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My Favorite Musicals

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?

 

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Before you set out, please read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.

Webpage prepared by Psychokiwi Ink
Last updated Thursday May 27, 2004 06:07 AM