Nearest City: Lakewood, WA
Placed on: Halloween Eve, 2002
Placed for: WA South Sound Letterbox Quest Fest
Clues: Easy
Terrain: Easy with two hills
Surroundings: Filled with Letterboxes
Stamps: Marginally Adequate
Fort Steilacoom Park
8714 87th Ave SW
Lakewood, WA
Pierce County
This was the site of the WA South Sound Letterboxing Quest Fest. With so many Letterboxes lurking in this great park, bring a picnic lunch and all the clues, spend a day seeking hidden treasures.
To Fort Steilacoom Park:
From I-5 North & South: To get to Fort Steilacoom Park from Interstate 5, take Exit 125 toward Lakewood. Turn left on Steilacoom Boulevard. Turn left on 87th Ave SW, right on Dresden Lane SW. Follow the road past the sportsfields. You will eventually see some old, red barns in front of and to your
right. Look for the parking lot behind (& left of) Barn #2.
CLUES:
Park in the parking lot behind Barn #2. From the end of the parking lot that is FURTHEST from the sports fields, take the blacktop trail at 230 toward the lake. You will get to the large sign at the infamous place "when many choices can be made". This will be your starting point for these marginally adequate letterboxes.
KECHE Letterbox
Rumor has it the best Model Boat for the 1995 season at Lake Waughop was KECHE. Winning most the races, and the Grand Regatta, KECHE was the fastest. Owned and raced by Ralph Abernathy, it's name came from the first initials of his five sons, who also were his pit crew, and sometimes drivers.
Facing the sign at the "when many choices can be made" head to your left. You will pass the Model Boat racing beach, where KECHE had many successes. Continue your way around the lake. Eventually you will pass by three large trees on the lake side of the lane. KECHE is hiding under the middle of these trees, on the lake side.
In Memory of Aunt Beth Letterbox
SAD NEWS :-(
dvn2r ckr reported that Aunt Beth has left the park. The stump she was hiding in has been disappeard. Will be there 'soon' to check. Bummer.
When I was growing up, there was a kind 'little old lady' in the neighborhood. She was a bit befuddled, but she loved the neighborhood kids. She was always there for us: being a friend, someone to talk to, always
having cookies and milk. One day, she was not there and the movers had come to move her stuff out. The kids ask what was going on, the mover said that her family had committed the old lady to Western State Hospital. Most of the kids went in and occupied the house, so the movers finally gave up and left. Others went to their parents to find out what happened. It turns out her family was 'old money', and her kids (grownups) wanted to take control away from her so they had her committed. Word got around; their business enterprises had no customers! They relented, brought her home, we had our friend back.
From "when many choices can be made", take the route at 270. On a clear day as you're walking, eventually peer 100 degrees for a nice treat. On your right, you will see a clearing along the trees, that is at the bottom of a cleared swath that goes up the hill. In the middle of the swath is a pipe painted orange. Go stand by the pipe and look back at the lake. In your field of vision you will (hopefully) spy a stump. Aunt Beth has been spotted hiding in the stump.
Haunted House Letterbox
From the place "when many choices can be made", head up the road at 290. When you get to the top of the hill, stop and turn to the right. You will be looking at one of the ruins of the WA Territorial Insane Asylum. This building is known as the `old haunted building' (that's what the locals call it). It probably got its name from the sounds the patients made at night, and from the sounds of the teenagers being teenagers after the building was no longer used as an Asylum. If you look to your right, you will see a line of trees. Walk down the line of trees, counting as you go. Look in the third tree for a scary object.
Before you set out read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer