs Road just north of the Gun Lake Unit entrance. Clues are given in linear fashion, meaning each one picks up where the last one left off. You will walk the entire length of the Long Lake Trail and small sections of adjoining trails.

To Box #1…

Shortly after setting off on the trail, you will pass the rustic camping area. Explore if you must, but none of the Punkin’ Patch Kids are hiding here. As you continue on the trail, you will come to a place where a long fallen log hangs out partially onto the path. Stop here and take a bearing of 135 degrees to see a tall leaner through the trees. In a hollow between the toes of the leaner, hides KITTY FACE.

To Box #2…

Continuing along the trail, you will see an odd-looking arched tree ahead where the trail turns to head at 130 degrees. Stop for a minute to examine this perfectly arched tree. Standing at the root end, take a bearing of 345 degrees. There you will find BAT EYES hiding behind a piece of bark in the hollow of a decaying stump.

To Box #3…

Continue along now, carefully walking the planks. When you are once again on terra firma, stay your course (you didn’t want to climb that hill anyway, did you?) and Long Lake will soon come into view through the trees to your right. This is as close as you will get to the lake, so if you must see, detour down a side-path if you wish and return to the main trail when you are finished. Eventually you will cross a small wooden footbridge and then head gradually uphill. Upon reaching the wooden trail post, you will do right to remain true to blue. At the next wooden trail post, again remain true to blue, even though it may not be the right choice this time. 40 paces beyond the next colored trail marker, see the butt end of a stump hoisted in the air between two legs which are lying on the ground. Follow the easternmost leg to the place where it meets a cross-over log and slightly lifts off the ground. Here you will find TOOTH hiding beneath some pieces of wood.

To Box #4…

As you proceed onward along the trail, you will come upon a naked monstrous tree with a split belly lying to the right of the trail. At the next colored trail marker, another large fallen tree lies to your right. Take a minute to poke around the debris and find FANG hiding in the shallow hollow of a broken off arm.

To Box #5…

Back on the path, watch to your right for the decaying stone foundation of one of old MacDonald’s farm buildings. Soon the trail enters a meadowy area and the path becomes sandy. At the next colored trail marker, find a large octopus tree on your left. Sidetrack down L, inhaling the spicy pine scent. Eighty paces in, notice the humungous multi-trunk pines on your left. Straight ahead the trail splits at an area of low-growing pines. 240 degrees from the yellow arrow, spot a 4-trunk (or is it 5 trunks?) pine with straight, tall, closely spaced legs. In the belly of this tree, find CRAZED enjoying the calm of the pine forest.

To Box #6…

Head back out to the main trail where the octopus tree stands across from the colored trail marker and continue on your way. Climb a small hill and as the path levels out, enjoy the soft carpet of pine needles underfoot. Check out that big pine with the low serpent-branch on your right. 80 degrees from the trunk of this tree, find CASPER hiding in the hollow of a fallen tree.

To Box #7…

Continuing on, follow the trail down and out of the pines. Be careful of the rocks underfoot as you head uphill and to the right. At the next wooden trail marker, it appears your trail has ended… proceed just ahead to another wooden marker to see if you can find it there. Hmmm, not there either. Follow LE ahead and up root steps. Oh look, it is still your trail! As you proceed ahead toward the orange, beware of poison ivy along both sides of the path. Pass through both oranges and continue straight ahead on the path. At the top of a hill, two large rocks lie in your path. From here 35 paces brings you to an incredibly huge tree that starts as a 4-trunker and multiplies on the way up. Again pass through orange and straight ahead on the path. Here your trail ends. Turn to the right, where the trail follows the road for a little while, then turns away. Soon you will come across a 3-ft. round wooden post on your left and just up ahead a trail marker identifies your new trail. At the next colored trail marker, which stands near an intersection, take a bearing of 320 degrees and proceed 40 paces to find REX hiding at the “X”.

To Box #8…

Back at the trail, turn around and head back the way you came. Pass the “T” with your original trail and proceed straight ahead. Just past the 2nd wooden trail marker, the path turns sharply to the right as it enters an area of many fallen trees. As you leave this area of debris, the path takes a hairpin turn to the left and heads uphill. When you reach the next colored trail marker, turn around and come back 100 paces. Find a rock with a flat top off the trail to your left. Hiding under the back edge of this rock, find FRAIDY.

To Box #9…

Continue retracing your steps back to the “T” with your original trail and follow it across the road and through the orange. Enjoy the walk back, knowing there is only one more Punkin’ Patch Kid waiting for you; he is hiding right along the path you came on! After passing through the meadow area, begin counting the colored trail markers, starting with the one by the large fallen tree where you found Fang. After the third colored marker, watch for the next wooden marker. Due north from here, “X” marks the spot (no pun in tended) where you will find FRECKLES hiding under the logs.

Continue retracing your steps back to the trailhead at Briggs Road.