Welcome to the wonderful world of letterboxing! Once you really get
started, you'll wonder why you thought geocaching was so great. ;o)
> I was just curious as to whether since 9-11 and letterboxes have
> been blown up by bomb squads.
None that I'm aware of, but I did hear rumors about someone thinking
it was a drug drop or something so the cops came in with rubber
gloves to investigate it. (I don't know any details such as when,
where, etc. this took place. It's just a rumor in my book, but it
could be true. *shrug*)
> Are mountains which require a hike also places folks hide them. I
> am an avid backpacker, Hiker and Mountain biker.
You can hide them anywhere you think you can get away with it. =)
Most people do hide them in parks that require easy hikes, but many
of mine require arduous 10 mile hikes up a few thousand feet. They
do get visitors on occasion, but they generally don't get visited
very often. Some letterboxes are even 'hidden' indoors such as bars
or coffee shops where you have to ask the bartender or whoever to
pull out the box from behind the counter. And there's currently a
letterbox hidden inside the Smithsonian. The only limit is your
imagination. =)
> Also what about caves ? I am also an avid caver.
I'm aware of at least two letterboxes that are hidden in caves, but
there might be more I'm not aware of.
> I noticed the clues on the ones I read were actually specific
> directions to the box. Are cryptic clues, riddles etc. also
> aloowed. You know something that requires so detective work ?
You're right that most clues don't have a lot of 'imagination' to
them, but it's certainly not prohibited! Part of the fun for me is
creating unique and entertaining clues which are anything but
specific directions to the box. My Murder at Gabriel Park box
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/OR/GabrielPark) turns you
into a 'dectective' hunting for evidence to get a killer behind
bars. My Where's Jack? letterbox
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/OR/WheresJack) requires
people to visit three different Jack in the Box restaurants counting
ceiling tiles, tables, hanging plants, lights, etc. before it leads
to the letterbox using that information. The clue for the Around the
World in 80 Days letterbox
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/Mystery/AroundTheWorld) is
journal by Captain Cook which 'inadvertantly' tells the location of a
letterbox. Lewis and Clark even looked for the box
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/Mystery/BuffaloWarrior), but
failed to find it. ;o) Other clues of mine include NASA putting out
a call for recruits
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/Mystery/EagleHasLanded) and
attacks by dinosaurs
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/Mystery/LandOfLongAgo). Or
you can stop the Chipmunk of Terror
(http://www.geocities.com/rscarpen/Lb/US/Mystery/ChipmunkOfTerror)
and put his days of terror to an end.
Der Mad Stamper is famous for his particularly cryptic clues such as
Tryon Creek (http://members.aol.com/letterboxr/usa/tryon.htm), Pooch
Place (http://members.aol.com/letterboxr/usa/pooch.htm), PCC Rock
Creek (http://members.aol.com/letterboxr/usa/pccrc.htm), or the
Bronson Creek letterbox
(http://members.aol.com/letterboxr/usa/rebus_bc/rebus01.htm) in the
form of a rebus.
The wonderful thing about letterboxing is that it's as varied as your
imagination can provide. You can even use GPS's as part of the clue,
since there's not a rule prohibiting its use. (However, many
letterboxes won't look for it since they may not have a GPS, but
there's not reason you can't do it.)
Hope this answers all your questions!
-- Ryan