Another Dam Letterbox

 

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Letterboxer in person, which included looking for a letterbox together.

Just an FYI, Letterboxers always use a Trail Name when involved in letterboxing ventures. Our family’s Trail Name is “The Twinville Trekkers”. The letterboxer I was meeting up with goes by the Trail Name, “Hi Desert”.  

Hi Desert lives in Santa Fe and has been letterboxing for almost 2 years. We’ve each found each other’s letterboxes and have e-mailed back and forth quite a bit, but haven’t been able to coordinate schedules to finally meet. Hi Desert comes down to Albuquerque at least once a week for cancer treatments, and so a couple weeks ago, she contacted me asking for some hints in trying to find one of my boxes in Albuquerque. Well, the letterbox is located at a Submarine shop, and my schedule was open, so I offered to drive into the city and meet her for lunch and help her find my letterbox. We also discussed joining up to search for a newly placed letterbox just a few blocks away from the restaurant.

(Looking up at Bear Canyon Arroyo Dam)

I was very excited to finally meet Hi Desert, but had no idea what she looked like. And I must admit when I walked up to the restaurant and saw her stand up beside the table she had been sitting at outside, I was quite taken aback at how different she was from what I expected. First there was our height differences. She might barely be 5’ tall, while I am a whole foot taller at 6’. She is also older than I expected, too. But still, when we met, we shared a hug and it felt like we were just getting together with an old friend.

(Hi Desert on top of the dam. The concrete drain behind her is what we walked down to reach the trail that goes past the tree. The Sandia Mountains in the distance.)

Conversation was relaxed and easy and it was great fun to share personal stories of our letterboxing experiences and adventures. Hi Desert had just returned from a trip to Italy with her husband and I enjoyed listening to her experiences of letterboxing in another country, too.

We were both very hungry and I ordered an Albuquerque Turkey 6” sub and onion rings. For those that don’t know, this is a sandwich with turkey, bacon, guacamole or avocado, and green chile. It’s the only thing I ever order when I go to a sub or sandwich shop. Mmm!  I think Hi Desert and I were surprised that we were both able to completely consume every last bite of our meals.

It was a good thing, though, because after eating, we hopped into our cars and drove up the road to the location of the letterbox we wanted to find together.

(Dobbie, wearing her pumpkin t-shirt, really enjoyed the hike, too)

 

The letterbox we were looking for is called "Another Dam Letterbox" and is located behind the Bear Canyon Arroyo Dam.

(Taken on the top of the dam looking down) 

It was a fun hike with gorgeous views, right in the city. The letterbox employed some clever clues, but was also easy to find, too.

(Hi Desert logging into the letterbox with Bear Canyon Arroyo Dam in the distance)

We all enjoyed ourselves and it was great getting to meet a new letterboxer while getting outdoors to find Another Dam Letterbox.

 

(Me, posing beside the letterbox)