Clara's Letterbox
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Easy
Placed: July 29, 2005
By: The Dragon
Location: Blue Earth County, MN
Nearest town: Mankato, MN

Dragon's Home Page
 
CAMOUFLAGED BOX

Part of the New Ulm Series - Click here for more information
 

Thanks to Mary Boorsma for replacing this box for me!  Enjoy!
 
Unfortunately, driving past Sepmann Mill and Minneopa Falls along Hwy 68 also brought back one unpleasant memory.  Just a couple of years after I graduated, one of my best friends from college died in a terrible auto accident on the "S" curve just to the east of the falls turn-off.  As I drove through the area - the first time I had been back to the area since the accident - I looked to see whether there was a roadside memorial to my friend.  Not being too surprised that there was no memorial, I decided to plant a box in memory of her nearby.

Clues:

I didn't need to look far for an appropriate place to plant the box.  Just a little east of where Hwy 68 meets Hwy 60/169 there is a park to the north of Hwy 60/169 called Land of Memories Park.  The access road is marked by a sign in both directions on Hwy 60/169.  Drive into the park and pass the parking lot for the shelter.  Soon you'll need to turn left to avoid entering the camping area where you are not allowed to enter without a camping permit.  Take this road all the way to the end where there is a turn-around for the boat launch and park in the boat launch parking lot.

Walk back over to the boat launch and note the two paths into the woods from there.  You need to take the path to the right when you are facing the river.  This path has a large tree stump in the middle to prevent motorized traffic.  Walk 53 steps down the path and look at the large tree immediately to the right of the path.  It has a face on it!  Lots of the trees in this wood have interesting bumps and boles.  Start counting at the tree with the face.  Count 209 steps and you will come to a sort of raised concrete platform with a metal railing.  Who knows what it once was for but if you climb atop it now you get a nice view of the river.  Now turn to your left and find three trees in a row. The tree to the furthest left has a big stone at its base that the trunk has grown around.  At the back of this rock, under some smaller stones, is the box.  Please re-hide accordingly. 
 

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