Wissahickon Letterboxes
The city of Philadelphia has more park land within its borders than any other city in the world. One of its well known treasures is the Wissahickon Park This huge park stretches for miles from the confluence of the Wissahickon Creek with the Schulykill River at its southern end to the northwest border of the city. The park gets over a million visitors a year, many of whom find it a spiritual respite from the stress of urban living. The Wissahickon is a fine place to visit during all seasons and in any weather.
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The following are a series of boxes placed in the park.
It was a cold day in 1777.
Molly was busy waiting tables in the Tavern along the main street in Germantown.
The inn had stood for many years at the corner of Upsal St and Main. Lately
she didn't care very much for the patrons, in their red coats and muddy boots.
It was General Howe's soldiers who took up most of her time now. They were a
rude lot - ordering her about - shouting for more ale, and not giving her a
chance to rest the whole evening long. She hated her job, but knew it was important.
Here at the tavern, the strong drink would loosen their lips and allow their
thoughts to betray them. Molly had keen ears and a good memory.
The next day dawned clear and warmer. Molly went about her chores tending to
some of the sick folks in the neighborhood and comforting her women friends
who's sons were off fighting with General Washington. By the afternoon, it had
warmed up enough that Molly went for a walk in the woods at the west end of
Horter St. She entered the woods and turned right on a trail that went down
hill and crossed a stone culvert before it turned left and went back up the
hill. Near the top, the trail forked, with the main trail bearing right (heading
towards the "Monastery" on Kitchen's Lane), while she went straight
among some mountain laurels which seemed to grow nearly everywhere in the woods
of the Pennsylvania colony. The trail lead to a rocky outcropping where she
sat in the sun and pulled out her knitting.
The woods were quiet this afternoon, but she knew they weren't empty. Far below,
John Levering's Green mountain Boys were patrolling the banks of the creek,
waiting. Last week she had "accidently" dropped her ball of yarn off
the cliff. Inside was the information that General Washington so desperately
needed about the British troop strength and movements. This week she was about
to do the same, when she glimpsed the flash of a red coat through the woods.
Molly wasn't too worried about the yarn, but she didn't want any of Levering's
men discovered searching for it. She decided to hide her message nearby and
come back later.
It was said that William Penn, the Quaker Founder of the Colony spent many hours
here at this very spot gazing out across the Wissahickon Creek. Molly could
almost imagine him standing right where she sat wondering about the future of
the great experiment he had started in his City of Brotherly Love. She quickly
climbed down from the rock heading northeast (60d) going about 70 yards through
the woods to a young beech tree near a small stream. Molly wasn't the only visitor
to these woods recently. Young Fredrick Evans had carved his initials into the
beech (probably during an afternoon when he was avoiding honest work at his
mother's farm near by). She hid her message up among the rocks (bearing 20d
from the tree), being very careful that no one saw what she was doing. For a
place as remote as the banks of the Wissahickon, it sure could get crowded on
a pleasant afternoon.
Back to other SpaceTraveler Letterboxes
From the parking area at the bottom of Kitchen's Lane, take the road up the hill toward the Monestary.
Standing at the flagpole, head to 340 to the white pines.
If you're tired, have a Gallant rest, but if not, proceed on a heading of 320 to Hepp.
Take the small trail behind Hepp, down hill to a T intersection and make a left.
Follow the green blazes until you come to a place where an untrail intersects.
Take the untrail for 28 paces where you will be standing beneth three huge poplars.
Turn to 148 and walk 10 paces to find the box under a fallen log. If you are lucky, you will find mushrooms too!
Return to the trail and continue in your origional direction.
Upon intersecting with the main trail, you can turn right to return to Kitchen's Lane.
OR
Turn left to look for the next box
If you are starting here, park at the end of Mt Airy Avenue.
If you are coming from the Monestary Box, follow the trail until you come to a wide pathway. To your right and up hill is a street (Mt. Airy Avenue). At this point turn left.
Descend along this path passing under an unusual artery until you come to a bridge.
Take the hiking trail to the right instead of crossing the stream.
Follow this path along the water until yu arrive at a rather unlikely anatomical part spanning an impossible section of trail.
From the anatomically proximal end of the structure, sight 64d through the trees up to an outcrop of rock about 50 yards away.
From this point, sight 60d and walk 17 paces to a rocky nose jutting up from the hillside.
Look in the nostril.
A short distance up the hill, you will find a trail that will lead back to the Mt. Airy Avenue trail (you will take it to the right)
OR you can return to the lower path and continue on to the next box (NOT placed as of 11/25/00)