Peanuts Letterboxes


Huntington State Park

Sunset Hill Road

Redding, Connecticut
  


Name:  Peanuts Letterboxes
Where:  Huntington State Park; Redding, CT
Number of Boxes:  10
Placed By:  Letterboxer2002@yahoo.com on December 24, 2002

Distance:  3-4 Miles
Time:  4 Hours
Difficulty:  Hard

Off I-84: take Exit 5. Take Route 53 south for 3.4 miles, at Route 53 and Route 302 follow Route 302 east for 1.6 miles. At Route 58 and Route 302, follow Route 58 south for 4.6 miles then take a left onto Sunset Hill Road. Collis P. Huntington is 0.8 miles on the right.

Off Merrit Parkway: take Exit 42. Take Route 136 north for 5.2 miles, at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 58, follow Route 58 for 7 miles then take a right onto Sunset Hill Road. Collis P. Huntington is 0.8 miles on the right.


Many of the Peanuts Letterboxes are micro boxes and do not contain ink.  Please take an ink from the Snoopy box (there are two) and return it when you have completed the series.  If you are so inclined, bring a black pigment ink of your own.


   

One day the Peanuts gang decided to head off to Huntington State Park.  Upon arriving they stood at the information board near the parking lot.  As everyone sat staring at the map, Lucy spoke up saying, "I think we should play hide and go seek"  Everyone seemed to agree.  It was quickly decided that Snoopy would stay at the information board for five minutes while the rest of the gang ran to find the perfect hiding spot.
(From the information board take a bearing of 150 degrees.  Follow in this direction to a rock wall behind a large tree.  Snoopy is underneath a large slab of cement on top of the wall.  Stamp in discretely and re-hide)

     

When the time came for Snoopy to leave the information board he headed downhill at 80 degrees in the direction he saw his friends flee.  After passing a latrine, Snoopy found himself at a T intersection with the blue trail.  After sniffing around, Snoopy decided that everyone continued left on the blue trail.  After 55 paces, Snoopy saw the blue trail split.  He could continue straight or take the trail to the right.  Snoopy decided to go right as that was were the scent lead.  As Snoopy headed down the muddy path, he noticed a building foundation down near the pond.  Marcie was standing on the trail inspecting the foundation very thoroughly.  Snoopy tried to sneak up on her but a twig snapped under his paw and Marcie ran away.  Snoopy ran in fast pursuit.  After the foundation he took 25 steps to a woodpecker feast.  Following Marcie's scent he walked up the hill at 220 degrees for 25 steps and found her hiding from his view.  (Marcie is hidden on the west side of a slanted rock)

  

Confident in his first find, Snoopy continued along the blue trail.  After a short ways he crossed over a bridge.  On the left, Snoopy stopped at a tattoo scarred tree to give it a loving pat.   As the trail worked it's way deeper into the woods,  Snoopy came across a split rock on the right.  Standing in between the pieces of this large glacial erratic, Snoopy noticed something move out of the corner of his eye.  Looking at 50 degrees he saw a tree with a root that came out of the ground making a perfect seat.  Stealthily he walked over to the tree and jumped around to it's back side scaring Linus half to death.  (Linus is under a curved rock)

   

Walking down the blue trail, Snoopy passed a large 5 sister tattooed tree.  Snoopy noticed the scent of many letterboxers near this tree but all of his gang had continued past this spot. Walking along the blue trail, Snoopy crossed a bridge and came to an intersection.  Up to the left a short ways he could see some letterboxers snooping around in the woods.  The rest of the Peanuts gang had gone right staying on the blue trail.    The trail zigs and zags for quite a ways until it makes a sharp turn to the left and heads down hill.  After a short ways it continues to twist and turn until intersecting the orange trail at the "Q" marker.  Looking up in front of him, Snoopy was amazed to find 'Mini-Half-dome".  Turning right on the blue trail, Snoopy walked 30 steps and found an unmarked trail on the left.  Climbing to the top, Snoopy came to a large 'bonsai' tree growing on the edge of the rock cliff.  While he sat enjoying the view, he heard a bird singing above him.  In the tree limbs above he found Woodstock singing. (From the 'bonsai' tree look 150 degrees.  The tree to the left of the trail opening houses 'Woodstock' in it's roots)

   

After making his way down from the top of the hill, Snoopy continued his search along the blue trail.  He crossed two bridges and a small car park on the right.  He made his way up the hill only to cross another bridge and pass a large glacial erratic on the right.  Shortly after, he came to a split in the trail.  Following the scent he stayed to the right on the blue trail.  This section of the blue trail is long and flat.  After a ways, Snoopy came to an "M" marker and a T intersection.  Snoopy continued along the blue for a short ways.  Suddenly he stopped!  To his right was an oak tree which had grown strangely through the rocks.  However, this was not what made Snoopy stop so abruptly.  The wind had changed carrying with it the scent of Sally's perfume.  From the odd tree, Snoopy looked 26 degrees to a birch tree with a large stone at it's base and found Sally hiding.  (Sally is wedged between the large stone and the beech tree)

 

Staying on the blue trail, snoopy passed the white trail on the right.  Only a little ways farther brought him to another split in the trail marked with an "I".  The blue trail was the right and another white trail was on the left.  After sniffing around, Snoopy decided to go right staying on the blue trail.  The climb was exhausting.  When it seemed like he had reached the top it would twist and rise some more.  Just as Snoopy was about to quit and return home, he heard beautiful music.  Beethoven ... Brahms ... Schubert ... Stravinsky ... all of the greatest composers of all time!  The music pushed him forward.  Snoopy knew he was close to finding Schroeder.  When Snoopy reached the top of the hill, he found on the left a large stone with sprinkles of mica and white quartz.  Realizing Schroeder was only on the first movement of a piano concerto, he snoopy rested for a moment.  Across from his seat was an unmarked trail that headed south into some tall pines.  When Snoopy felt well rested he followed this trail to a fire pit.  From this pit he sniffed through the woods at 60 degrees for 50 steps.  Here in the cave of an erratic with many splits was Schroeder playing with great passion, oblivious to the fact that he had given himself away.  (Schroeder is in the cave under a pyramid rock)

   

Back on the blue trail, Snoopy continued east heading down hill and crossing the white.  ("H" marker)  The blue trail climbs and snakes along until it intersects with a trail of buried power lines.  At this intersection, Snoopy sniffed for a while and decided to continue at 230 degrees downhill on the green trail.  After a rocky decent, the green trail levels out for about 30 yards.  Just before continuing down the trail which is bordered by evergreen, Snoopy stopped at a green marker.  To his right was a small 2 sister tree.  Looking at 340 degrees he saw Peppermint Patty only a few steps away trying to avoid being seen.
(Peppermint Patty is hiding in the roots of a small deciduous tree over the edge of the hill.  A small rock hides her.  Carefully stamp in and re-hide)

   

Following the green to the bottom of the hill, Snoopy was faced with a difficult choice but quickly decided to continue right on the green.  Heading uphill he passed a rock wall on the right.  At a rusty gate, Snoopy continued 8 steps and turned right on the white trail.  The white trail is poorly marked but the trail is clearly worn.  After a short ways, Snoopy came to a dam and looked out across the water.  Across the way he could see a bridge as some of his friends scurried across.  With a rush of adrenaline Snoopy bolted up the hill to his right staying on the white trail.  As the trail heads back down, he passed some split log benches on the right.  A short ways later the trail splits.  To the right was a parking lot.  To the left was a trail leading through dense mountain laurel.  Taking the left he ran down the trail and up a hill to a small clearing of rock.  Passing a 2 sister tree on his left he took a seat in the nook of a 3 sister throne.  Panting heavily he almost missed Pig-pen to his left hiding under a slanted rock.  P-U ... I have no idea how he could miss the smell! 
(Stamp in and carefully re-hide.  Pig-Pen is easily found if replaced poorly.)

 

Dashing down the white trail through more mountain laurel and sliding rocks, snoopy eagerly pursued the last of his friends.  After crossing a small bridge he came to an intersection with a "C" marker.  To his left was the bridge he had seen his friends cross.  Following the white trail to the right snoopy ran until he came to two vernal pools.  Here the trail split.  The blue trail ran to the right and left.  The trail to the right lead to a parking lot.  Snoopy decided to follow the trail to the left continuing along a chain link fence.  At a T intersection Snoopy turned left away from a small parking lot.  Following the white fence of a horse pasture, Snoopy quickly came upon three foundations on the left of the trail.  In the first he found a pump and tank.  The tank was held off of the ground by three cement slabs.  While investigating this strange place, he found Lucy hiding behind the the northern most slab.
(Lucy is hidden under some red-orange clay)



Eager to find the last of his pals and his best friend, Snoopy ran down the trail with every last ounce of energy.  Eventually he came to an intersection with the white on the left and an unmarked trail to the right.  From the 'B' marker Snoopy walked 32 steps at 310 degrees to a tree with a "Conservation Commission" sign nailed to it.  However ... this is not what Snoopy was looking at.  Sitting at the end of the rock wall in front this sign was his best friend Charlie Brown.
(Charlie Brown is hidden by some small rocks)

   

Together at last, the Peanuts gang continued down the Blue trail until the reached the latrine.  Here they walked up the hill together and relaxed at the information sign, happy to be in each others company.

(Secretly return the ink pad to the Snoopy box before leaving)

   

When you have completed the
Peanuts Letterboxes please email me
about your letterboxing experience at …

Letterboxer2002@yahoo.com