Planted By: Pink Trotters
& Leader of The Pack
Stamps Carved By: Pink Trotters
Planted October 2002
Rated: Medium to Hard,
Steep Hills, Cliff View (careful with kids and dogs) long trail, plan 3 hours
plus. 21 boxes
No boxes over face of cliff
- all are hidden away from edge
Park: Coney Rock Preserve,
Chaffeeville Rd. Mansfield Center, Tolland County, Connecticut
By Car: From Rte 195 in
Mansfield Center proceed north on 195 toward the University of Connecticut the
second right after the light in the center is Chaffeeville Rd. Follow
Chaffeeville Rd. Pass Holiday Hill Day camp go on passing many gravel pull offs
for various trails. Come to the intersection (on right) with Mulberry Rd. Just
after the intersection look for a sign on the right for Coney Rock Preserve,
there is room for about 3 cars on edge of road.
Please plan adequate
daylight, as the trail is rough and steep. There are many fresh cut small
stumps from brush watch your step. Please
read the waiver before
embarking on this quest
Pink Trotters is a big fan
of Musicals so we hope you enjoy all of these.
Sound Of Music
Leave your car at the
roadside and pick up the white trail. It is straight up. As you climb you will
be looking for a "Palm Tree" with a palm and five fingers spreading skyward
before the first stonewall. In the crotch of the tree is your first box, please
replace the lid tight and all the sticks and leaves used to hide it.
Coal Miners Daughter
(Although technically not a
musical this box made it into the series because it is the story of singer
Loretta Lynn.)
After stamping into Sound
of Music head up the trail. Look after a couple switchbacks for a double white
on a evergreen a sliced dead log on the right and a spring hollowed out on the
left that once supplied water to the Creamery, and vegetable cannery at the farm
below. Above the spring in the tree with the largest base is your box.
Sound of Music Children
Liesl
After Coal Miners Daughter
continue on white trail; at a junction with a left turn go straight 14 paces
(left foot count) to a stump on right.
Phantom of the Opera
(Technically an Opera but
we will make an exception)
Keep going along wall to an
intersection there is a small rock pile on the left. Turn left on the white
trail pass a large rock & tree on right then a huge rock on left. Come to a Y
in the trail. Take the right fork to find Phantom of the Opera. Stand next to
the large oak, one of the oldest in town, take a bearing of 160 degrees. Box is
in a stump near the stonewall. After stamping seal the box tight and replace
then go back to the Y in the trail.
Friedrick (Sound of Music Children cont’d.)
Now take the left fork go
21 paces (count left foot only) to a lightning scarred tree for Friedrick. Be
discreet when stamping if company in the woods, re-hide the boxes well.
Louisa
Continue on the white
trail, through an area of ferns. Pass a hunters perch high up on the left. Come
to a corner in stonewalls. With your left shoulder at the corner take a reading
of 70 degrees. Go 25 paces then take a reading of 160 degrees. Look for the
raised arms. The left side arm under a stone is where Louisa is. Stamp her box
and seal it well.
Back to the trail to
continue:
Kurt
Back at the trail go along
the wall after a bit the trail bends southeast along an adjoining wall, pass a
woodpecker tree. At the end of the wall there is an opening or bar-way. In the
right hand piece by the survey pipe marker under the first stone is the Kurt
box. Easy access from right side of stone.
Brigitta
Continue on; pass a couple
of Haunted Trees laying down on left. Then note the wall on right. The trail
turns YELLOW here. (Note this intersection; you will come back to this spot
after the Joshua’s Trust cliff loop) the trail comes up along the wall to
right. At the T junction in the wall, in the central whole where they meet you
will find Brigitta under a glittery quartz studded rock.
Marta
Pick up the trail again,
now pass thru another bar-way in wall on right; note the three yellow dots on
the left. Continue on the yellow with the wall on your right. Look along the
wall for Marta’s grapevine swing. At the base of the tree note a quartz den,
to the LEFT of that little den in another is Marta’s box. Stamp up again and
seal well.
Gretl
You will continue on the
yellow and the trail will veer away from the wall. Pass a charred stump on left
and come to the wall on left pass several more charred pieces. (There was a fire
up here that burned 11 acres in 2001 note the interesting re-growth) at a
corner bend in trail keep your eye on the direction of 230 degrees and walk 20
paces on the trail. Look for a perfect letterbox tree with a rock face, which
hides little Gretl’s box from view.
AT THIS POINT LEASH DOGS,
HOLD KIDS HANDS AND
BE WARNED THE CLIFF IS AHEAD ON THE LEFT
YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT.
THE CLUES WILL LEAD YOU RIGHT TO THE EDGE.
Only a few feet down the
trail note the Laurel on the right showing re-growth after the fire killed the
tops, up it springs from the roots. Look left for a low flat spot in the wall
and a faint yellow marked trail on to the top. (If trail turns white you went
to far)
Climb Every Mountain: (A Song From The Sound
of Music Movie)
At the center of the cliff
view with the large Oak on your left, face view and take a compass reading of 42
degrees go 18 paces and look down and in.
(Across the view is
Mansfield Hollow Lake, Wal-Mart in Windham, the green patch at the bottom of the
valley is Lion’s Club field Rte 89)
Shirley Temple
Our favorite little girl
and the star of many musical films is the subject of the next box, After
stamping at Climb Every Mountain (I’m sure you feel as though you did Climb
Every Mountain) then continue on the yellow trail left or east along the cliff.
Walk one minute or so, look left for teepee shaped tree base; when there take a
reading of 340 degrees. There is a small stump; Shirley hides within, with easy
access from the right side to get your box. Be sure to stamp privately this is a
favorite scenic area.
7 Brides for 7 Brothers
Continue on the yellow;
round the bend be looking for a trail side seat of wood. Here seven brothers
cut wood for seven brides homes. Imagine cutting all the timber to build a barn
like the one in the famous barn-raising scene from this musical.
The Music Man
The yellow trail continues
and so do you! Up over a small ledge. On down the trail and come to a passage
way through a stone wall very neatly done. Look to the right of trail for a
tree with spider’s legs. Get out the compass again and a reading of 350 degrees
will take you the 8 paces to the Music man (down and in) back to the trail
after stamping and sealing box well.
Brigadoon
The day we scouted this
section the mist was thick as the mist the town Brigadoon slips out of every 100
years. Is the mythical village near here? Well, continue on the yellow trail;
find the blaze leaning over the trail from the right. Go up a rise and through a
section of deadwood. The logging area becomes more evident and you should be
watching the left side of the trail for a tree and stump, base to the trail,
arms in the air. Behind the stump is the mythical Brigadoon available more
often than the original and missed in the mist.
State Fair
Onward on that yellow trail
but you must be smiling and humming tunes from all these great song filled
classics. Find two kissing boulders along the trail on the right. From here you
need to take a reading of 300 degrees . Over the wall you will find your box in
a loggers leftover. A Pink Trotters -Special, see the similarity?
Summer Stock
You follow the yellow, keep
the wall on your left a bit more. At the double yellow, trail away from the wall
and a boulder with a den under it on left now. Pass through a log entrance and
then under a leaning oak from the right. In its base deeply hidden is Summer
Stock, please cover well it is so close to the trail!
Calamity Jane
More Yellow trail but
almost done. Up through ledge pieces and along you go. See the tree with four
yellow markings the trail turns from either way. (On right) then into a deer
meadow with soft grasses and boulder strewn areas. Look on the left for a
five-foot hollow tree. “We here tell Calamity is holed up in them thar parts.”
Just hangin around a waitin for Wild Bill or you to stamp in and return her to
her spot well sealed and waitin on the next.
South Pacific
On passing a double yellow
you will soon see a bit of wall off to the left. Continue on then under a grove
of White Pines and through the logging area. There are no boxes here too much
disturbed and more to come. Keep going a bit more pass another double yellow the
trail is turning. At the next double yellow look around.
There is a yellow left arrow take that,
DON’T FOLLOW THE ARROW THAT SAYS “ROAD.”
(If you end up
taking the yellow down the hill, across the brook, to the dirt road….. Here is
how to get back to your car. The dirt road is Woodland Rd.; you will turn left
on it. Pass Twin oak Farm and on to an intersection on the left with Wildwood
Rd. Take Wildwood and follow down the steep hill to the stop sign. This is
Chaffeeville Rd. turn left and walk to your car. This will take about an hour
more.)
Continue on the yellow
you’re coming full circle soon. There is wall on the right then you come to the
laying down haunted trees from earlier. They are very dead both straight ahead &
to the right. From white arrow trail marker for Chaffeeville Rd. Take a
reading of 310 degrees under the base is South Pacific- not as warm and sunny
here!
NOW PICK UP THE WHITE
TRAIL AGAIN
You will recognize this
piece of trail, you already walked going up. Watch now for where it divides near
the stonewall corner where you got your bearings for Louisa. The main trail
goes to the left and the short cut to the bottom to the right or more straight
ahead.
Oklahoma
From the same corner you
got Louisa’s compass reading take a new one. This time 25 degrees to and
ancestor Oak under a stone is Oklahoma.
King and I
Following this white
shortcut down the path look to the left for a hollow rotten log. Laying with
the butt to the trail. You will find the King and I receiving guests here at
this time. Please according to royal guest rules you will kindly leave your mark
in the logbook and return it to the keeper for the next guest. If you have been
fortunate to find all these musicals you will be dancing with joy now as they
did at the great ball etc, etc, etc.
Continue down the shortcut
trail to meet the original trail almost to the beginning again. Careful walking
down the steep sections, especially when the leaves are wet or there is ice.
You can hear the traffic and are returning to your car. Thanks for coming to
this, Special Series - in honor of all the classic musicals.…… Shall we Dance?
