My wife and I will be designing a web page for a local woman who will
be hiking the Appalachian Trail next year, to raise awareness and
money for Lyme Disease research. In learning more about the trail,
and the challenges hiking it presents, I got to thinking: What about
placing special letterboxes along the trail, with clues published
mainly on Web sites that thru-hikers would read?

I'm thinking this would add some mystery and fun to the long trek,
especially in the desolate sections. Maybe the boxes would be of the
take-an-item, leave-an-item nature, rather than stamping, since
thru-hikers might not want the extra weight of a stamp and a logbook.

Of course, there would be a stamp and logbook in the letterbox
itself, to keep a record of who passes through. And definitely
postcards!

This is just the beginning of an idea. Part of the Appalachian Trail
runs through my state (Connecticut), and as of right now, there are
no letterboxes listed in that part of the state. I'd love to be the
first to place one on the AT in Connecticut, but it would be even
better if letterboxers who live near the trail in other states could
participate. Maybe we could even get thru-hikers to post clues in
the shelters along the trail, or to pass them on by word-of-mouth to
hikers going the opposite way?

Any thoughts on this idea?

Chris, in CT