We need all kinds of boxes - long hikes, short walks, tricky clues,
easy clues. When you find an easy box, the reward is a stamp that
scores of people also have. When you find a difficult box, you will
have a stamp that hardly anyone else has. Each person finds his own
happiness - some in accumulating high numbers of stamps and some in
finding impossible boxes. The planters know that their boxes are easy
or hard - those who like to have a lot of visitors are rewarded with
that and those who like to present a challenge are rewarded with that.

Bragging rights for finding impossible boxes? Absolutely! Write in
and let us all know. We'll revere you and hold you up as a model to
the letterboxing community.

Mary


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "dagonell2001"
wrote:
> Which brings up a letterboxing discussion I was having with friends.
> Assume there's two letterboxes within a convienent distance of your
> house, neither of which was placed by you.
>
> The first is incredibly straight forward. "Start here, walk this
many
> paces, turn left, follow trail, turn right, letterbox is behind the
> rock." Your reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> The second is murderously impossible. The clues are written in
> cipher, if not a foreign language. Even after you have the clues,
> they're nearly impossible to solve. After multiple trips to the
> library, sleepless nights with paper and pencil and multiple
> unsuccessful excursions, you figure out where the letterbox is.
Your
> reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> Are "bragging rights" sufficient compensation for the additional
> effort? You spend far more time searching for one box when you
could
> be acquiring multiple stamps from easier boxes. Your chances of
> finding a hitchhiker are greatly diminished simply because the book
is
> visited less often. Was it worth it? Are you prouder of that stamp
> in your logbook? What about the box maker? You have to realize
that
> your box will be visited far less often. Is knowing that success
will
> be sweeter for those who find it, make up for the additional
> frustration of those who don't?
> -- Dagonell, The Pirate of Otter's Cove
> P0F2X0V1
>
> --- "Judi Lapsley Miller" wrote:
> > > Palindromic Harmony was in excellent shape, although not many
folks
> > > have yet unlocked its clues. A lot of fun -- thanks to whoever
> > > placed it!
>
> > Wow! I'm thrilled to hear that there's a solution to that one! I
keep
> > staring at it and going Huh???
> > Judi

Oh for Linton and me, the harder the box, the sweeter the victory. We're not
in it for the numbers (though I do keep a tally). Many of the boxes I place
are mysteries (most not very hard) but we love the mental challenge of
solving and coming up with cryptic clues (better than watching TV). We also
do lots of regular boxes, because I love finding a beautifully carved stamp,
a surprise hitchhiker, and also love the variety in exercise (I get bored
with exercise very quickly) because we get to go to so many different
wonderful places. For me the more difficult challenges have been physical,
rather than mental, but I've surprised myself a number of times by being
able to walk further than I thought I could, or tackle a steep hill, etc.
Some of the bigger letterboxing challenges ahead of me are actually
non-mystery boxes that take more effort to get to. I'll probably be just as
thrilled at getting them!

What's neat about this pastime is that there is something for everyone
(mentally, physically, esthetically, creatively, hard, easy). I tend to
place the types of boxes that I like to find. And in answer to your
question - we'd search out both boxes - probably enjoy both - but would be
most satistified with the difficult one (but difficult doesn't just mean a
difficult clue).

OK, I better stop avoiding work now....

Judi

P.S. Spent some of the morning staring at that palindrome and think I have
made a little bit of progress...

----- Original Message -----
From: "dagonell2001"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 12:43 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Difficult Boxes


> Which brings up a letterboxing discussion I was having with friends.
> Assume there's two letterboxes within a convienent distance of your
> house, neither of which was placed by you.
>
> The first is incredibly straight forward. "Start here, walk this many
> paces, turn left, follow trail, turn right, letterbox is behind the
> rock." Your reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> The second is murderously impossible. The clues are written in
> cipher, if not a foreign language. Even after you have the clues,
> they're nearly impossible to solve. After multiple trips to the
> library, sleepless nights with paper and pencil and multiple
> unsuccessful excursions, you figure out where the letterbox is. Your
> reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> Are "bragging rights" sufficient compensation for the additional
> effort? You spend far more time searching for one box when you could
> be acquiring multiple stamps from easier boxes. Your chances of
> finding a hitchhiker are greatly diminished simply because the book is
> visited less often. Was it worth it? Are you prouder of that stamp
> in your logbook? What about the box maker? You have to realize that
> your box will be visited far less often. Is knowing that success will
> be sweeter for those who find it, make up for the additional
> frustration of those who don't?
> -- Dagonell, The Pirate of Otter's Cove
> P0F2X0V1
>
> --- "Judi Lapsley Miller" wrote:
> > > Palindromic Harmony was in excellent shape, although not many folks
> > > have yet unlocked its clues. A lot of fun -- thanks to whoever
> > > placed it!
>
> > Wow! I'm thrilled to hear that there's a solution to that one! I keep
> > staring at it and going Huh???
> > Judi

We're newbies (my 12 year old and myself) and have appreciated finding the
easy boxes - instant gratification. We enjoy looking for boxes easy and
difficult. A few of our outings have been fruitless due to missing
letterboxes so we're going after the newly planted boxes instead. We've been
thrilled to discover areas we would never have ventured out to and that
itself is a great reward. Whenever we go out of town we first check the
letterboxing website to get clues for that area. I'm sure this will become a
lifelong hobby for us and are appreciative of those taking the time to plant
the boxes.

Difficult boxes can also mean different things to different people.
I for one (and Butterfly can attest to this) totally suck at mystery
boxes. Could be because I am a concrete random thinker and I like
to find new ways to do things, where as an abstract random or
sequential thinker may think a mystery is "easy".

Others find orienteering difficult and may think a set of clues with
nothing but paces and bearings are difficult, whereas I think its a
snap.

Even my wife and I have different ideas of difficult... she's got a
bit of asthma and I find myself having to slow up on long hills to
let her catch her breath. Of course if Madras and I are out
together, she pulls me up the hill by her leash and I'm trotting
after her.

I think as far as difficult vs. easy boxes: you know going into the
hike that you're getting a stamp as a reward. If you want more, try
geocaching! I think the best reward someone can give is a view and
an education. As I place more boxes I'm borrowing an idea from
someone...including a tidbit of information that the average person
might not know. And If I can take you through an area that you
might never have seen, then a bonus for you!

-Steve
(and Heidi and Madras)

There are so many things that factor in... While traveling, I like
it when there are a few easier, shorter boxes along my route... or a
mystery box that I can figure out before I leave (i.e. via the web or
library). While boxing in my own area, it just depends on the day.
Usually I prefer mental challenges -- where I have to research, solve
a puzzle, think abstractly, use deductive reasoning. This is not to
be confused with obscure clues, which are those that get you out on
the trail and provide scant information on which way to go or where
to find the box once you've reached the end of the clues. Those are
just plain frustrating. One stamp can certainly be a worthwhile day
if the box was challenging. Other days, I just want to go out and
collect some stamps without too much thinking. As far as the
likelihood of finding a HH being greater at a more frequently visited
box, that would not affect my decision one way or another. I am not
really all that big on finding HHs.

As far as creating boxes... I've done both, some very easy ones
because this area is very new to letterboxing and it is nice for
newer letterboxers to have the instant gratification of finding a box
right off the bat. Now that the hobby is picking up around here, I
have been trying to do more variety, challenging clues and mystery
boxes. These are really my preference to plant... sometimes coming
up with the clue can be as challenging as solving it!

It really is a great hobby, and there really is something for
everyone.

SpringChick


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "dagonell2001"
wrote:
> Which brings up a letterboxing discussion I was having with
friends.
> Assume there's two letterboxes within a convienent distance of your
> house, neither of which was placed by you.
>
> The first is incredibly straight forward. "Start here, walk this
many
> paces, turn left, follow trail, turn right, letterbox is behind the
> rock." Your reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> The second is murderously impossible. The clues are written in
> cipher, if not a foreign language. Even after you have the clues,
> they're nearly impossible to solve. After multiple trips to the
> library, sleepless nights with paper and pencil and multiple
> unsuccessful excursions, you figure out where the letterbox is.
Your
> reward is a stamp in your journal.
>
> Are "bragging rights" sufficient compensation for the additional
> effort? You spend far more time searching for one box when you
could
> be acquiring multiple stamps from easier boxes. Your chances of
> finding a hitchhiker are greatly diminished simply because the book
is
> visited less often. Was it worth it? Are you prouder of that stamp
> in your logbook? What about the box maker? You have to realize
that
> your box will be visited far less often. Is knowing that success
will
> be sweeter for those who find it, make up for the additional
> frustration of those who don't?
> -- Dagonell, The Pirate of Otter's Cove
> P0F2X0V1
>
> --- "Judi Lapsley Miller" wrote:
> > > Palindromic Harmony was in excellent shape, although not many
folks
> > > have yet unlocked its clues. A lot of fun -- thanks to whoever
> > > placed it!
>
> > Wow! I'm thrilled to hear that there's a solution to that one! I
keep
> > staring at it and going Huh???
> > Judi

We enjoy finding any box, but it is a bit more of a thrill to have had
to work for it, either mentally or physically. It's not just having
that rare stamp in the book, but joining that elite group in the box's
log book. One of my favorite boxes so far was the Salmon River Trout
Box, an "add on" to Covered Bridge & Verde, in East Hampton CT.

On the other hand, it doesn't really disappoint us too badly if we
come up empty handed. Half the fun is in the hunt, and we still hike
just for the pleasure of it, even when the letterboxes are done.

We also like hiking in the snow, and when there is snow, our success
rate has been just under 50%. We don't mind, we do it anyway. When we
miss a box, we go back sooner or later, and it's nice to see the same
place in a different season. Nature is always a fresh show.

~ Aili & Bruce

Peronsally, I love the challenging clues where I have to figure out riddles and beg for hints. I live in Legerdemaine country and very few (if any) of those boxes are straightforward and simple. I enjoy any boxes I find but there is a certain extra thrill in finding a box on the third time. I can't imagine finding more than 2 or 3 boxes in one day. I guess I enjoy the challenge. (And I'm really bad at firguing some things out so it's a good thing I DO enjoy the extra challenge. I've gone back 4 times on some boxes before finally nabbing them!)Memlili

dagonell2001 wrote:Which brings up a letterboxing discussion I was having with friends.
Assume there's two letterboxes within a convienent distance of your
house, neither of which was placed by you.

The first is incredibly straight forward. "Start here, walk this many
paces, turn left, follow trail, turn right, letterbox is behind the
rock." Your reward is a stamp in your journal.

The second is murderously impossible. The clues are written in
cipher, if not a foreign language. Even after you have the clues,
they're nearly impossible to solve. After multiple trips to the
library, sleepless nights with paper and pencil and multiple
unsuccessful excursions, you figure out where the letterbox is. Your
reward is a stamp in your journal.

Are "bragging rights" sufficient compensation for the additional
effort? You spend far more time searching for one box when you could
be acquiring multiple stamps from easier boxes. Your chances of
finding a hitchhiker are greatly diminished simply because the book is
visited less often. Was it worth it? Are you prouder of that stamp
in your logbook? What about the box maker? You have to realize that
your box will be visited far less often. Is knowing that success will
be sweeter for those who find it, make up for the additional
frustration of those who don't?
-- Dagonell, The Pirate of Otter's Cove
P0F2X0V1

--- "Judi Lapsley Miller" wrote:
> > Palindromic Harmony was in excellent shape, although not many folks
> > have yet unlocked its clues. A lot of fun -- thanks to whoever
> > placed it!

> Wow! I'm thrilled to hear that there's a solution to that one! I keep
> staring at it and going Huh???
> Judi


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