Letterboxing in the Shadows of America's Mountain

Thomas is attending a WASHTO Conference and I am tagging along to do a little letterboxing in and around Colorado Springs.
July 7 - 12, 2012

Headed Home

Well we headed back to Santa Fe this morning so that Thomas can get to the dentist and get his tooth taken care of.

Pronghorn Antelope

The meds the dentist got him have helped a little but he really needs to get it checked out. So we were on the road by 6:00am. We drove non stop until we got to Trinida and decided to stop in Trinidad to have a little breakfast. After eating and then filling the car with gas we continued on our drive. We then made one other stop at a rest area just south of Wagon Mound to find a new letterbox placed by ArnoldZiffel just last week. I easily found Pronghorn Antelope and stamped in on a low rock wall near the hiding spot. Thomas ended up talking to the grounds keeper to distract him so that I could put the box back in place without being seen. Now that the box was back in place we continued to Santa Fe - I drove while Thomas slept in the back seat. It was a good trip except for Thomas' toothache but it is good to be home. I now have to get prepared for our trip to Philadelphia - we leave in a little over a week.

Letterboxing in Colorado Springs (Oh, and Visiting Paint Mines)

This morning I slept in and then relaxed with coffee before beginning my day. Thomas was up early and had left to attend his conference. Finally I got my things together and left the hotel around 9:00am. I decided to drive to Calhan this morning. Yesterday I headed west on Hwy 24 and today I was traveling east on Hwy 24 - and not quite as far as I had driven yesterday. I drove about 30 miles to the town of Calhan and to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park. I had clues to two boxes here and when I was researching the area I got really excited about visiting the park.

Paint Mines Entrance Sign

I arrived at the park and looked for one of the boxes in the parking area but I was unable to find it. So I started on the trail and looked for the second box not too far from the parking area but again I was unable to find it. So I put the clues away and grabbed my camera and hit the trail winding through the Paint Mines. I spent about an hour walking through the park and taking pictures - the formations and colors were spectacular and I was really glad I drove out here. But it was starting to get hot and I decided I should head back to the car and return to Colorado Springs.

Paint Mine Views

I arrived back in Colorado Springs and set the Garmin to find my first box of the day. Before we left Santa Fe I mapped out the boxes I wanted to look for and grouped them into areas of Colorado Springs. So I started in the northeast area of the city (well kind of, according to the way I mapped things out). My first stop was for the Homestead Trail Prairie Grass letterbox. This was about a mile round trip walk on a trail through a neighborhood. At the spot where I found the box there were great views of Pikes Peak and the Air Force Academy. After stamping in and putting the box back into place I returned to my car. From here I made my way to Barnes Rd. and to a ballet school. This box was hidden in the parking lot of a strip mall. I felt too out in the open and that people in the buildings could see me - so I gave the area a quick once over but didn't find the box and I decided to leave the area because it gave me an uncomfortable feeling. I then headed out to find Blarney's Caper. I went to three different parks to find the three boxes in this series and did not find one of them. Not sure if they were missing or if I just missed them but I decided not to worry about it and move on. So far I was one for seven. I then drove to Gambol Quail Drive and walked a trail along a creek for a short distance to a small waterfall. Here I found Blarney's Caper #4: The Celtic Cross.

View of Pikes Peak

I stamped in enjoying the sound of the water and the coolness in the shade of some trees. After rehiding the box I made my way back to the car and headed for my next box. This one was at Dublin Park and is called "Leap" Year Letterbox. The park was a little busy and I had to be sneaky to get the box. I then stamped in on a bench out of the way of all the people. Getting the box back in place was really hard and I had to wait until some kids ran off to play in another area of the park. Finally I got it hidden again and I could be on my way. The next one is a mystery box called It's a Mystery! and I headed to that location. I found the spot quickly enough but had to wait because there were muggles (again) right where I needed to be. After about fifteen minutes I was able to retrieve the box and stamp in. Getting the box back into place was easier and then I was able to continue on. When I got back to the car I had a message from Thomas - he was at the hotel and was having a really bad toothache (it had started on Sunday and was just getting worse) and he had called our dentist in Santa Fe to get some pain meds. The dentist called in a prescription for pain meds and antibiotics and he needed me to go pick them up for him. So I decided to stop for one last letterbox on the way back to the hotel and then call it a day. So my last stop of the day was at Evergreen Cemetery. This place was huge. It took me more time to drive through the cemetery to the hiding spot than it did to get the box and stamp in. The box I found here was Westward Ho and I stamped in quickly and got it back in place so I could get back to Thomas. I ended up finding five boxes out of the twelve I looked for.

I got back to the hotel and picked up Thomas and then we headed to Walgreens to get his prescription. After that we stopped for something to eat (since neither of us has lunch) and then returned to the hotel. Thomas had talked to the dentist again and he scheduled an appointment for tomorrow at 3:00pm so we needed to leave early in the morning to get home - cutting out trip to Colorado Springs short. But Thomas needed to get his tooth taken care of so we got things packed and ready for tomorrow.

Leadville or Bust!

My plan for today was to drive Hwy 24 from Colorado Springs to Leadville passing through Woodland Park, Divide, Buena Vista and Granite along the way.

Foggy View along Hwy 24

I decided to leave early and drive straight through without stopping - even though I did stop for a few pictures I didn't stop for anything else. The drive proved to be a little stressful. From Colorado Springs to Buena Vista it was very foggy. There was a few times when the fog was gone and the views were wonderful but mostly is was foggy and that made the drive very long. Then after Buena Vista the fog lifted and the drive became much more beautiful. The scenery was fantastic and I finally arrived in Leadville.

The first letterbox I looked for was a little north of Leadville. I got to the area and searched for the box but came up empty handed. I looked at the picture clue and realized the sign I was checking was different. So I drove a little further and did not find another sign so I returned to the first one and checked again. My thinking is that they put up a new sign with the same wording but a little different and the box disappeared with the original sign. I was a little disappointed in not finding the box but it was time to return to Leadville and look for other boxes. (I haven't said which box I was looking for since it is a mystery.) I arrived back in town and then headed out of town again (only a little ways) to the Matchless Mine. I parked just past the mine and headed out to find two boxes - Baby Doe and Silver Dollar Tabor. These were only a short distance away from the parking and I found them quickly. I stamped in and then put the boxes back in place. I drove into Leadville and parked and did a little walking down Harrison Ave. (aka Hwy 24).

Golden Burro Cafe

I passed by The Golden Burro Cafe and Lounge and as I passed I nabbed The Golden Burro letterbox. I found a bench to sit on and stamp and also do a little people watching. After the fog I drove through I was really enjoying the beautiful weather in Leadville. I replaced the box and continued walking around. I made a quick stop at the Visitors Center and grabbed a map. With the map in hand I made my way to the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. Here I found The Cloud City letterbox. It was a quick grab just outside the entrance to the museum and I stamped in while sitting in the car. After rehiding the box I went in and spent a little time in the museum. I later walked back to my car to continue letterboxing in the area.

I left the downtown area of Leadville and drove out to Evergreen Cemetery on McWerthy Dr. to find Wild West Outlaws: Doc Holliday letterbox. This was a quick and easy find and I stamped in while sitting in my car. And after getting the box back into its hiding spot I headed out on County Road 4 towards Turquoise Lake.

Turquoise Lake

I had clues for four boxes around the lake. I had put the clues in order of how I would arrive at the boxes as I drove toward the lake. So my first stop was at an informational sign to find Batty for Leadville. This was just a few steps down a little trail behind the signs. I found it and stamped in using the rock it was hidden under as a table. I then replaced it and continued my drive. I stopped again at the intersection of CR 4 and CR 9C and found Molly Brown letterbox. Another quick find and again I stamped in using the rock it was hidden under as a table. From here I drove a little ways up CR 9C to the Matchless Boat Ramp area and parked. I walked the Nature Trail to find Turquoise Two Trees. I followed the clues and found all the landmarks but after about fifteen minutes of searching the area I came up empty handed. So I returned to my car to go and look for the last box on my list. Even though it was marked as retired I still decided that since I was at the lake I should at least check on it. I am glad I did. I followed the clues and found the box without any problems and after stamping in it was time to leave Turquoise Lake. I returned to Leadville to fill the car with gas and get a snack before beginning my trip headed back to Colorado Springs.

Just south of Leadville I took CO Hwy 300 to CR 5 to the Mt. Massive Golf Course and more specifically Kendrick Park - which is located behind the golf course and uses the same parking area. Just a few steps from the gate to Kendrick Park I found the Wild West Outlaws: Jesse James letterbox. I sat in the shade of the trees and stamped in and then rehid the box and continued on my quest for boxes. I returned to CO Hwy 300 and drove about another mile to the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. Here I was looking for Mountain Trout letterbox. It is hidden on the Nature Trail which is a one mile loop trail. I decided to walk the entire trail just to get a little exercise. So I parked right near the entrance in a parking area where the Nature Trail started. As it turned out the box was at the far end of the trail so I ended up walking the entire trail even if I hadn't wanted to. I enjoyed the trail - it was very shaded and cool and there were ponds and streams all around. The sound of the streams moving over rocks was really enjoyable. I found the box and sat on an old log and stamped in to the box. Then I returned to my car and head back to US 24 to Granite. Once on Hwy 24 I traveled to CR 390 and parked at Clear Creek Reservoir and found The Lake County Wars. A quick and easy find and I stamped in while sitting in the car. I really loved this stamp - thanks RNR. I made my way back the Hwy 24 and drove a mile down the road to a pullout for Tiger Lily Creek and found High Country Wildlife. Another great stamp and a quick find.

Now continuing on my plan was to stop in Buena Vista for a few stamps but just before I arrived there it started to rain and by the time I reached Buena Vista it was pouring so I drove right on through and continued to my next stop. And that stop was in Divide. I made my way to Hayden Divide Community Park to find Colorful Colorado: Divide letterbox. I quickly found the box and stamped in and then got it back into place before heading back to Hwy 24. I left Divide and continued on to Woodland Park. As I neared Woodland Park I was looking for a turnoff but somehow missed it and didn't realize it until I arrived in Woodland Park.

Dinosaur Resource Center

So I opted to fore go that box and stopped at the Dinosaur Resource Center instead. I parked, followed the clues and easily found the box. I stamped in at a picnic table in the area and then put the box back into place. Then I drove to a Post Office on Tamarac to find Walter's Goin' Postal. I found Walter quickly and stamped in and returned the box to its hiding spot. I didn't spend much time in Woodland Park because it had been a long day and a long drive, and because of the fog in the morning I was ready to call it a day. Thomas had also called and was waiting for me to return to the hotel so that we could go out to dinner.

As I left Woodland Park and made my way down Hwy 24 toward Colorado Springs I drove through Green Mountain Falls, Cascade and Manitou Springs. Along the way I met up with a traffic jam and we had to merge into one lane. I couldn't see what was going on up ahead but as I got closer I saw that there had been a mud and rock slide and it was blocking the west bound lanes of Hwy 24. So they had to re-route all the traffic which caused the back up. Fortunately, I was in the east bound lanes and there wasn't too much traffic and I quickly got through but I did notice that the west bound lanes were backed up for quite a distance. I really had a great day and even with the fog I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and I found some great boxes. Thomas and I had a great dinner to end the day. Tomorrow I think I am staying closer to Colorado Springs.

Pikes Peak and Manitou Springs

When Thomas and I first planned this trip we had decided to come a day early for the main purpose of driving the Pikes Peak Highway. Then the Waldo Canyon Fire happened and then I found out that there was the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb happening on Sunday, July 8th - the same day that we had available to drive Pikes Peak. The Fire ended up postponing the Hill Climb which allowed our original plans to work out.

So this morning we were up around 6:30am and gathered our things and headed out. We stopped for breakfast first and then headed for the mountain. The weather was overcast and we noticed some clouds hanging out at the top of Pikes Peak but we decided we would drive up there anyway. We arrived at the tollgate, paid our fees and got a map and audio driving tour CD. The man at the tollgate told us there were clouds at the top that were obstructing views there but along the way we would have great views. He also suggested that we go straight to the top and then stop where ever we wanted on the way down. With all that information we began our ascent. At this point the temperature was somewhere in the high 50's.

Big Foot Crossing

There were different places I wanted to stop at to see and take pictures and then of course there were letterboxes. We played the CD and learned lots about Pikes Peak and the Highway - I really enjoyed listening to it while driving up the mountain. Just past Mile Marker 3 is a pullout with a 'Big Foot Crossing Sign'. So we stopped to take a picture then drove about .1 miles past the sign to another pullout and parked here to go for a short hike to find Big Foot X-ing letterbox. You can read about the sign and Big Foot at Fun Facts about Pikes Peak. We left our car at the pullout and crossed the road, went around a brown gate blocking an old service road and walked for about a quarter mile. We easily found the letterbox and stamped in. After returning the box to its hiding spot we spent some time enjoying the views and the area - I could see Big Foot living in this forest. Once back in the car we continued our drive to the summit. We didn't stop again until we arrived at the top. the drive was terrific and the views were wonderful. There were times where the clouds obscured the views but mostly it was clear until right at the summit.

Summit View

At the summit, we got out of the car and realized it was very cold. I was wearing shorts and Thomas had jeans - luckily we had brought caps and jackets. This helped but it was still cold - we found out the temperature at the summit was around 38 degrees when we arrived. We walked around the area taking in the views (what views we had through the clouds) and then walked through the Summit House. We ended up spending about 40 minutes at the top before heading back down. As we descended we stop at different pullouts to take in the views and take some pictures. We also stopped for some letterboxes.

Our first stop on the way down was at the Glen Cove Inn. I found Sitting on Sunshine up a little hill just down from the Inn. I stamped in while sitting in a secluded little wooded area - it was so peaceful. I returned to the car and we continued our drive. The next stop was at Crystal Reservoir. There were two letterboxes here to find and the total hike was between one and two miles. along the way we had great views of the Reservoir. We first found Pikes Peak. We had a little trouble with the clues but in the end it worked out. I stamped in and rehid the box. Before we left that area we decided to read the other clues and see if we were Win the right area or not. We figured out we still had a little distance to cover before getting to the next box. That box was Pikes Hike. We followed the clues and as I approached the hiding spot I noticed the box out in the open.

The Long and Winding Road

Then I saw that the box was open and the lid was about a foot away from the bottom of the box. We searched around the area and found a baggie for the logbook but we didn't find the logbook or the stamp - what a bummer, especially since this happened recently - there was a find logged on the box on June 3, 2012. So we returned to the Visitors Center and looked around a little before continuing our drive.

We made one last stop at Crowe Gulch Picnic Area. I had clues for two boxes in this area. We started looking for Pikes Peak Gnome and we had trouble following the clues but after some discussion we found a needed landmark and eventually the box. After stamping in and putting the box back in place we looked for the next box - Crowe's Gulch. We didn't have any trouble following these clues but we never did find the box. We think we were in the right area but we came up empty handed and headed back to the car. In no time we were back at the tollgate and leaving America's Mountain behind us. This drive is something Thomas and I have wanted to do for a long time and we loved it - I am glad we made time for it today.

Manitou Springs

We returned to Hwy 24 and headed back east toward Colorado Springs and decided to stop in Manitou Springs to check it out. There was also a letterbox that I was looking for. As we headed into town we noticed lots of people and cars and we had trouble finding a parking spot in the downtown area. So we headed up a hill to some back streets and found a parking spot about four blocks away. We left the car and went in search of the box. It is a mystery box and has some pictures for the clues. I had figured out most of it at home using Google maps but the last little bit took us a little time to work out. But we persisted and found the box. Once we had stamped in we headed to the main street to walk around. We grabbed a milk shake at Patsy's Candies and walked the street visiting the shops. About an hour later we decided we were hungry and we stopped and had pizza at Hell's Kitchen. This place was great. The staff was very friendly and the cook even added extra ingredients to our pizza and gave us a large instead of the small we ordered. And the pizza was great. After eating we made our way back to the car and decided to try for one more letterbox before heading to the hotel for some rest. We looked for and found National Treasure: The President's Book of Secrets. I won't tell you where we went because you do have to figure out some things from the clues but I can say that I figured everything out at home and went straight to the box when we arrived at the location.

We had a great day and enjoyed Pikes Peak and Manitou Springs. I am hoping for some good sleep tonight as tomorrow will be another day packed with things to do.

Santa Fe to Colorado Springs (Letterboxing along I25)

Little Rock Church

We were up early and on the road around 6:00am leaving Santa Fe behind and headed for Colorado Springs. Not too far up the interstate we decided to stop in Las Vegas for some breakfast before continuing our trip. It was a nice drive from Santa Fe to Raton - I25 was quiet, very few cars and beautiful views. We arrived in Raton and took the exit for Hwy 72 headed east towards Folsom. We drove about 17 miles and enjoyed the area. At this point we arrived at St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church on Johnson Mesa. We walked around the building and then searched for a letterbox - Little Rock Church. It took us two tries to find it - we seemed to be having compass troubles or the directions were wrong - not sure. But anyway we found it and stamped in. After the box was hidden again we returned to I25 and continued our drive north.

What a View!

Our next stop was in Trinidad. We were looking for two boxes Mazel Tov and Ring-a-ding-ding. We stopped at Temple Aaron for the first box - a quick drive by and then at the City Hall for the second box - another quick drive by. We found both boxes, stamped in, got them hidden again and we were back on the road in about 35 minutes. Talk about drive by! Then just 30 minutes up I25 we exited and made our way to Aguilar. We didn't actually drive into the town we just stopped at the town sign just before reaching town. Here we found Al Capone. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then returned the box to its hiding spot. I guess Al Capone hid out in the area at some time - nice history lesson. We now made our way back to I25 and headed to Walsenburg. Once we were in town we stopped to fill the car with gas and got a suggestion for lunch. We ended up eating at Huerfano Cafe. It was a good lunch of three beef tacos made with corn tortillas. After eating we began our hunt for two letterboxes. For the first one we had to drive about 20 miles west of town on Hwy 160 to a scenic area. Here we found beautiful views and Golden Aspen Leaf. I stamped in and then rehid the box and it wasn't long before we were back in Walsenburg. We then stopped at the Old Huerfano County Jail which is now a Mining Museum. The museum was closed but I had a little laugh at the stuffed prisoner in an upper floor window above the door. I found City Built on Coal in an old coal cart just outside the museum door. I was a little confused by the stamp though. It was a tombstone for Jesse James - not sure what the name of the letterbox had to do with the stamp image. Anyways, I stamped in and put the box back in place. Thomas and I then got back in the car and headed north again.

We drove for a little over an hour before we reached our next destination - Fountain. Once in town we headed for the Fountain Valley Historical Society & Museum. It is only opened on Saturday from 10 to 3. And we arrived in town around 2:30pm. So as not to miss the box here we headed there first. There were two women at the desk and I asked them for the letterbox. They had no idea what I was talking about. After a five minute lesson on letterboxing and some searching in the desk drawers we found the box. While I stamped in to History's Memory Keepers the women kept asking me questions. The whole time I was distracted and I should have been paying more attention.  

 Let me explain - I found a bag in the box and without opening the bag I read on the cover of the journal "hitchhiker". I have the habit of just putting hitchhikers in my letterboxing bag and dealing with them at the end of the day and that is what I did with this one. I then proceeded to take a store bought stamp out of the box and stamp it into my journal and then I stamped my stamp into the letterbox's journal and put everything back in place. I also noted that I was the only one that had stamped into the box (and it was placed back in 2010. I also got the women to stamp the Museum's stamp into my journal. Tonight in the hotel I looked closer at the hitchhiker and noticed there was no stamp in the bag and upon examining the title of the hitchhiker I noticed that it matched the store bought stamp from the box. Now I am confused because I didn't see another stamp in the box. So I am wondering if the Museum's stamp was suppose to be the box's stamp image and the store bought stamp was for the hitchhiker. Anyway I will contact the placer and see what they say but I noticed that they haven't logged into AQ or LbNA in a while - I will see if this mystery get solved or not.

Beanie Baby Cat

So after leaving the Museum we head for the next stamp in town. This one is hidden behind an old one room jail near the library. We found the jail and followed the clues to the back of the building. I found a rock but no box. I then searched in and around all the trees coming up empty handed - well I didn't find the box but I did find a Beanie Baby Cat hanging in one of the trees. I started looking around and saw a logbook like the one in the box at the Museum on the property next to the jail. The property had a No Trespassing sign but Thomas decided to jump the fence and get the logbook. He also found a plastic box wrapped in black tape so he looked for a stamp but didn't find one. During all this time all I could think about was Thomas trespassing and then being arrested and put in this one room jail. Finally I decided to find a rock and use that as a stamp - oh, did I mention that the name of the letterbox was Jailhouse Rock - so the rock seemed appropriate. I inked up a rock and stamped into my logbook. I then put the journal into the plastic box and put that under the rock I had originally found and called it a day. Oh, and the women at the Museum told us to drive by the library since it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's granddaughter - Elizabeth Wright Ingraham.

One last stop before heading to our hotel for the night - Fountain Creek Regional Park. We followed the clues for two boxes (and as I write this and look at my list I realize there was another box just a little further down the trail). We parked at the Nature Center and walked the trail following the clues. We eventually found Bottle of . . . and Colorado Columbine. We enjoyed the park but we did get a little wet. It drizzled most of the time we were out on the trail and did rain pretty hard for a short time (during this we hung out in a viewing shelter until it slacked). Once back at the car we noticed it was 4:30pm and we decided to call it a day. We drove to the hotel and checked in and got some suggestions for dinner. After getting settled in the room we headed out for a bite to eat. Now we are settled in and relaxing and we had a long (but fun) day. We will now rest for whatever tomorrow brings.