After talking with Heather on the phone about LETTERBOXES, I went on my first expedition tonight on Y Mountain. By myself. (Wierd thing; I knocked on this one girl's apt. door to invite her to go on the adventure with me, but her roommate told me she was already out on a date. Later, I SAW HER ON THE MOUNTAIN! Wierd.)
Here is a photo of journal that goes along with the description below.
This is glam shot I took in the bathroom before going over to the girl's apartment.
This is me driving to the Y with chocolate cupcake on my face. (A boy's got to keep his energy up for the big hike.)
At the trailhead I marked the time: 22:22. It only took me 20 minutes to make it all the way up (subtract the time it took to take a few quick pics.)
According to the instructions, I needed to count the number of posts on the 3rd, Left Fence. There were 14! (I did a little extra credit and added a paragraph below that I will submit to The Blue Julius.)
This is the 14th retaining wall. I did, in fact, ask it if it was the correct marker, and it gave a unequivocal reply: YES. (This will make more sense later on...)
After 20 minutes of scouring the mountainside for the 1/2 hidden bolder, I found it only a few feet from the marker.
Honestly, I was not expecting a tupperware. I was hoping the letterbox was more...wooden.
I am a TUPPERWARE PIRATE! I found the BOOTY!
FREAKY! I now HATE spiders. This is a TARANTULA! Can you believe it?! A real natural tarantula. It was on my foot while I was sitting down playing my treasure on the side of the Y. After I flicked it off of my Chaco, my legs went weak and I wasn't sure if it was because of a bite or just because I was so frightened, that I wanted to wet my pants.
Next to the treasure and the spider, this "Thundercats" replica was the coolest thing I saw tonight! Of course, anyone else in Provo would call it a Cougar, but those of us who were born in the early eighties know what it really is.
"The Y" - This letterbox highlights beautiful Y Mountain and the amazing view of Utah Valley.
LbNA #: 40480
Placed by: The Blue Julius
Placement date: May 30 2008
State: Utah
County: Utah
Nearest city: Provo
Number of boxes: 1
Clues:
Start by driving east on 820 North from 9th East. Continue to drive through the neighborhood up the mountain to get to the Y trailhead parking lot. To get exact directions you can go to Google Maps but as long as you keep driving up toward the Y, you can find the parking lot fairly easily.
Park and enjoy the first great view of Utah valley. Go through the gate at the trailhead and start up the trail. As soon as you start the hike, count the number of wooden fences you pass on your left.
At the third wooden fence, count the number of posts in the fence. Write the number down and take a rest on the bench that overlooks the valley.
(If counting the 3rd fence is too easy or for a double check: "Starting from the trailhead, find the second wooden fence on the left and count the number of posts in the fence. Write that number down (18). Then when you get to the fifth wooden fence on the left, count the number of posts in that one, and write it down (4). Now write down the difference between fences 2 and 5 (14). You'll need that number for later.")
As you keep going up the cut backs (there are 9 total) you will eventually get to a fork in the trail. There is a trail that continues to climb and another that goes straight ahead. Take the trail that goes straight to the left and be glad that you don’t have any more cutbacks to deal with.
After a final uphill climb you have arrived at the base of the Y.
Walk nearly to the white painted Y and then turn and look up the mountain. You will see a series of small retaining walls on the right side of the Y climbing up the mountain. You now need the number you wrote down earlier. Walk up the mountain and count the number of retaining walls.
When you get to wall that matches the number you got from the fence, ask the wall if it is the right wall. If it is, it will tell you yes (we didn’t do this to the wall, this is how we found it).
Standing in front of the talking wall, look to your right and there will be a large half-buried bolder only a pace away. Go to the far side of the bolder and the letterbox is hidden under a smaller rock next to it. There are usually many people on the Y and be careful no one is watching as you take the box out or put it back. Make sure to put the box back and that it is completely hidden.
Found by Bryan Tanner July 5, 2008
----------------
Here is a photo of journal that goes along with the description below.
This is glam shot I took in the bathroom before going over to the girl's apartment.
This is me driving to the Y with chocolate cupcake on my face. (A boy's got to keep his energy up for the big hike.)
At the trailhead I marked the time: 22:22. It only took me 20 minutes to make it all the way up (subtract the time it took to take a few quick pics.)
According to the instructions, I needed to count the number of posts on the 3rd, Left Fence. There were 14! (I did a little extra credit and added a paragraph below that I will submit to The Blue Julius.)
This is the 14th retaining wall. I did, in fact, ask it if it was the correct marker, and it gave a unequivocal reply: YES. (This will make more sense later on...)
After 20 minutes of scouring the mountainside for the 1/2 hidden bolder, I found it only a few feet from the marker.
Honestly, I was not expecting a tupperware. I was hoping the letterbox was more...wooden.
I am a TUPPERWARE PIRATE! I found the BOOTY!
FREAKY! I now HATE spiders. This is a TARANTULA! Can you believe it?! A real natural tarantula. It was on my foot while I was sitting down playing my treasure on the side of the Y. After I flicked it off of my Chaco, my legs went weak and I wasn't sure if it was because of a bite or just because I was so frightened, that I wanted to wet my pants.
Next to the treasure and the spider, this "Thundercats" replica was the coolest thing I saw tonight! Of course, anyone else in Provo would call it a Cougar, but those of us who were born in the early eighties know what it really is.
"The Y" - This letterbox highlights beautiful Y Mountain and the amazing view of Utah Valley.
LbNA #: 40480
Placed by: The Blue Julius
Placement date: May 30 2008
State: Utah
County: Utah
Nearest city: Provo
Number of boxes: 1
Clues:
Start by driving east on 820 North from 9th East. Continue to drive through the neighborhood up the mountain to get to the Y trailhead parking lot. To get exact directions you can go to Google Maps but as long as you keep driving up toward the Y, you can find the parking lot fairly easily.
Park and enjoy the first great view of Utah valley. Go through the gate at the trailhead and start up the trail. As soon as you start the hike, count the number of wooden fences you pass on your left.
At the third wooden fence, count the number of posts in the fence. Write the number down and take a rest on the bench that overlooks the valley.
(If counting the 3rd fence is too easy or for a double check: "Starting from the trailhead, find the second wooden fence on the left and count the number of posts in the fence. Write that number down (18). Then when you get to the fifth wooden fence on the left, count the number of posts in that one, and write it down (4). Now write down the difference between fences 2 and 5 (14). You'll need that number for later.")
As you keep going up the cut backs (there are 9 total) you will eventually get to a fork in the trail. There is a trail that continues to climb and another that goes straight ahead. Take the trail that goes straight to the left and be glad that you don’t have any more cutbacks to deal with.
After a final uphill climb you have arrived at the base of the Y.
Walk nearly to the white painted Y and then turn and look up the mountain. You will see a series of small retaining walls on the right side of the Y climbing up the mountain. You now need the number you wrote down earlier. Walk up the mountain and count the number of retaining walls.
When you get to wall that matches the number you got from the fence, ask the wall if it is the right wall. If it is, it will tell you yes (we didn’t do this to the wall, this is how we found it).
Standing in front of the talking wall, look to your right and there will be a large half-buried bolder only a pace away. Go to the far side of the bolder and the letterbox is hidden under a smaller rock next to it. There are usually many people on the Y and be careful no one is watching as you take the box out or put it back. Make sure to put the box back and that it is completely hidden.
Found by Bryan Tanner July 5, 2008
----------------
Wow - you did it the very day I told you about it? Cool! So sorry about the tarantula - definitely on par with twenty scuttling scarab beetles and the snake I found guarding a letterbox in Tennessee...
ReplyDeleteLove you!
I can't believe you beat me in doing Letterboxing! Now you're on your way-makes a great date I bet-or activity with Faith. Nasty tarantula-now you know a bit how I felt when I realized I'd been sitting on that yellow and red ginormous centipede in China!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, you had a tarantula on your bare chaco foot?!?! YUCK!!! Way to go with the letterboxing. Too bad no one could go with you, it looks like a fun one. Where did you see that cougar head thingie?
ReplyDelete