Eye of the Falcon
Smith Rock State Park, near Terrebonne, Oregon

CLUES:

To the trailhead:

Start at the small town of Terrebonne, which is located between Redmond and Madras on Highway 97. You will find signs here to direct you east to the entrance of Smith Rock State Park. There are vending machines where you can purchase your day use pass. Park at the picnic area and head down the trail to the footbridge over the Crooked River.
 

To the letterbox:

Match pictures of birds with their correct names to solve these clues.
NOTE: Corrections to this page were made on 3/31/06.
If you printed this page prior to that date, you should reprint it.

"I had told my friends I wouldn't be long, but I had no idea of the danger that lay ahead of me. I used to , and then to follow a .

"I began to wonder if I had when I encountered an angry minotaur standing alongside the trail. But, , I picked up my pace and hoped it wouldn't come after me. I guess it must not have seen me, though, because it .

"However, my relief turned to horror when I realized that the minotaur had been standing guard at the entrance to the mythical Land of a . Now, everywhere I looked, there were all around me. still remained upright, frozen in time—a haunting that had been destroyed by the . I was paralyzed with fear.

"Suddenly, I heard the sound of from above and a shadow passed over me. I knew right away what it was, and realized that the the least of my worries. I ran as fast as I could through the , hoping to find a place to hide from the eye of the overhead menace.

"Finally, I saw her. It was a dangerous move, but I knew she was my only chance. Just ahead, a stood alongside the trail. It seemed as though she were waiting for someone to join her. She hadn't looked down to notice me yet, so I dashed and paused at . I listened for the sound of wings to fade into the distance.

"When I thought it was safe, I slipped out from under the and continued along the trail as it followed the . I left the behind me and eventually came to a place that was occupied by . They were of many races, including the common - , small , and even a scattered among the crowd. They had gathered alongside a , so I looked up to see how high it was. It was then that I realized that it was , with looming far above me.

"It was an awesome site, but my eyes spotted something else that concerned me greatly. High in the sky, circling above the , I saw winged warriors gliding through the air. In my attempt to escape the dreadful eye of the , I had wandered into the . I knew I must keep moving, or I would soon be in mortal danger.

"I was afraid to , so I sped up again and continued to as it led me along the and beyond. I was moving so fast, I hardly noticed the up ahead. I narrowly escaped being by the one on the left, passing just to the his .

"The trail led me onward into a , filled with the hustle and bustle of all around me; especially big folk—the - and . I meandered through , trying to remain nondescript and inconspicuous. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched from above, and I could almost hear the sound of gargantuan wings straining against the air currents overhead.

"At the , I came to a large . This was the place where were preparing for the next . They had broken off millions of , and were sharpening them to form the business end of their . I was literally unable to continue my journey without walking over the top of their huge stockpile of . I proceeded carefully, trying to keep from gouging my feet on the .

"Once I had cleared this , I came to a . I chose the to , which led me into of the - . The were all around me, and I half expected them to run toward me and attack. But I was an insignificant intruder into their world, and they paid me no mind.

"I entered at about and came upon a that was sitting , crowding it to the point that I could almost see it straining to remain upright. I turned - to the proceeded for about to find that seemed to have .

"I then turned another to the took - , walking past the that had apparently been by the . This brought me to the of a was about size as the one I had seen against .

"I was beginning to feel secure in the fact that the - were oblivious to my movements, when I was suddenly overcome by the feeling that I was being watched from above. I noticed a shadow sweeping over the ground near to where I stood, and I felt my heart becoming overwhelmed by a feeling of panic. The was upon me once again!

"The shadow came again, and this time I felt the wind stir on the back of my neck. I knew that if I did not immediately take cover, I would never take another breath, much less see my friends again. There was no shelter in sight, so I did the only thing I could. I the that stood before me, and shielded my head with a . I tried to remain motionless, hoping that my attacker would lose sight of me. But still, I could feel the burning presence of .

"Dear friends, I hope you learn of my plight. I hope you will come and rescue me. I pray that when you arrive, it is me you find—and not that ."

NOTE: Always take adequate precautions (such as prodding with a stick and/or wearing gloves) before reaching into dark crevasses and holes in the wild. Before you set out read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.