Oklahoma City Letterboxes by Dennis Williams

North Canadian River (9)

The North Canadian River crosses Old Route 66 just west of Bethany, Oklahoma. To the south of that junction lies Lake Overholser--an early 20th century public water supply lake now so silted in that its deepest part in the 1980s, the last time it was surveyed, was only 15 feet. To the north lies Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge. I've planted several letterboxes in this location. The refuge has a detailed map available from the the Oklahoma City Police department, but is clearly visible on the Bethany, OK 7.5' map put out by the USGS. Its latitude and longitude fall approximately at 35° 32 N and 97° 40 W.

Stinchcomb East Letterboxes (5)

Stinchcomb East letterbox set. Currently that set includes Streetcar Lake, Cross of Enlightenment, Beaver's Bluff, Wizard's Roost and Kokopelli. Clues to these boxes which are easy to moderate and the terrain easy for the ambulatory to follow. They are all on the east side of the North Canadian River.

Kokopelli Letterbox

Kokopelli's box you'll find in a park. Old maps say McMillan's but the sign calls it Clark's.
Amble south past the "7" till it bears 65.
A slippery slide you'll see back up the lawn on the line of 35.
Toward 155 find a bird's Redroof Inn, point your back at 240 and find something other shining red.
Water you'll find in the ground at 110 and an aquadome stands at 330.
In the bottom of a bush, I perch unseen year round with my sack on my back and flute in my mouth. When you find me recall who I am and may my special fortune beset you when you most desire it.

Street Car Lake

Route 66--that famous trace across the country lies visibly just to the south of the this box. The old humpbacked highway bridge stands out beyond the lake's mouth where the North Canadian River flows into Lake Overholser. An interurban railway line used to pass there, too. Following Route 66, turn north on Council Road. It's called that because it passed through Council Grove, once a forest reserve from which the frontier army at Ft. Reno cut wood for the post. At the next major opportunity--50th St.---turn back west until you reach a dead end. You might pay attention to the things you pass along the way. A glance north from the dead end will fall on a parking area where you should leave your car and palm your compass. Walk to the gate. Walk a bearing of 200° for about 15 meters to a big slab of concrete. Form atop that slab, you can see back to the gatepost (20°) and also a hoary old tree standing in the lake or its bed. There is a gully that goes on down to the lake and in this gully stands a hackberry holding a dead kinsman in its arms. Follow that gully until you come to the edge of the lake. There will be lots of brush and fallen branches making this trail moderately difficult. Make the duck blind across the lake on a line of 227°. Then make a big pile of riprap up near the road on a line of 72°. Look at the big leaning willow. The box is hanging at its side. Go back to the road to continue your search for the other Stinchcomb East boxes.

Cross of Enlightenment

Head north along the dirt road past the main gate. Look for the memorial to the old '89ers. Bear 352°. When you get to the iron hump, you are nearly there. Look for the aqua dome and get on a 110° line with it. Triangulate with the radio tower at 50° (look closely) and the farmhouse due north. Find your treasure under the head of the cross on which you are standing.

Beaver Bluff

UTM Zone 14 N 3931920 E 620860 or Lat./Long. 35° 31' 45" N 97° 40' W

This box is located on the east bank of the North Canadian River. When I first started birding, I saw a prothontonary warbler here. I had seen it in my field guide and thought, "With such an exotic name, I'll probably never see that one!" Alas, to date (8 Mar '99), its the only warbler I've ever seen and been able to identify. Anyhow, for the clues--

Atop the highest spot, amidst a grove of trees, beneath a piece of rubble, what might a compass savvy beaver see?

To the north along the river, I see an old white remnant of a cottonwood tree.
To the east, out in the distance stand several pinkish ballpark buildings.
To the south, the little path seems less taken as it goes on down the river.
A small path diverges from the main trail about 23 meters and 72° from the beaver bluff
box vantage. There is a large evergreen along the main trail at 60°. A cross lies about 280 meters and 90° from here.

Wizard's Roost Letterbox

Follow the trace northward toward Old Five Mile Bridge. Take it to Beaver's Bluff and then on farther. When you get to the west turning dogleg leading to Lee Stinchcomb's dugout stop and find a high spot. The highest spot around will be Ole Weathertop. Had Gandalf taken this road toward where you pay a price to cross the river he'd have slipped off to see waht he could. There he'd have left his sign. To find it, you'd best scan the distant north for a church. When in the right spot, you'll see it at 7°. Turning about you should notice an old tree with man-stone at its base standing at 220°. Fix yourself better by finding water. Water in the ground is drawn up at 285° and there is water in the air at 330°. In the gloaming a beacon signals at 325°.

Stinchcomb West Letterboxes (2)

Stinchcomb Bend (UTM 14 N 0620501 E 3932582 N)

I planted this box with my geography class 6 Nov 1999. It is on the west bank of the North Canadian River appropriately on the big bend of the river in the refuge. Standing at this box which is up the vines to keep it hopefully from being washed away in a spring flood you will triangulate on the following:

68° tall cottonwood tree.
180° last "tall hill" of the natural levy on the inside of the Stinchcomb Bend meander. When I hung this box, there was a stand of young catalpas on that hill.
346° another tall cottonwood across the river in the midst of a stand of big willows.
The river at this point is rafted with old trees causing it to undercut the inside of the meander some.

Northwest Lake

(N 35° 31.9’ W 97° 41.1')

In the summer of 1998, Oklahoma experienced a horrendously hot dry summer. Temperatures soared over 100° for nearly a month and remained above 90° throughout June-August. It became a Land of Little Rain (a good book by Elmer Kelton, by the way). Wetland lakes and farm ponds evaporated away, leaving nothing but cracked, baked clay. I spent much of the summer walking up to Northwest Lake that summer observing its desiccation.

I started on the west side of Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge at the south gate. Walking north along the main trail (well it’s a road during duck season, but not open to vehicles the rest of the year and thus a trail), I’ve observed a variety of passerines—the best in my book of observed species has been a palm warbler in the trees that arch over the trail. While the lake dried, I watched the fish die and wash ashore and then a few days later their bodies were high and dry--leaving concentric rings that stratified them in categories of oxygen requirements. To the outside were the minnows and shad, next the bass and sunfish, then the catfish, finally in a pool no deeper than six inches swam ancient fish with long snouts and teeth, their armor so impervious that the mammalian or avian piscevors that managed to drag one out feasted on their entrails only by going up through the anus and leaving the round shell of scales that had once surrounded the garish innards.

A biologist friend of mine explained how these gar could, if buried in the mud (by trampling for instance), convert their bodies from functioning on lactic acid to alcohol and thus preserve themselves with virtually no metabolism. Patiently waiting for lifegiving rain in a drunken coma. These fish fought the sun, thickly and frantically circling in the shallow, hot pool, stirring the mud. The zapolotes rested all day on the shoulders of nearby giants waiting for Death to reap his harvest and thus theirs. This box commemorates those tough fish.

To the box’s south the trail splits and rejoins, so it doesn’t matter which one you take if you are coming in from the south. To the north, the Kilpatrick Turnpike crosses the North Canadian River at Morgan Road. Since the pike is currently under construction 1999/2000, access there is possible, but questionably in a construction zone. There once was an old country road bridge where the pike crosses, but travelers abandoned it long ago. A nice beach remained for swimming and imbibing the evening spirit, taking out the canoe for lunch or putting in for a nice couple of hour float down to Lake Overholser. Were you standing at the box in the summer, you could not see the various landmarks necessary to triangulate on it, so first to a waypoint.

While walking along the path, headed north past NW Lake, you will see what Quixote would have imagined to be armless giants linked together with strong cords, perhaps they would be some great beasts in harness. Having crossed under their lines, you will mark one of those beasts at 196° from the pair of cottonwood stumps you are standing beside. Glancing back at 304° , you will see a red brick tower, oh it might look like a silo to some, but not in a quixotic vision. In such a vision, what would it be? Having found yourself in the right spot travel 81° for 15.5 meters into the opposing tree line to collect your treasure. Be sure to put it back for the next adventurer.

String of Pearls/Lake Overholser Letterboxes (1)

Lake Overholser Spillway

Access the String of Pearls trail system via Overholser Drive on the west side of Lake Overholser and the North Canadian River. On the south side of the lake, the entrance to Overholser drive is via 10th street. On the north side via old Route 66 (39th Expressway).

Lying at the polar base of a dark barked tree that leans to face the rising sun, awaits the image of the early 20th century waterworks in view. While standing at its location, the compass bearer will mark the Lake 'O spillway at 10° and four small cottonwoods standing at 210°. The image lies a dozen meters to the east off the flinty trail.

Council Grove Letterbox

Placed by Dennis Williams on 13 June 2001
Clues - Easy
Trek - Easy
Time to complete - 20 min.
Location - Oklahoma County, OKlahoma
Directions: Find parking at about 16th and Overholser Drive. Walk along the trail leading from Overholser Dam to the 10th Street Bridge. You'll want to check out the monument just north of the bridge on the east side of the river before crossing over.

Clues: Triangulate on what remains of Jessie's old store at 295° and the N. Canadian's gatehouse stands at about 356°.
To the south, in a recent council, some have left their words, just as our ancestors at Lascaux, Three Rivers, Newspaper Rock, and Council Bluffs did. They echo into the present and future. If you are a bit unsure of yourself, stand on the north side of the wooden post and follow the needle North. Wriggling into the grove before you, you'll find that it would shelter only a Lilliputian council.

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Letterboxing, like any outdoor sport, carries the risk of unforeseen hazards. "Letterboxing
North America", and "The International Letterboxing Club" support a policy of not knowingly placing letterboxes in areas that will create undue risk to the letterbox hunter. However, as conditions may vary, it is the responsibility of the letterbox searcher to become thoroughly familiar with the conditions in the area to be searched, to adequately prepare for those conditions, and to conduct oneself safely and responsibly with respect to those conditions and with respect to his or her personal abilities and limitations. "Letterboxing North America," "The International Letterboxing Club" and the individual letterbox sponsors assume no liability for events which may occur related directly or indirectly to one's searching for a letterbox.

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