The Art of CommuNYcation 2010 Box Clues

 

Okay, I lied! I posted these a little early because I wanted to print them out, but this is NO guarantee that these are done and work well. If you search for these prior to Wednesday night, you hunt at your own risk!

Unlike years past, there’s really only one place to find the stamps carved for this year and it’s not actually in the park proper. You’ll want to leave the park and drive to where you dead end at Route 18 (Lake Road). Turn right, then make the very next right onto Route 18F. This takes you across the highway, where the first right is Woodcliff Drive. Turn there and the trailhead is located at the dead end of Woodcliff . There’s a small space for two cars to park and a sign reminding you that the area closes at dusk. The boxes are in two separate series, but the second picks up where the first left off. Watch the clues for spots to backtrack if you need to.  Note: The place you’ll end up is the little road you see to your right just as you turn onto Woodcliff, which also dead ends. You may want to go in pairs and park one car at the beginning and another at the end, otherwise, count on an extra hike when you’re done back along the road to your car. We’ve marked spots where you can easily get back to the car with ***.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, all these boxes are permanent placements, so don’t worry if you can’t get them all in one weekend…you’ve got the rest of your life (or until the muggles find them, whichever comes first!) The box donators’ trailnames are listed above each series, so be sure to thank these kind souls for providing you with this summer’s entertainment.

Hallowed Grounds Tour 2009: West Route (1 Box)

Okay, this stamp is actually just #12 of the west section of our Hallowed Grounds Tour from October 2009, but since you’re going to pass it at LEAST twice, you might as well do it. If you have time this weekend, definitely try the rest of the series!

Oakland Rural Cemetery—This is, by far, the Highlander’s and my favorite cemetery. It has an upper wooded area and a lower grassy area that you’ll see as you enter. To get to it, leave Four Mile Creek Park and drive straight until you dead end into Route 18 (Lake Road). Instead of turning right toward the other stamp series, turn LEFT. You’ll see a cemetery on your left. Pass the little parking lot and drive in on the road at the far end. It takes you down the hill to park up on the other side. Walk into the wooded plots on the left on the hilltop. If you walk near the back and look down to the grassy lower area, you’ll see a two faded grassy paths leading down to it. Take the one that has a marker stone for Spencer on the left side of the path. Face it and look on the edge of the right side.

Should you decide to try more from this series, the rest of the clues are listed here: http://www.atlasquest.com/boxes/clue/?gBoxId=129319 If not, simply back track out to the main road and turn right. Pass the park entrance drive and turn at the next right onto Route 18 F. This takes you across the highway, where the first right is Woodcliff Drive. Turn there and the trailhead is located at the dead end of Woodcliff . There’s a small space for two cars to park and a sign reminding you that the area closes at dusk. From here, you can start with the ASL series’ clues below

Art of CommuNYcation: ASL Alphabet Series (26 Boxes)

These boxes were all carved by Celtic Quinn. Since there’s 26 total letters, we put the logbook in the final box only. Start by taking the path that leads straight into the woods by the sign (the direction your car would have gone if the road continued). Note: To save time, all the boxes in this series are in orange pill bottle containers with no logbook until the very last box. The last box is a Lock and Lock and has the logbook for the whole series! Also, because the Sprite is a chronic confuser of directions, we’ve alternated sides of the path (right, left, right, left, etc.) This way, you can at least be sure you looked on the right side if you can’t find a stamp.

A.      Starting at the top of the path by the sign, take about 20 steps and look for the small clearing on our right. Check the roots of the tree in this clearing for the stamp.

B.      Continue down the path and look about 18 steps off the path to the left for a large tree with a broken dead limb up high. Check down in roots for this stamp.

C.       Follow the path again past where it forks (the fork backtracks along the lake, so leave this alone). Continue straight to the first large tree on the right. Check down in between the roots for the stamp.

D.      Follow the path down a dip and past another break in the path to the two big trees. Stand between them with your back to the lake and look 14 steps off the path uphill on the left for the tree you want. Check down between the roots for the stamp.

E.      Continue on the path and follow it uphill. A tree is here on the right with a little twin. Look between these twins for the stamp.

F.       Continue on this path over a little lump in the path. Look to the left for a mossy fallen log. Check near this log for the stamp.

G.      Step onto the path again and follow it around the bend, past a little lake path to the NEXT bend. A small clearing is here with a sort of mossy hill. Stand on this, then look down to the left. Walk into this little wooded area where you’ll find two downed trees, one that’s still off the ground a bit. Check the roots of this one for the stamp.

H.      Get back on the path and follow it around past the first little beach area and over a little hill. At the next little drop off in the path, take about six steps forward, then look on the roots of the tree to your left for the stamp.

I.       Continue on the path down a little hill and up the hill again to the right. In front of you is a twin tree with a stick jutting up from the middle. Check the roots to the right of this tree.

J.      Continue on the path uphill to the left and you’ll get a great view of Lake Ontario! For the stamp, stand where this path forks to follow the edge of the ridge. Take 3 BACKWARD steps back down the path you came up (or just backtrack 3 steps and turn to face the lake again), then check the roots of the tree on your left.

***From here, backtrack to your car (easy enough if you keep the water to your left the entire time). If you want to continue the series, just turn to the left as you exit the path (where cars usually are parked). Walk into the woods in that direction to find the path you need to start on.

K.       Take the path down to where it meets the lake at a T. Look on the right for a log laying next to a tree and you’ll find the stamp underneath the log near the tree’s roots.

L.       Take the path to the right, keeping the lake on your left. Look for the GIANT tree on the left and you’ll find the stamp under some bark on the left side.

M.     Continue on the path up a little slope and down. Look to the right and you’ll see a fallen tree that points to a few others in the woods a little off the path. Look under where the trees cross over each other closest to you for the stamp.

N.     Continue down the path looking for the two GIANT trees on your left. Look between them under some bark for the stamp.

O.     Follow the path again past the two trees on the right, right next to the path. At the second one, take 13 steps and look to the right a few steps off the path for a tree hiding the stamp in its roots.

P.       Continue on the path past the fork that heads to the right until you come to the clearing on the left. Stand in this area overlooking the water and you’ll see 3 trees below you. Go down and check the one with the split in it.

Q.     Continue on the path downhill to the twin trees on the left (the smaller one is dying, it seems). From this point, take 10 steps downhill further and look for the lone tree on the right, a few steps off the path..

R.      Backtrack a little ways to the clearing where you found P and that fork on the right (now on your left). Take this downhill and look in the fork of the first twin tree to the left for the stamp.

S.      Continue on the path until you pass between the two trees close to the path. From this point, take 17 more steps to the bend, then look off the path to the right for the triple trunked tree that has all the little tiny offshoot branches on it. Check in the bark about waist high on this tree.

T.      It looks like the path ends below, but it’s just overgrown a bit. Wade through to the other side and you’ll get back to a clearer, more wooded portion just before the path makes a new T. Turn left and there’s a BIG fallen tree with some logs and debris. Check between the logs that lay parallel to the path at your feet for the stamp.

U.      Continue on the path, looking for the twin tree on the left. Once you see it, look just after it for a big tree on the right. Check its roots for the stamp.

V.      Continue to the stump and fallen tree on the left. Look behind this stump for the stamp.

W.    Continue on the path around the bend and over the fallen tree. Look under some bark on the right side of the path and the left side of that tree for the stamp.

X.      Head down the path again, down and up the other side of the gully. In front of you, you can see the bend to the right in the trail. Head for this and sit on the big downed tree. While resting here, look at the fork of the twin trees on your right for this stamp.

Y.      Continue on the path. Up around the bend, it looks like there’s a fork to your right and on it sits a big tree. Check the left side of this tree.

Z.      This last stamp is ALSO to your right, so don’t get confused! Follow this path to the next bend, where you’ll see a metal circle in the path. Look up the hill to your right and you can see a downed branch that forms a low arch. Climb up to this arch and look where it touches the ground on the left side for the last stamp in this series and the logbook.

Getting back to the shelter or other box series:

To Communicator Innovator Series: Just keep on walking! Follow the clues below.

To Shelter: No shortcuts, unfortunately. Simply backtrack to the spot you began. If you keep the lake on your right, it’s not really hard. When you get to your car, follow the road back out to where it ends at 18F. Turn left to cross the bridge and the road ends at Route 18 (Lake Road). Turn left again, then turn left into the main drive for Four Mile Creek Park.

Communicator Innovators Series (6 boxes)

These boxes were all carved by Riverkat and are of inventors that helped out the world of communication. To get to this series, just follow the directions for the ASL series, since it leads right to this one. If you’ve already done that series, just skip the info for ASL letters A-J and follow the walking clues to get there. Note: To save time, all the boxes in this series are in orange pill bottle containers with no logbook until the very last box. The last box is a Lock and Lock and has the logbook for the whole series! Also, because the Sprite is a chronic confuser of directions, we’ve alternated sides of the path (right, left, right, left, etc.) This way, you can at least be sure you looked on the right side if you can’t find a stamp.

1.       Guglielmo Marconi—As you continue the path, look for rotted chunk of log on your right and left. Look under the one on the right for the inventor of the radio.

2.       Samuel Morse—Continue on the path, which heads uphill. When you get to the top, look to the left for a chunk of cinderblock sticking up out of the ground, maybe 10 steps off the path. Walk to it and look under the right side for the inventor of the telegraph.

3.       Thomas Edison—Continue on the path to the edge of the hill and look to the right for a reddish, rotted stump off the path in the woods. Walk to it and check the debris below on the right side of this stump for the man who invented tons of things, including the phonograph and the motion picture camera. Contrary to popular belief, he did NOT invent the lightbulb, but did improve upon it to make it more practical.

4.       George Eastman—Get back on the path and look for a quadruple trunked tree on the left. Check the base of this tree for the inventor of roll film and head of Eastman Kodak Camera.

5.       Johann Gutenberg—Continue on the path and you’ll see a fallen log on the left that’s parallel to the path. Take 4 steps from the end of this log, then look to the right for the triple trunked tree. Check its fork for the inventor of the printing press.

6.       Lewis Waterman—Follow the path again and look for the SECOND big tree that’s near the edge of the dropoff. It’s near where the path forks to the right and has a split in it that you’ll want to investigate to find the inventor of the capillary feed fountain pen, as well as the logbook for this series.

Getting back to the shelter or other box series:

To ASL Alphabet: Er…can’t imagine you walking PAST all those and NOT getting the stamps...!

To Shelter: From here, you have two options. From the last stamp, you’ll see that the trail forks. Take the fainter trail that head off to the right. You’ll go through a little overgrown area and end up on a path that’s been mowed. Follow this path straight out and you’ll be at a circle near a house that marks the end of the park’s property. If you DIDN’T park a car here to drive back to the trailhead, just follow the road to where it empties out onto Woodcliff (the road you drove in on). Follow it to the right all the way back to your car. OR simply backtrack the trail to the spot you began. If you keep the lake on your right, it’s not really hard.

Either way, when you get to your car, follow the road back to where it ends at 18F. Turn left to cross the bridge and the road ends at Route 18 (Lake Road). Turn left again, then turn left into the main drive for Four Mile Creek Park.

Other Boxes (NOT the secret kind!)

à      Boston Baked Beans, courtesy of Misplaced Manatee

à      Live, Love, Laugh, courtesy of live laugh bubble bath

à      The Ver-Haunt series, plus newly created night boxes, courtesy of greenmountainhiker

à      Our First Communication, courtesy of Fiddleheads

à      The Art of ComuNYcation & Fireside Chat Event Stamps, courtesy of the Sprite & the Highlander

à      WNY Blue Ribbon Event Stamp – earned for doing specific things, courtesy of The Sprite & the Highlander

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