I've been away from the list for a couple of days and read Pandy's
adventures and the subsequent responses with interest this morning.

First of all, let me say to Pandy that I hope your ankle/foot is
feeling a bit better and I am really sorry to hear of your
unfortunate accident. I am glad you or your aunts were not more
seriously injured and your frustration is understandable.

Secondly... I have to admit that my first instinct was pretty close
to that of the person who responded pointing to the disclaimer. Call
it cold if you want to, but it is not meant to be. There are many
people who letterbox with children, and there are people of all
shapes and sizes and fitness and physical ability and agility who
letterbox. One of the truly wonderful things is that there is
something for everyone. However, that is not the same as saying that
everyone should be able to do a particular box.

I consider it an added bonus when the clue writer uses a difficulty
rating system, indicates distance or adds trail comments, and I
personally do this on my letterboxes. However, I would not go so far
as to say that it is something that "should" be noted on all
letterbox clues. To the contrary, I think having an indication of
terrain difficulty in the clues can sometimes give a false sense of
safety. If the clues indicate it is not too hard, one may tend to
press on even once they reach a point where they do not feel safe,
thinking that to turn around is wimping out... after all the clues
say this one is not that difficult. As we have seen in Pandy's
experience, even having this information is not always as helpful as
one might like it to be. This is not because anyone intentionally
tried to be misleading or even that the information was inaccurate,
rather because any kind of a rating system is subjective. I have
several hiking guides for trails in Michigan and many of the trails
are highlighted in more than one book. It is interesting that even
the writers of the trail guides cannot agree on the difficulty of a
particular trail. That's because such ratings are based on
somebody's accumulated experience and where this particular venture
fits into that sphere. What may be difficult to you, may not seem
difficult to me. If you have predominantly hiked flat trails and
then you have to climb a rock hill, that seems very difficult.
However, if you routinely climb mountains, a rock hill is par for the
course, and you would probably not see it as difficult. From my own
personal experience, for those who regularly hike in the sand dunes
of coastal areas, walking in sand is not that bad. But for those not
used to this, rather accustomed to hard-pack trails, sand hiking is
grueling. We all have different experiences and perceptions. There
is no "average."

So ultimately it comes down to personal responsibility. We think
nothing of a mystery box that does not give a starting point, rather
makes you research the area to derive this information. That is part
of the game. So too is a box where distance or terrain difficulty is
not provided. It becomes the resposibility of the seeker to do some
research and become familiar with the trail area. Just as most
letterboxers wouldn't dream of heading out to a mystery box without
doing the research to narrow down the starting point as specifically
as possible, so you should have an idea of what you are getting into
as far as terrain and possible dangers in the area before you head
out.

Until recently there was a box located in the underground of
Chicago. For those not familiar, there is a network of streets and
alleys under the downtown area of Chicago, just as there is in many
large cities. This area is not exactly a stroll in the park and
there are all kinds of shady folks roaming around down there. This
is the place where deliveries are made and street people live in
cardboard boxes. Anyone who looks out of place is a target. The
letterbox clues do not go into detail about the dangers of the
Chicago underground, nor should they have to. As the seeker, there
is a responsibility for researching the area and using common sense
once you get there. There is nothing wrong with turning around
halfway into a hike because you are getting more than you bargained
for. That is being wise and knowing your own limitations.

If you don't want to take the time to research a box location, or
can't find information about the terrain, you have a choice of
whether to proceed without really knowing what you are getting into,
or to just try another letterbox.

Just my two cents... okay maybe four.

Deb (SpringChick)