Hi,
Glad to hear ya'll had a good time at the Meet and Great. I was sorry I missed it. Maybe another time. Glad to see that Ladybug got there, she has done a lot for the hobby.

Thoughts about the NPS: Sounds fine to ask the ranger where to hid boxes but I've never seen one out and about. They usually hid indoors at the big centers. I never see them on the C&O, so how would one get a site approved?

Thoughts about Paths to boxes: I think the DC area is a little unique right now. For 2 years hardly anyone looked for boxes or hid them so there was definately no paths. After the Post article there was a flood of activity to boxes and lots of people ran to them. You would not believe how many people told me they went to Huntley Meadows, so I'm sure there were paths made to all my boxes. Now lots of people are hiding boxes and I think the vegiation will have time to grow between hunters since there will be more boxes to find and not just the few I planted. This winter everything will die down and regrow in the spring and there will be no paths in the spring. I'm not sure why the rush to be the first to a box. When everyone tries to be first then everyone in the area runs to that box right after it is hidden. We might want to discourage those first find certificates and the rush to find a HH in a box that someone just planted. I for one like to see the boxes after others have stamped in so I can read what they said and see their stamps. I find that much more rewarding. But I will confess I have gloated over finding a box before the ADG did. I thought for sure they would go to an area and I wanted to get there first. So I think the path business will cease over the winter and can stop altoghther if we don't all rush right out for that latest box.

I look forward to finding all your boxes now that the weather is cooler.

Squirrel