The event today (13th Annual Tucson Gathering: A Colossal Event) didn't start until 10:00am so I didn't set an alarm. I figured that I would be awake early enough to make it to Colossal Cave well before the event started. Last night I also got things ready - I had clues, personal travelers and directions. As it turned out I was up at 5:30am. So I got ready and headed out. Since I already had clues I didn't need to wait until the event started. One clue I had was at a pullout on the road to the park. I parked and followed the clues, found the box and took it back to the car to stamp in. As I was stamping in a car pulled up behind me. I figured it had to be another letterboxer - I mean, really, who else would be at a pullout at 7:00am on a two lane road headed to a park near Vail, AZ. The woman who got out of the car wasn't anyone I recognized but she had some papers in her hand so I figured she was letterboxing. So I opened my car door and asked "Which Way is North?", and she pointed skyward. We introduced ourselves and I recognized the name but we had never met. It was Baqash - I have found many of her boxes. So we shared the box and when we had both stamped in she got back in her car and headed for the park while I put the box back in its hiding spot - that box was "Do I Feel Lucky?" Well, Do You, Punk? by The Man With No Name.
Now I could continue to the park. As I entered I took the road to the Cave entrance. But I didn't have to go that far. I stopped at a parking area for oversized vehicles and parked. Here I looked for Spelunk Spelunk by Baqash. This was a quick and easy find and in no time I had stamped in and replaced the box. So I headed to the road that leads to the picnic areas and turned into La Posta Quemado Ranch. I first went to the Ranch Headquarters and Museum area and parked. First I looked for Azroadie's Olde Goat on the Trail of the Ancestors. It was only a short walk up the trail to the box. I stamped in, replaced the box and walked back to the trail head. Next, I wanted to look for Desert Flower's Symbols of Bad Luck. This is a series of two boxes. I first had to walk up the exit road to an unnamed trail. I then followed the clues and found both boxes - Black Cat and Ladder. Once I was done with these two boxes I walked back to my car. I then drove down to the parking area near the group pavilion where the event was going to take place. It was still early and I decided do a hike and look for a series of seven boxes and two other boxes. I read the clues to see what landmarks I needed and then I started up the trail. Not far up the trail I found the first box in the series - If It Weren't For Bad Luck by FamilyTreeShaker. Then I continued on. Between boxes #2 and #3 of the series I found a box by Desert Flower - A Rock. I was doing great through box #3 but after that my brain decided it didn't want to work anymonre. Somehow I missed the landmarks for boxes 4, 5 & 6. Before I knew it I was at the landmark for box #7. I found that box and stamped in and then looked for Great Seal of Arizona Territory 1863 by Baqash. After stamping in and replacing the box I retraced my step trying to find box #6. But for some reason it wasn't working. So I decided to return to box #3 and start again from there. As I walked back I met up with a couple and talked to them about the landmarks I missed. They had just come from box #4 so they pointed me in the right direction and then we parted ways. I found box #4 and stamped in and then headed for box #5. When I arrived there the couple was just starting to stamp in so they invited me to join them. After that the three of us headed to box #6. With a little work we found the landmarks and then the box. Finally, I was now finished with the series and I had found Bird, Splash, Ball, Flat Tire, Potty, Gum and Dog. So I made my way back down the trail and to the pavilion where the event had started. When I was walking up to the pavilion both Desert Flower and FamilyTreeShaker pointed at me and said "Come Here!". FamilyTreeShaker had recarved the Abscraps stamp that I looked for the other day and was missing. I had brought her the box so she said I could have the stamp so I didn't have to do the hike again. While I was stamping in Desert Flower presented me with a certificate - I had earned my Bachelor's Degree in her Baja Botany series. After that I visited for a bit and then looked for another series of boxes hidden around the pavilion. That series was I Have a Fear. There were five boxes in the series and they were just numbered, no names. When I found the first box it was letters - Tris. Then it when in order with kai, deka, phobia. After you found box 4 you had to go to FamilyTreeShaker and answer a question. She asked me "Spell it?" So I said I - T. She laughed and then said no spell the word you found in the stamps without looking. So I spelled T-R-I-S-K-A-I-D-E-K-A-P-H-O-B-I-A and was rewarded with a fifth stamp - the number 13 and the circle with a slash through it. I really liked this series. I had found all the boxes hidden for the event so I had something to eat, visited with people and did some exchanges.
Around 3:00pm I decided to call it a day. I had gotten up early and was tired. On the way back to the hotel I stopped and filled the car with gas. When I got to my room I started packing and getting things ready for my drive home tomorrow. Then I logged in my finds and wrote this post. Now I am going to get some sleep so that I can leave early in the morning.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
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