610. Angels We Have Heard on High
A series of angels on a loop up Lantern Hill in North Stonington, CT planted in memory of our dear former Pastor Jim at Dunn's Corners Community Church.

We haven't told many people about our letterboxing hobby over the years because it seemed like not too many of them would understand the simple delight we get from hunting for little boxes and such on our adventures in the woods. When we mentioned it to the new DCCCP pastor's wife, however, after our dear old pastor Jim retired, she seemed to get it right off and we were initially quite charmed by her enthusiastic response. So, not knowing which of our old plants to recommend to her, since they do tend to get messed up over time, we decided to replant a little group of store-bought angel stamps that we had once used as part of a "ski-boxing" series on one of our favorite cross-country ski loops in the lovely piney woods of Arcadia over a dozen years previously. Only a handful of people had found them back then, so we retired them after that snow season, but now seemed as good a time as any - as one nice new letterboxer we just met in central CT put it - to "resurrect" them, since we're leaving on another long trip right after Christmas, don't have time to carve anything new, and aren't much good at carving anyway. So, hopefully these little angels serve their purpose as an introduction to both letterboxing and some of the nearby trails in CT for her and a few other folks as well!

For those not familiar with the Lantern Hill area, it is a curious formation of quartz at the junction of the Honey Hill and Lake Char fault lines in southeastern CT. It used to be the site of a silica mine and one of the higher points in the area, but now seems largely overshadowed by the Foxwoods Casino, although getting up on top still helps put things in perspective. Getting to the trailhead used to be a simple matter of turning south off route 2 directly onto Wintechog Hill Road just east of route 214, but now with the casino construction, if coming from the east, you have to take the route 214 exit, circle under route 2 and turn left at the light, then turn right onto Wintechog Road just before getting back on route 2 eastbound. Shortly up the road is a dirt pull off for half a dozen or so cars on the right, where you will find some of the sky blue blazes that mark over 800 miles of various trails in CT.

Clue updated 3 Nov 2017 - Special thanks to Rocklun and Southpaw for moving this box to a new location when they found that the big tree it was behind had fallen over.
Proceed up the well worn trail from Wintechog Hill Road. When it levels off at the top of the second little bump, stop to catch your breath and look left for a stone boundary marker about 15 steps into the woods. Walk to the marker and then take about 20 steps straight behind it to a large 2-sister oak. Find "Peace on Earth" in a lock-and-lock box under a SPORL behind this 2-sister oak. The logbook cover shows you how you can arrange the angel stamps if you want to make a little tableaux. Feel free to take along the ink pad if you don't have one to stamp the angels, and then replace it at the end of your trip, since this is the only ink pad and logbook box for the series.

Continue on the main trail and take note of a small seasonal pond on your right which you will see again on your way out. Shortly the trail forks and you go right on the level half which has red circular markers. The flat trail becomes somewhat rocky underfoot and then narrows with cliffs to your left and a drop to your right. After a bit you approach a rock slide across the trail where below in the distance can be seen the north end of Lantern Hill Pond. There is a leaning tree with a red metal marker on it here near the middle of the trail, and to the left of that tree across the "rooty step" is another tree with the first angel in a small 2-inch "ziplock camo pouch" behind it under a triangular rock that has some tiny "crystalline teeth" of the type we used to look for here when we were kids.

Continue on the trail across the rock slide and cross a second rock slide with the pond visible below. Pass a vertical rock climbing cliff to a small junction just past a twisty branch across the trail that you have to step over. With trails to the left and straight, go about 5 steps off trail half way between them at 150 degrees and look behind the tree under a white rock for the second angel.

Now take the left trail up a rocky climb that leads to a "T" junction with the blue-blazed trail (after one small side trail left to a viewpoint.) Go left on this trail through a narrow rocky chute to the top of the hill. Heavenly blue is definitely your friend here; beware of side trails that might lead you astray. Just before you reach the main lookout to the northeast, there is a two-trunk tree on your right decorated with both blue and red markers. From it, go 150 degrees for 7 or 8 steps to a tree cluster. Covered with a "mossy cap" in a hole a few inches above the ground on the backside of the trunk with the most lichen on it is the tiny pouch with the next angel trumpeting from on high.

Continue north across the top of the rocky hill following the blue blazes. (A few letterboxers may remember doing sunrise salutations here at our "Springing Up Lantern Hill Gathering" many years ago.) Heading towards Foxwoods in the distance is now your general direction, going down, down, down to a level area. Here the blue-blazed trail bends left and quickly reaches a roughly 10 foot wide boulder on your right. From the blue blaze on the rock at your feet, go left about 5 steps at 280 degrees to the southwest side of a twisty, broken oak stump in front of a pine tree to find your final angel, announcing the good news that Jesus was born to save even the most twisted and broken among us!

To complete the loop, go down just a bit more more following the blue markers as they turn left on a wide trail that leads to the seasonal pond you passed earlier. Go right and return to your car the way you came. Hope you enjoyed this little winter adventure and have a very Merry Christmas!

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

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