As for the off road time, I still think it's not a problem to at least
specify the following categories:

1. Driveby (DB): meaning: Very near the road or parking area.

2. Short walk (ShW): Less than an hour

3. Long walk (LW): 2 to 3 hours

4. Extended hike (EH): 1/2 day plus

Another angle has also occurred to me. It's just as important to let
the searcher know that they'll always be close to the car as not.
I'm updating Stone Needle to include the statement that the searcher
should never be more than a few minutes from a parking lot. If
there's a clue that only says to look for a landmark with no
distance, a searcher may miss and go in a long direction.

As I already stated, I knew the chances I was taking and my little
adventure on Saturday was no one else's fault but my own. That was
the whole "Midlife Crisis" connection. However, my plea is one of
compassion for the greenhorn. Just because your right isn't going to
bring a hypothermia victim back to life. Also, from my business law
courses, I know that disclaimers are not always foolproof. They have
their limitations. If you're the worse driver in the world,
plastering your car with signs that say, "Not responsible for any
accidents that happen with this car" isn't going to do you much
good. If somebody perishes in the woods while searching for a box
with your name and address in it or with clues from your website on
their person, see what good those disclaimers will do for you! A
good lawyer can drill holes through any disclaimer.

Government land managers are very hypersensitive about liability. If
a casualty or accident occurs with the slightest connection to
letterboxing they will hunt them down and destroy them. They will
also fine anyone they catch doing it. I alluded to this in April in
the "Letterboxing in National Parks" Thread. I just heard a story
about a man who was walking through the Gettysburg Monument with his
head down watching where he was going. A Park Ranger accused him of
looking for artifacts and gave him a $100 fine. Don't think, it
isn't possible for letterboxing to be declared an incompatible
activity. Remember, Government agencies and their law systems are
the hardest of all to fight.

I was YCC camp director at a state park one summer. We had a very
liability-conscious superintendent. You'd be surprised at all the
seemingly harmless activities that were curtailed because of it.

I get just as impatient with leading greenhorns by the hand as anyone
else. I'm not protecting them, I'm protecting letterboxing. People
have sued the state and won settlements because a dead tree fell on
them. If somebody has an accident on state or federal lands, the
government will surely want to share the blame. If they can't
they'll say no to the activity. Remember, Groups like the Boy Scouts
have insurance.

Ever since I wrote my suggestions for letterboxing on public lands,
I've seen nothing concrete come of it. Just some "warm fuzzy" lip
service. If you're looking for a hobby the requires no
accountability, you should consider collecting postage stamps and not
the ones in letterboxes.

HEED MY WARNING!!!!!

Forester