Leaf Motif Series – aka MLR, Otis and Black Swan Bait This is a series of 6 letterboxes that are planted along the route from the Hamburg Reservoir, up the mountain using the Blue Trail and then eastward on the AT to the Pinnacle. Of the ascents, it is probably the lon gest distance wise, being about 4.5 miles one way. This can be combined with a return trip on th e AT (Valley Rim Trail to Pulp it Rock) for a boxtravaganza including elusive boxes by Otis ’ Friends (no spoilers, they are public boxes) and others (those you will need to research). We hope to get back to box up the Furnace Creek trails and th e AT up to Pulpit Rock as we saw many a place of possible boxes there. A great place for trail maps is: http://www.harpweb.com/thepinnacle/hamburg.html GPS coordinates and directions are at this great site. However, email me to get a link to a map shoul d this site ever disappear. One can get to the Pinnacle by lunchtime if you start around 9 am. The Hike - Many thanks to Pink Panther for capturing some landmarks in the photos Begin at the parking lot at the end of Reservoir Road (accessible from old 22 a few miles east of Hamburg or west of Lenhartsville). Pass through the metal gate and head north on the gravel roadway. Take note that the trail blazes are light blue. Once you reach the open area at the Windsor Furnace sign, take the Blue trail going uphill at 345°, passing through the gate. The A. T. will head toward Port Clint on if you would happen to take a left here. Pass a no parking sign on the right. The trail will cu rve left and le vel off as you get to the reservoir. Stop. Box 1 – Maple Leaf Red (luring Anne from Joisey to come visit?) From the edge of the boulder outcrop on the left of t he trail (just before the reservoir fence and dam sign), go 9 steps at 294° to a ‘seat rock.’ From the seat rock, go up the outcrop 13 steps at 240° to a stacked rock and then finally 10 steps at 290° to a rock tent with SPOR inside. This is probably the most dif ficult box to retrieve, btw. Continue northward on the Blue trail, keeping the reservoir (and fenced area) to your right. 1/3 of the way along the reservoir, take th e Blue trail up into the woods at 310° (basically a soft left). Up-Up-Up you go through the Rhododendrons (hope the bloom for you). As you reach the top of this incline, the trail will noticeably level off and curve left. Box 2 – Sassafras in Autumn On the left hand side, look for the fallen log perpendicular to the trail and to the tree that it has fallen up alongside (the angles may not exactly measure 90°, but we did leave our protractors at home). Turn around and walk back in the downhillward direction for 12 steps to come t o an actual holey Sassafras tree on your right. Go 5 steps at 340° to an uneven Y tree tha t is not a Sassafras tre e. SPOR. The curve continues leftward an d so does your climb. The trail will level off and soon you will come to this sign for Stephanie Spring on the left hand side. You could head down the trail to Stephanie Spring as it heads to the actual headwaters of Rattling Run. We followed it in about ¼ mile or so – it is a neat trail, but is rather narrow. Box 3 – Ash Look in the opposite side of the trail from the sign and back behind you and you will see a drainage control swale carved by a bulldozerette. Take this trail of sorts 55 steps at 125° to the larger of 2 dirt mounds. From the larger mound, go 5 steps at 10° to an odd Y tree. SPOR.