My wife and I fit the bill and would be happy to answer questions. We have
placed boxes in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and soon North
and South Dakota.

Todd and Pam

Tim Brookes wrote:

> Greetings, all. I've been asked by the US Airways inflight magazine,
> Attache, to go letterboxing. (It's a hard life, but somebody has to do it.)
> I'm looking forward to this a great deal, and with luck I'll be getting
> badly lost looking for boxes on Dartmoor in August. In the meantime, I
> would very much like to chat with anyone who goes letterboxing in the US,
> especially in New England. (I live in Vermont, and once the weather gets a
> bit warmer I'm planning to hunt for the Lake Champlain Islands letterboxes
> and several of those in southern Vermont.)
>
> In particular I'd like to hear from anyone who, in addition to hunting,
> also creates letterboxes and thus helps to spread the sport.
>
> One final question: has anyone ever tried ignoring the clues and dowsing
> for the boxes?
>
> Thanks for your time, and please contact me if you want to pass on stories
> or just check out my viewpoint/credentials/sanity/etc.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tim Brookes
>
> To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Hi Tim,
Glad to hear that letterboxing will get that kind of exposure in
the media. It may even become respectable.
My partner, StGeorge and I have been at this for nearly a year,
starting out with some of those boxes in southern Vermont around the
junction of the AT and the Long Trail. Even met Tom Cooch, who is
one of the original practitioners and an excellent example to follow.
Now we're seeding all this emptiness in western and central New York
with a few of our own. Not exactly experts yet, but as enthusiastic
as they come. If we can help, please call on us.
Regards, Bob / Cock o' the Trail

--- In letterbox-usa@y..., Tim Brookes wrote:
> Greetings, all. I've been asked by the US Airways inflight magazine,
> Attache, to go letterboxing. (It's a hard life, but somebody has to
do it.)
> I'm looking forward to this a great deal, and with luck I'll be
getting
> badly lost looking for boxes on Dartmoor in August. In the
meantime, I
> would very much like to chat with anyone who goes letterboxing in
the US,
> especially in New England. (I live in Vermont, and once the weather
gets a
> bit warmer I'm planning to hunt for the Lake Champlain Islands
letterboxes
> and several of those in southern Vermont.)
>
> In particular I'd like to hear from anyone who, in addition to
hunting,
> also creates letterboxes and thus helps to spread the sport.
>
> One final question: has anyone ever tried ignoring the clues and
dowsing
> for the boxes?
>
> Thanks for your time, and please contact me if you want to pass on
stories
> or just check out my viewpoint/credentials/sanity/etc.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tim Brookes

Hey Bob La Belle,
Just wondering, any plans for boxes in Catskill Park? If so, let me know. I
have been exploring that park for a few years now and would love to help!

Eric Eurto
~The Ram~
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob LaBelle
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2001 10:17 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Re: article


>Hi Tim,
> Glad to hear that letterboxing will get that kind of exposure in
>the media. It may even become respectable.
> My partner, StGeorge and I have been at this for nearly a year,
>starting out with some of those boxes in southern Vermont around the
>junction of the AT and the Long Trail. Even met Tom Cooch, who is
>one of the original practitioners and an excellent example to follow.
>Now we're seeding all this emptiness in western and central New York
>with a few of our own. Not exactly experts yet, but as enthusiastic
>as they come. If we can help, please call on us.
> Regards, Bob / Cock o' the Trail
>
>--- In letterbox-usa@y..., Tim Brookes wrote:
>> Greetings, all. I've been asked by the US Airways inflight magazine,
>> Attache, to go letterboxing. (It's a hard life, but somebody has to
>do it.)
>> I'm looking forward to this a great deal, and with luck I'll be
>getting
>> badly lost looking for boxes on Dartmoor in August. In the
>meantime, I
>> would very much like to chat with anyone who goes letterboxing in
>the US,
>> especially in New England. (I live in Vermont, and once the weather
>gets a
>> bit warmer I'm planning to hunt for the Lake Champlain Islands
>letterboxes
>> and several of those in southern Vermont.)
>>
>> In particular I'd like to hear from anyone who, in addition to
>hunting,
>> also creates letterboxes and thus helps to spread the sport.
>>
>> One final question: has anyone ever tried ignoring the clues and
>dowsing
>> for the boxes?
>>
>> Thanks for your time, and please contact me if you want to pass on
>stories
>> or just check out my viewpoint/credentials/sanity/etc.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Tim Brookes
>
>
>To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>


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Yes, Tim! Actually I have tried dowsing (if you mean just searching for the
box without the clue in hand) for the boxes before! Never worked out for
some reason though. Always good to have the clue around to help you. I'd
love to chat with you about Letterboxing! However, what you might want to do
is go to Rutland and stop into the outfitter store called The Great
Outdoors. There's someone there that could help you out with any information
as well!

Eric Eurto
~The Ram~
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Brookes
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2001 3:20 PM
Subject: [LbNA] article


>Greetings, all. I've been asked by the US Airways inflight magazine,
>Attache, to go letterboxing. (It's a hard life, but somebody has to do it.)
>I'm looking forward to this a great deal, and with luck I'll be getting
>badly lost looking for boxes on Dartmoor in August. In the meantime, I
>would very much like to chat with anyone who goes letterboxing in the US,
>especially in New England. (I live in Vermont, and once the weather gets a
>bit warmer I'm planning to hunt for the Lake Champlain Islands letterboxes
>and several of those in southern Vermont.)
>
>In particular I'd like to hear from anyone who, in addition to hunting,
>also creates letterboxes and thus helps to spread the sport.
>
>One final question: has anyone ever tried ignoring the clues and dowsing
>for the boxes?
>
>Thanks for your time, and please contact me if you want to pass on stories
>or just check out my viewpoint/credentials/sanity/etc.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Tim Brookes
>
>
>
>To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>


NetZero Platinum
No Banner Ads and Unlimited Access
Sign Up Today - Only $9.95 per month!
http://www.netzero.net

Tim

I'm sure we could all talk your ear off. How about you name a time
and day and we can try the Yahoo chatroom attached to this group?

Dowsing! I hadn't thought of it, but now will have to give it a go.
But should I stumble through the woods with a forked applewood branch
(may only find water...)? or perhaps I should start with a pendelum
over the topo map... certainly would get fewer strange looks from
other hikers that way. :)

Is the dowsing question related to your article, or are you into
dowsing & diviniation as personal interest?

Aili
from south-central CT

I think a browse through the archives of this site would be a good place
for information on letterboxing. All sorts of issues are discussed, with
suggestions pouring in from everywhere on any number of subjects. Often
when I've been away for awhile there are zillions of messages (remember when
we were spammed by the geocachers? or the debate about displaying found
stamps on personal websites?). People come up with good ideas like
designating the difficulty of trails and estimating distances and times
various hikes might take so one knows if it will be safe to bring children
along, thoughts about placement of boxes and clues that still work in the
dead of winter with 2 - 3 feet of snow and why including a doggie biscuit
isn't such a great idea. Scroll through and you will find a wealth of
information on things that work (and things that don't!) Good luck on your
article. Ann T.

>Yes, Tim! Actually I have tried dowsing (if you mean just searching for the
>box without the clue in hand) for the boxes before! Never worked out for
>some reason though. Always good to have the clue around to help you. I'd
>love to chat with you about Letterboxing! However, what you might want to do
>is go to Rutland and stop into the outfitter store called The Great
>Outdoors. There's someone there that could help you out with any information
>as well!
>
>Eric Eurto
>~The Ram~

Thanks! Next time I'm in Rutland I'll try that.
Tim

>Hi Tim,
> Glad to hear that letterboxing will get that kind of exposure in
>the media. It may even become respectable.
> My partner, StGeorge and I have been at this for nearly a year,
>starting out with some of those boxes in southern Vermont around the
>junction of the AT and the Long Trail. Even met Tom Cooch, who is
>one of the original practitioners and an excellent example to follow.
>Now we're seeding all this emptiness in western and central New York
>with a few of our own. Not exactly experts yet, but as enthusiastic
>as they come. If we can help, please call on us.
> Regards, Bob / Cock o' the Trail

Dear Bob,

When you're out hiking, looking for a place to plant a letterbox, what
kinds of places catch your eye? How do you try to ensure that the l.b.
won't be lost, or too easily found? And in searching, what skills do you
find yourself using, or developing? Is there a letterboxing "eye"?

Tim

--- In letterbox-usa@y..., Tim Brookes wrote:
> >Hi Tim,
> > Glad to hear that letterboxing will get that kind of exposure in
> >the media. It may even become respectable.
> > My partner, StGeorge and I have been at this for nearly a year,
> >starting out with some of those boxes in southern Vermont around
the
> >junction of the AT and the Long Trail. Even met Tom Cooch, who is
> >one of the original practitioners and an excellent example to
follow.
> >Now we're seeding all this emptiness in western and central New
York
> >with a few of our own. Not exactly experts yet, but as
enthusiastic
> >as they come. If we can help, please call on us.
> > Regards, Bob / Cock o' the Trail
>
> Dear Bob,
>
> When you're out hiking, looking for a place to plant a letterbox,
what
> kinds of places catch your eye? How do you try to ensure that the
l.b.
> won't be lost, or too easily found? And in searching, what skills
do you
> find yourself using, or developing? Is there a letterboxing "eye"?
>
> Tim

Hi Tim,
You've asked some good questions, but I'll bet my answers will
only reflect the common experience among letterboxers, new and old.
It's just like when I'm out on someone else's trail, and I can't
help myself from doing a little clearing along the way - from long
habit and necessity on those for which I have some responsibility
(the Finger Lakes Trail, for instance). For the last year that I've
been involved in this intriguing activity, it seems I've been almost
constantly noting: "That would be a dandy place right there !". Guess
I've always been fond of rocky outcrops, so they always attract my
eye. Hollow trees, old building foundations . . . places that offer
some cover from the roving eye and promise to be at least semi-
permanent seem at once to be candidates.
"Insuring that it won't be lost" has just become a paramount
consideration, as I've just discovered an early effort (which
fortunately hadn't yet been published) had been filched. I see now
that there was just too much incidental traffic nearby and that
approach from a particular direction allowed accidental detection. I
guess it's all right to allow a bit of the box to be visible, but
only if it's seriously being looked for by those having the clues.
I'm sure, therefore, that one does develop a "letterboxing eye"
with experience. One goes through a mental checklist: will this be
ok with the landowner (or park authority)? . . will it be safe from
accidental discovery? . . is it an all-season location? . . where
should the starting point be? . . what can be used for a "handrail"
(orienteering jargon for a hint that you're off-track or have gone
too far)? . . does this location have additional interest for the
letterboxer (or his family)? . . should it be made easy or difficult
to find? These are only some of the considerations.
My particular emphasis, shared with many others such as Tom Cooch
and StGeorge, is that the letterboxing experience should not just be
looking for a sandwich box in the woods, but should be in a place of
special - and possibly redeeming (in case of failure-to-find) -
interest . . . scenic, historical, architectural, whatever. So, not
only the clues should be given, but enough background information on
the locale should be provided to invite and to help inform those on
the quest for their enhanced pleasure.
Hope this helps. With the enthusiasm building, I could write my
own article.
Regards, Bob / Cock o' the Trail