Mama Wolf has given permission to share this, regarding the Birth of American Boxing Event (BABE) on Saturday, April 26, 2008:


I celebrated the 10th Anniversary of American letterboxing last weekend while planting for BABE. I wont be at the actual event, but I had a wonderful time celebrating on a very small scale. I hope my experiences and information will be helpful to those who are attending. This is my own advice only so take it or leave it.

On the surface, the town of Hot Springs, NC is nothing much to look at. The campsites are very primitive. There are no large stores, and very few buildings in general. Pretty much its just a stop on the AT, a haven for hikers. Any material items you need you better bring in (including food) since you are not likely to find it there. If you only stop to look at this, and just hang out in town, you may be disappointed.

I can tell you, I had the most fantastic experience there this weekend, but I had to seek them out. I took a trip to Max Patch, home of the first planted letterbox in America. This is quite a distance from the town of Hot Springs and the drive is winding, rough dirt road for 9 miles. The hike to the top of this fantastic site was so worth it. I really understood what it was all about. One orienteer planted a box on a wonderful hike to one of the most beautiful locations and left it. He didnt know if anyone would ever find it. He sure could not have known that 10 years later we would be celebrating it. He liked the site and left a box to mark it as a place worth seeking out. It was just that simple. I went well past the box location all the way to the top of the bald. Thats the reason I was therethe box was to direct me to a great location. Sure I could get the stamp and leave, but I would have missed the point. It was the memory I was collecting. The stamp was just a
vehicle to show me the way.

The boxes that have been planted this weekend will take you to great locations and educate you on a wonderful town with a rich history. My advice is to seize the opportunity. Dont just hover under the pavilion waiting for stamps to come to youseek them out like it started. Network now and find out where people are camping. So many exchanges can take place at the campground! Start planning your hiking buddies and carpooling to locations together. Bring bikes to get around the town or use your feet. Migrate over to the pavilion for a little grilled food and fellowship but dont spend all your time just looking at pages and ink. There are too many things to experience together!

I had the privilege this weekend of hiking on the AT for the first time with an experienced Thru hiker, Wanda. This was an incredible experience. Not only did we hit the trails for 2 and hours just talking and enjoying the hike (and I only got one findso much fun, I didnt even care if the box was at the end), but she took me around the town and showed me where the hikers stayed and introduced me to Elmer at the Sunnybank Inn. This town really takes care of the hikers and celebrates the trails. As you will all see since Trailfest is going on the same weekend.

Hot Springs really has a culture that loves the simple beauty of the land. They have a Bluff Mountain Festival every year after banning together and campaigning to stop the cutting into the beauty of the forest. They celebrate the river with the French Broad River Festival. They love rafting, tubing, canoeing, etc. along the river.

Art and music are important to the area. Its the Western NC mountains that inspired the movie Songcatcher. The historical marker called Balladry stands outside of the Sunnybank Inn, Jane Gentrys old home since she was one of the inspirations from the movie for the large number of songs that were collected from her.

Explore the town with new friends and old and hit the trail information trails. Celebrate the pleasures of a clue to a location to see something newjust how it startedsimple. And what better place that a simple town with a rich, beautiful history, if you are willing to seek it out.

I hope you have as much fun as I did! Ill be posting clues this weekend for boxes that just got planted.


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