After breakfast and getting the car loaded I headed out to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. I had clues for ten boxes in the park. Five of these were on the Lighthouse Trail. So that was my first stop.
I gathered the clues and my letterboxing stuff and hit the trail. I walked about a half mile and found Bluebonnet Blues and Chili Bowl (two boxes by LittleLeisa in her Texas Symbols Series). These finds were quick and easy and I continued on. Another half mile later I found Silver Eagle's Palo Duro Mouse 2 - well actually I only found half of it. I found the film canister with the logbook in it under a rock at the base of a juniper. When I opened the box there wasn't a stamp in it. So I put it back and continued on. So far I had walked a mile and I continued another mile and seven tenths where I arrived at a bike rack and some steps made into the trail headed up to Lighthouse Rock. The box I was looking for was Eoghan's Lighthouse Letterbox (placed in 2001). I got a link from Silver Eagle to the clues and he told me that because of where the box was hidden it would probably still be there. I kept my hope up. So from the bike rack I followed the clues and with each landmark my hopes strengthened because I was being taken away from the main trail. So I got to the second to last landmark and took my compass reading and found the juniper I needed. I looked for the best route up to the tree and carefully made my way there. BINGO! I found the box hidden well and in a place that should keep it safe for a long time. I stamped the stamp into my logbook and then opened the box's logbook and saw that the last finder was back on November 25, 2007. So I stamped in and put the box back into its hiding spot and made sure it was covered well. Then I had to make my way back to the bike rack and the trail. So I hiked the 2.7 miles back to my car at the trailhead all the while thinking about the beautiful scenery and finding that box - it was a good time. When I got back to the trailhead I tried to find one last box that was hidden near the parking area. I followed the clues and no box. So I did my search radiating from the supposed hiding spot and I found a sterlite container with the latches broken off and some camo tape around the area about 30 feet away. No stamp or logbook to be seen. So I returned to my car and then checked the other clues and headed out to the next boxes. I stopped at the Goodnight Dugout and found one of two boxes and then headed to the Amphitheater to look for another box. I struck out here. One more up at the El Coronado Lodge/Interpretive Center parking area. Here I found Roller Coaster and took the box back to my car to stamp in. Once the box was back in place I left Palo Duro.
Before getting on the road for home I decided to take a few back roads and make my way to Combine City. Not sure when I might get back to this area and decided to get a box that jb kokopelli had placed there. I liked the combines but I am still partial to the cadillacs. I stamped in, replaced the box and headed for the interstate. I got on I27 and then merged on to I40. Okay, one last stop (at the cadillacs) to find Astro D's Mad Cad. What should have been a quick and easy find took me about 30 minutes. I have been here a few time and have never seen the place this busy. But with a little patience and stealth I managed to get the box and bring it back to the car and stamp in and get it back in place without being detected.
Now it was really time to get back on the road. A few long hours later I arrived home. Thankful for a safe trip, thankful for great visits with friends, thankful for all the letterboxes placed in Texas by some wonderful letterboxers and thankful to be home with Thomas and my dogs. It is nice to be home and I am looking forward to the next trip.
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