1270. Setting up Winter Camp on the Sleepy Side of the Pond (3)

The stamps for this series are actually recarves by Mim of those she had carved for us many years ago as part of the "Charming Backpacking and Camping Series" around the northeastern side of Browning Mill Pond in Exeter, RI. When more trolls came to RI recently, including Young Boulder, that side of the pond became quite a popular spot to visit, so we refurbished the clues for the older series without these three of the original boxes that could no longer be found.

Then Mim kindly recarved the missing stamps for us, and we finally got a chance in between Thanksgiving and Christmas trips to get out and plant them on the other side of the pond! Hopefully that will give them a quieter sleeping place for winter hibernation, but even on that southwestern side of the pond, we still had a couple of people asking us where the troll was, so please be very careful to tread softly in these parts!

To find these stamps, you can either do a full circle around the pond including Young Boulder and the refurbished bridge crossing near the outlet on the western side of the pond, or a slightly shorter in-and-out stroll skipping the troll, starting from the large parking lot on the pond's southeastern side. If starting there, head down the yellow-blazed trail on the western side of the parking lot, pass a short side trail going right to a lookout over the peninsula and then cross over a boardwalk bridge. Soon after the trail curves gently left, notice a 4' chunky splintered stump on the left and diagonally left about 15 steps off trail the remains of an old fire ring that may have once marked the site of a long-ago camping spot. You don't have to go over to it, though - just check behind the stump under the almost 90*-angled nook between two large rocks for where we left the tent in its tiny black casing hidden from prying eyes!

Next continue to a spot along the trail with a 20' snag left just before crossing through cut logs. Pause here to note several different colored blazes with faded faces glaring at you as if not to disturb their sleep - an angry green one on the left, a mean orange pumpkin one on the right and even a few "red eyeballs"! Find the pouty blue face on the left with the tall tuning fork pine slightly left behind it, and then carefully go off trail 15 or so steps to look behind that tall pine to where we left the thermarest pad gently puffing itself up to nestle in the pine needles!

Finally, continue on the trail, crossing another bridge and following along a split rail fence to its end on your left. Turn left with the yellow blazes to drop down before the outlet dam and then bear slightly right to see the low flat outlet bridge about 20 steps ahead and a tree with three yellow blazes on the left. Between that tree and the small pine sapling behind it is where we left the cozy sleeping bag hunkered down in pine needles for a nice long winter's rest! Please be very careful when retrieving and replacing all of these charming little camping items so that they can have sweet dreams and a long happy hibernation!

Copyright (c) Wanda and Pete. All Rights Reserved.

BEFORE YOU SET OUT, PLEASE READ THE WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER.