This is something that I am curious about. I have noticed, and I have talked about this before, that many letterboxes are located in nature trails, close to the parking area when they are solo, and also, even of easier hikes, if I locate a single box more than 1 mile from the road that it does not get visited very much.
I thought that it was more of a physical thing, but I thought a little and I'm am thinking that maybe a may be a comfort thing. That is hiking in on a new trail that takes you into the WOODS, may be uncomfortable to some. I didn't think about this as I grew up in the woods; raised by, well not wolves, but close; and I am very comfortable going in to new places. I just know how to prepare.
So my thought was, and I have posted a poll that asks if a series of boxes will make you feel more likely to go on a longer hike of not. I am figuring that if I gave detailed descriptions to the boxes along the trail, that other boxers will be more likely to look for them and enjoy these areas as they will have a "trail of breadcrumbs" to follow. But, maybe I am way off.
Please cast your vote and if you have more to say, please commit on this subject, as I would like use this information to customize my series a little better.
I will also post the fianl results on the Yahoo group so that we can take a look at the results.
Thank you.
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6 comments:
Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable going into the woods without another adult and usually, I am letterboxing with my kids. My worries are, running into a poorly marked trail and getting lost with my kids where I have no cell phone service, running into some crazy rapist or murderer on the trail. I know both quite unlikely especially in the populated area of MA I live in, but still, as an overprotective mom, I limit myself. However, I hope to soon be able to enjoy this sport with other adults. At that point, anything shorter than 3 miles for now and hopefully, I can get up to about 5 miles eventually. I wouldn't need a series to get me on a long hike, just the personal stamina and adult company.
I like that there is variety for everyone. Not only because I can find boxes I can do now, but also because there will be boxes for my future.
I'm perfectly comfortable going into the woods. Right now I'm limited by short legs (my kids, not mine) to about 2 miles -- any longer than that, and the whining really starts in. Given that I get out about once a week, and that there are 100s of listings in a 25-mile radius, I can afford to cherry-pick. I prefer hikes about 1 mile, ideally with multiple boxes, because that "found it" moment is what my kids and I enjoy most.
You make really good points. When you go for a hike you really need to choose areas that are appropriate to your level of expertise and the expertise of those in your party. I felt the same way when my kids were little and when going in to unfamilar deep woods, having another adult in the party is not overly cautious, but prudent. Great points. Thank you for taking the time to leve a comment
In answer to your survey, I will hike anyway -- but I should clarify that that is a relatively recent development. I eventually learned that we enjoy the hikes more than the quickie finds, so now I deliberately seek them out.
It's easier to overlook a single box when you're sitting at home planning your outing. One box that appears to be a mile from any road is less likely to draw your attention than several boxes all in the same park.
One thing I really don't care for is a series of boxes that are absurdly close to each other. I found a series of three in a five-acre park once, with two so close to one another that I used the same bench to stamp in.
Kirbert,
Thanks for your comments. I ran into a series that was on a 1 mile bike path with 13 boxes. I stopped actually, as the boxes were within 10 feet of the trail and their were a ton of people. It wasn't worth it.
I have found that with a box here and a box there, some of which are located on a trail, we are very hurried and in our family patience wears thin. I would much rather go to a park to find 5 or 6 boxes and take our time enjoying the outdoors and seeing what nature has to offer there, or going on a hiking trail with 7 or 8 boxes and take our time, than the madness which usually happens hitting various random boxes in a 50 mile radius.
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