Gnome Home Letterbox

This little gnome just begged (and I mean begged- gesh they are persistant little folk) to be made into a letterbox and so I created this little guy out of love for all little gnome folks. The clues are here in picture format- with this a couple hints, this little gnome loves to watch the children play, start your journey there and this little guy likes his privacy so you will need to remove some rocks to find his home, please re-place the rocks to ensure his privacy. A fun little first finders prize awaits!
enjoy-mamaroots!

Rummage Sale Traveling LB

greeting fellow letterboxers- how do you know you are getting more and more addicted to letterboxing- you have a rummage sale letterbox! I have the traveling Rummage Sale LB from dragon in my ink stained fingers as we speak and since I can't be out letterboxing on Saturday, we thought this was a great way to still do some letterboxing. Check out the clues:

http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=15661&boxname=Rummage_Sale_Letterbox

hum, what else do I have up my sleeve- you never know, 2 boxes coming this week from mamaroots- one you will only find out if you come to the rummage sale box, the other I would just watch out for!

Thanks so everyone for a fun LB gathering and big thanks to my good friend Lorilee for introducing me to letterboxing last December. I was hosting mine and my hubby's annual swap and shop and Lorilee had made these great little bags (I also love bags of all sorts!) with some carabiners and I asked what they were and she showed me and I was like "what is letterboxing" once she told me I snagged up the 2 kits and we bartered (I think I traded her a sock monkey) and my son jasper got one kit and my neice the other kit for Christmas. We found our first box on Christmas Eve and the rest, well it certainly isn't history, one can only tell what the future holds!!

more to come-mamaroots

Photos from the gathering

Lnd-Crzr take the prize for organizing a spectacular gather at the Dry Fork Campground in the Mark Twain National Forest near Guthrie May 6. It was not only a day of great fun (which I expect Ron will describe in better detail) but of contests and some incredible hunting courtesy of our host.

I loaded our photos of the gathering into my Flickr account. You can look at the whole gallery by clicking HERE. The photos are all under Creative Commons, which means you are free to download them as long as you give me credit.

Mid-MO Spring LB Gathering Up-Date

Time is drawing near for the spring gathering and I thought it wise to post an update to ensure that everyone has the needed information. Let me begin by saying that the interest shown in this spring’s gathering has been tremendous. Of course it is impossible to say how many will be attending until the day of the event, but suffice it to say that I believe we will most likely double our numbers from any previous gathering and we’ve had many who wished they could come but had previous obligations. On to the details.

Date, time, location and theme should be known by you all, but I’d like to make certain everyone has a few details.

There are currently two contests running (both purely voluntary, don’t feel obligated to participate). The first is to make a HH (Hitchhiker) based on your favorite fantasy character (this is spoken of on the invitations). This can be from any book, movie, game, etc… When making a HH please keep in mind that it will be sharing space with host LBs so keep them relatively compact. The second contest is to create a LB, any theme, which fits inside a Ziploc Twist ‘n Loc, 2 cup container. Bring your entries to the gathering as we will put them in a pile a vote on our favorites. Winners take home fabulous prizes.

And now a few words about the location and the event itself. The location is rather remote, so I suggest coming well supplied for a day of LB; plenty of fluids, bug spray and so on. The site does have running water and a pit latrine. This series is rather spread out and will require driving to several different trailheads. I’d like to ask that if you have a vehicle conducive to carpooling, plan on using it to drive you and a few others to each location. In the past we have broken up into small groups and searched for different LB then returned, shuffled groups and gone questing for another. This seems to work very well and allows everyone to spend some time on the trail getting to know lots of different folks. Lunch is pot-luck so please plan on bringing something to share.

I have been asked to do two workshops, one on using a compass and another on carving. I have several compasses, but if you have one, and are interested in the class, bring it. In fact, if you have a compass, bring it anyway as you will need it. If you’re interested in the carving workshop, bring your carving tools and some carving material. This will be as short or as long as folks want it to be.

If you have not already, I suggest doing a bit of pre-gathering reading. The theme will hold more meaning and fun if you’re fresh on the story. I’d also suggest bringing several pens/pencils and a notebook and as I said before a compass capable of taking bearings.

In the event of rain, and I mean an all day long down pour, I may bump the event to the next day, Sunday the 7th. If I do so I will send out an e-mail around 8 AM that day and post a message on the blog at around 9 AM.

Looking forward with great anticipation to seeing everyone!

Lnd-Crzr

Letterboxing/Storm Chasing Adventure

ABS Family

Though we have only been letterboxing a short time, we have already had some different experiences. I will tell you about one of our adventures. On March 11, 2006, we decided we would take the children and go LBing. We had an appointment that morning to go look at a piano, so we wanted to make a day out of it. We had a gameplan of trying to get as many letterboxes as we could that day. It did not work out that way. The day started out perfect. It was sunny and though there was a chance of rain, we were not going to let that stop us. After lunch, our first stop was "The Higbee Country Challenge". This is a great location and a letterbox someone will not just stumble upon. It has been there for a year and has had two visitors. I would encourage anyone to go get this one. It would be a rare addition to your log book. The weather is still nice and clear at this point. Next stop, "Grindstone". There is something about this LB that just causes it to rain. We tried this one once before and we no sooner stepped out of the van and it started to pour. This day was different, right?? We took the short strole out to the LB, found the LB and started to head back when it started to sprinkle. Now you must remember, we LB with a 7 year old, a 4 year old and an 18 month old so there is no hurry back to the van with this entrouge. Luckily it held off the REAL rain until after we were back to the bridge. We made it. We were a little wet but who cares. It rained hard for about ten minutes and then it brightened back up. That was our "chance of rain" right? In the mean time, we headed to "Capen" where we were planning to take another hike. Well without giving up to much info, I went and found the "Capen" LB and brought it back to the van. Noone was around so the plan was to stamp the book, look it over and put it back. Yuh Plan B!!!! It started raining so hard, I thought we were in the carwash. The wipers could not keep up with the amount of rain that was falling. Of course this brought everyone back to their cars in a hurry. When it started hailing (pea size) we thought maybe letterboxing was not such a wise chioce today. We moved to where we had some cover from the elements and waited. After thirty minutes, everyone had left except for one car. My wife and daughter had to use the restroom so we left with the LB with us and headed to the service station. We then went back to Capen and HEY the car had left, BUT was replaced by a Columbia Patrol Car. OH the luck! We drove around for another 20 minutes and then returned to the scene of the crime. "Grand Theft Letterbox". The parking lot was empty!!! It was still raining some, but I jumped out and replaced the LB to it's home. So did I actually steal it or just borrow it? Let the courts decide! You would have thought after all of this we would give up and call it a day, but we figured after what had happened it could not get any worse. Famous Last Words! We headed to "Higher Eduction". Now without giving anything away about C2B2's letterbox, there is a shelter near where the letterbox was hidden. We retrieved the letterbox, snapped a couple of photos, stamped the log books and replaced it. Remember earlier when I said it rained hard while we were at Capen. I lied because if the first rain strom was hard then this was a monsoon. And alot more hail (Quarter size). If you have been to "Higher Ed" you know of the protection that I am speaking of. We sat there for another 30 minutes or so. The children were having a great time by this point. They had watched an entire DVD and were starting on another. Thank You Lord for DVD players. They thought the hail was cool. The van did not! Once the rain had slowed and the weather man said the worst was past us, we headed to Cici's for supper before heading north towards home. All in all, we stamped four letterboxes and chased three storms all over Columbia. Amazingly enough, we had the greatest time because it got to be funny all the different situations we had ourselves in that day. See you at the LB Gathering and until then, don't let your inkpad dry up.

ABS Family

Second Annual Mid-MO Spring LB Gathering

As the sound of peepers fill the air and the morels begin to appear, nature signals that it is time once again for the Mid-MO Spring LB Gathering! This will be the second annual gathering for the Mid-Missouri Letterboxing community. Last year saw the courageous efforts of a dozen local, and not so local, Letterboxes search Rock Bridge Memorial State Park for the lost duo of Wallace & Gromit. The end of that day saw the rescue of the pair by the Goddess and the Gardner of Kansas City.

If you’ve never been to a LB Gathering you might be wondering, what happens. If two years in a row can be called tradition, tradition says that a theme will be chosen and a series of LBs planted revolving around it. Contests are prearranged and those who choose to bring certain items (usually a LB or Micro-box which fall into the given guidelines) and everyone votes on a favorite. Winners walk away with FABULOUS prizes (think hand made log books or cold root-beer fabulous, not new car fabulous). Possibly the most alluring aspect of a Gathering is a chance to meet the fabulous folks which make up the Letterboxing community. I was thrilled to finally meet the people behind the stamps I continually see in the logbooks. This leads to the ‘Exchange’. This simply means you exchange personal stamps with everyone who attends and tends to lead to a frenzied passing of logbooks, which leads us to another grand aspect of a LB Gathering, getting to see other’s logbooks. This is one of my favorite parts. Thumbing through well worn logbooks is like looking through a well traveled journal and scrapbook. We also do a bit of learning. This year I’ve been asked to host a class on compass useage and a carving class. Did I mention the LBs? If you’re looking for snatching up a good number of LB in a single day, a Gathering is the place to do it. This year’s theme is generating a lot of excitement amongst those who have received their invites. If you’re curious, take a look at what they’ve received.

The second annual Mid-MO Spring LB Gathering will be held on May 6th, 2006, beginning at 10 AM and running all day. For those adventurous/outdoorsy types, a few intrepid folks will be camping out. Lunch is a pot-luck so I ask everyone who attends to bring something to share. Staying all day is not a requirement. Dropping in for a few hours is fine, but I encourage trying to be there at the opening. If you’d like more information, such as the location or the current contests, you gotta drop me an e-mail. To find it, track me down through LBNA.

Lnd-Crzr

Greetings From Jenny J

When I'm not tromping in the woods in pursuit of LBs, I'm a fiber artist and fiber arts teacher at Access Arts in Columbia. I have two children in their mid-twenties. My daughter joins me on letterbox excursions occasionally - my son just rolls his eyes at the mention of it. My husband shares my love of fiber arts, especially knitting, but, alas, has no interest in letterboxing.

I started letterboxing in the summer of 2002 after learning about it from my sisters in Massachusetts. They urged me to start hiding boxes, assuring me that eventually a local group would sprout up. Well, it took a while but they were right. Late in 2004 Lnd Crzr came on the scene and jumped into letterboxing with both feet. Since then, our local group has been growing steadily, and Mid MO is now rich in letterboxes, really nice ones, I might add.

One of my most memorable finds was the LB at the Norman Rockwell Museum in western Massachusetts. It's a "two-fer" if you like Rockwell - lots of his wonderful illustrations and a very nice hand-carved stamp within walking distance of the museum.

Over this past spring break we made a jaunt up to Galesburg, Illinois to visit Carl Sandburg's home. While browsing the local phone book, I realized - duh! - Galesburg is also the home of Dick Blick Art Supplies. I order Speedo blades and stamp carving material from DB so it was great fun to browse their offerings in person. And yes, my wallet was a tad thinner when we left.

I love every aspect of letterboxing, from carving a unique stamp to discovering what other folks do with their boxes. I also relish hiking in the woods to find little gems of nature's beauty. When I log into a box, I usually try to mention some of the cool things I've seen along the way. I have two bits of advice for new LBers: 1. Remember to be discreet about retrieving and replacing boxes. If there are people close by, take a little stroll and wait until they're gone. 2. Please rehide the boxes well. Even if people don't see them, sometimes animals do and will remove them.

So that's the scoop on Jenny J. Welcome to all of you who are just discovering the pleasures of letterboxing. Good 'Boxing to you all!

A REAL letterbox survey

I think what I enjoy most about letterboxing is the surprise. Sometimes it is the unexpected joy of opening a box to find a true piece of art carved for my pleasure. Just as often it is following the clues to a wonderful place I knew nothing about and would have never discovered on my own.

As Cecile and I plant more boxes, that pleasure of the unexpected has taken a new turn. I try to check my boxes for maintenance periodically. Besides replacing the plastic bags, I love to sit on the ground at "my" site and read the log of finders. When I started in early 2005, I knew who would be in the book. Our corps of discoverers was friendly, but small. Then I started finding stamps from letterboxers who were just passing through. Those almost always came with a note about how they enjoyed the area and the boxes here.

This week I went to the Buried Jewells box, as a finder had reported it needed repair. Indeed, the plastic bag had torn, the lid to the box was ajar and the logbook ink was starting to run. I took it home and changed the status on LBNA to under repair. At home, I also found the logbook was down to its last page, so I started to create a "second edition" to put in the repaired box.

My first surprise was that the book was so full. I suppose that the easy access to Buried Jewells makes it popular with families, and the uniqueness of the Cecile clues attracts the adults. There are stamps I have never seen before, along with several penned entries --- one in Chinese.

But hands down, the best entry was the one pictured here. There is considerable construction activity around the Jewell Cemetery, with survey flags on every nearby lot. "RTM" and "DPH" found the box while conducting a survey. They not only treated it with respect, they logged in with a hand-drawn caricature of them doing their work.

How can you beat that for a pleasant surprise? RTM and DPH, my cap is off to you. I'll be watching every survey crew I see from now on to see who has that tell-tale "letterboxer's grin.

C2B2

Blogging and boxing

With our spring gathering coming up May 6, this is probably a good time to revisit what we are doing with our letterboxing blog.

This site is the sounding board to a growing group of letterboxers who live and search in the heart of Missouri. It also is getting a rather impressive amount of traffic. It has a half dozen registered authors and has been read by a score or more others in the vicinity.

For authors, I need to know if any of you wish to be taken off the list of people who can contribute postings to the blog (you can always keep reading it) or whether any of you need your e-mail address updated. For the rest of you, I need to know if you want a computer-generated invitation to be on the authoring list. Send me a note at clyde.bentley@gmail.com.

Also, I would like to see a series of short profiles on our letterboxers. If you are registered with the site, you can do that by going to Blogspot.com, clicking on this site and posting bit of information on why you started letterboxing, etc. Share with us some of your trail stories and tips on stamps, boxes, navigating, etc. And photos are very welcomed — either photos of yourself, of boxes (don’t give away secrets), stamps or vistas.

If you are not registered, just e-mail the material to me.

Remember the blog is also a good place to post notes about boxes out of the area that might be worth seeing when any of us are traveling. This makes even more sense as we approach the vacation season.

Last but certainly not least, let me know if there is anyone who should be invited to look at the blog or come to the gathering. LndCrzr will host the gathering and should soon post his invitation.

See you on the trail.

Clyde (half of C2B2)

Thank You And Our Story

First of all, I must say "Thank You" to C2B2 for the invition to blog on this site. I have read all the previous blogs and learned a few things that I did not know. My name is Adam and along with my family, we make up the "ABS Family". We are a family of five. My wife and I have three children. Boy-7, Girl-4, Girl-1.

We were introduced to LBing by my older sister who lives in central Ohio. We were out there visiting in October of 2005 and we went to Hocking Hills State Park and we had so much fun. We found two boxes there in the park. When we got back to her home, I checked the web and learned that Rock Bridge State Park had several LBs. We visit RBSP at least twice a year because we enjoy the outdoors. Funny thing is, we took my sister and her family there when they were here over the summer of 2005. After that first day, I was hooked. I have always enjoyed treasure hunts or scavenger hunts, so this is really fun. The problem we have is that with three children, we cannot just go. It has to be planned and a decent day. I am always chomping at the bit to go but my wife pulls me back to the world of responsibilities. Hopefully, with spring coming we will get out on the path more often. We have only been hunting three times with 12 finds.


We have made a personal stamp and we are know using it. It has alot of meaning for me. My family, generations back, were originally from Canada and we have a flag with a seal. I carved out our family seal which appears on the flag. It is not perfect so I will probably try to carve it again. That is the main reason we have not planted any LBs. We have clues and themes, it is just that the stamp does not meet my approval. C2B2 and LND-CZR have both told me not to worry about the stamp. People just want LBs to hunt, so saying that, the next free day we get we will plant our first box. I am excited about it.

My next blog, hopefully soon, will be about our letterboxing adventure we had on last Saturday. Until then, don't let your inkpad dry up!!

ABS Family

Mid-MO FF Tome

Recently I was unable to attend Clyde and Cecile’s most excellent LB Gatheirng. As mentioned, I did manage to send along a prize in the form of a First Finders Tome. Within the Tome were 10 previously unpublished clues to LBs scattered about Mid-MO. Also included were instructions on how to use a Key Word Shift Cipher (which have I used often) and a Caesar Code (which will be used often).
The winner, our most eteemed JennyJ, was given one month to claim First Finders before the clues were published. The thirty days have expired and I am pleased to say that JennyJ claimed 7 out of 10 FF. Now the time has come to publish the clues. I have published those that I can at the LBNA site, but several need pictures or diagrams so I will publish those here and post links at the LBNA sit to here.

Mid MO Mystery

Use the clues in the picture to uncover the starting location.

From the parking lot take the main trail through the field until it enters the woods and you find a lonely gate. From the left side, follow a bearing of 210° 20 paces and find a pair of upright trees with hollow bases. A guardian stone protects the mysterious in one. Please replace it when done.




Aesop’s Fables; Book Three

From Fulton take hwy H west through the small town of Carrington. Stay on H until it hits hwy J. Take J to the left (south) until you find the red barn in the picture, on the east side of the road. Standing at the main barn door, north side, follow a bearing of 70°. You’ll pass a pile of scrap on your left and a corner fence post on your right. Continue as your path narrows and drops downhill into a bottom valley. Just as your path levels out and the field opens, look to your left for a large, healthy shag bark hickory tree. It holds a story for you. Please replace the stones.

Safe-Cracker

An agent of the sinister Baron Von Krackhousen has been captured and with him ciphered text and a clue which may lead to the location of Krackhousen’s fabled safe.

Use the intercepted diagram to find the answer for ‘?’. Use that number and a Caesar cipher to break the code and discover the location of the safe. Bring your wits and your safe-cracking skills. Have you got what it takes to be a Safe-Cracker?

J-TFWFOUZ F GSPN LJOHEPN
DJUZ UP XJMMJBNTCVSH FYJU
(POF TJY POF). O PO POF AFSP
AFSP GJWF. QBTT TIPPUJOH
SBOHF PO S BOE DSPTT
XIFUTUPOF DSFFL. DPOUJOVF
O UP POF AFSP AFSP UXP
IFBEJOH X. UBLF POF AFSP
AFSP UXP QBTT MBLF PO M BOE SPBE UVSOT TIBSQMZ T (M). TUBZ T VOUJM SPBE UVSOT TIBSQMZ X (S) XJUI QBSLJOH JO DPSOFS, QBSL
IFSF.

Take the trail due south. Descend a long hill passing fields on your right after which the trail turns sharply to the east (left). Find trail on the left side which enters the woods. Take this trail and head the wooded hill. At the top of the hill, on your right, a swayed oak leans to the right the straight up again. Just past this swayed oak the trail opens to a field. Go right (east) skirting the field with woods on your right and field on your left. The trail that ruins around the perimeter of the field runs east, and then turns north. Continue until another row of trees come from the west to meet you and makes an entrance to another large field. On your right will be a massive tree. Stand on the north side of the brush which surrounds this huge tree. From here go 100° to a small clump of trees standing alone in the field. From south east side of this cluster, go across the field 110° to a medium oak on the edge of the woods. From this tree go 100° 24 paces to a large oak with an old fence still clinging to it. Find the hole on the north side.

A few additional
comments regarding the
Safe-Cracker LB

This is a wild and beautiful area typical of Missouri’s northern Glaciated Plains. Bring your binoculars and bird identification book as birding here is excellent.

Trails here tend be what most consider gravel roads or wide swaths cut into the woods and fields.

On your way out, stop at Crane’s Country Store in Williamsburg. They have a great food and an excellent variety of drinks, including several different brands of Root-Beer. I’d suggest trying a Fitz’s Root-Beer. They also have some amazing ice cream. Friendly folks make this a wonderful place to stop and take in a cold one.

Aesop’s Fables; Book Two

This dell has become my favorite hiding spot. Even though I first visited it in the dead of winter; it was lush with ferns and moss. I can’t wait to return to see it in all its glory in the spring.

To discover the location, solve the riddle at the end of this clue.

Find Millersburg half way between Columbia and Fulton. Head east on Hwy F towards Fulton. Take the mystery county road north to a small parking area and gate. Pass the gate and follow the trail into the woods. Go down a gentle slope and find a meadow on your left and a creek crossing the trail just ahead. Cross it to the far side (west) and follow it on a meandering course into the forest. Keep on the right side and follow it until it intersects another little brook. Follow it to the right (westerly) down stream a short distance until you see another small stream entering the main stream from the north. This small creek has a lovely small entrance to a beautiful tight valley full of ferns and mosses and the charming little creek that twists its way back and forth through it. Cross the main brook and follow the smaller creek into its romantic little dell. Explore the creek on its right side, until you find a point where a two foot waterfall might be if enough water is present. To the left side of the creek, and back down just a bit is a tall, fat snag with a trunk laying beside it. Peer inside the hole on the trunk to the left and you’ll you’re your story.

Additional Comments
Regarding the
Tome of FF Clues

Here are a few guidelines and thoughts to consider when searching for these boxes.

-I use the old Roman Legion Army pace. That is one pace is equal to two steps.

-Many of these LB are hidden in areas where public hunting is allowed. Make yourself aware of hunting seasons, especially gun season for deer, and act/dress accordingly.

-Being Missouri, protect yourself against poison ivy, mosquitoes and ticks.

-Again being Missouri, before sticking your hand in a dark hole of a place, use a stick to shoo away any critters that may be lurking inside.

-Unless otherwise stated, all my LBs are BYOI (Bring Your Own Ink).
-Please be discreet in your Letterboxing and prudent in your re-hiding. Remember, only you can prevent Improper Re-Hideation.

-After you find each LB, please drop me a quick e-mail letting me know of the boxes condition and any stories of your adventure you might wish to share. I love hearing people’s tales.




Encryptions;
The Caesar Cipher

This cipher was actually used by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar.

The Caesar cipher is also a shift cipher like the Key Word cipher, but utilizes a single number to make all shifts. That is, all letters will be bumped an equal distance in the alphabet. This makes the Caesar cipher mono-alphabetic because each letter will appear as the same encrypted throughout the message.
To de-code, you must have the key number, for example 3. Write out the entire alphabet, then above it, write it again, but bumped three spaces.

D E F G H I J K L…
A B C D E F G H I…

To code or de-code, simply look at the letter on the bottom line to de-code and the letter above to encode.

Stamping Out Winter

The winter gathering of Mid-Missouri Letterboxers drew 15 stalwart boxers on a cold but clear February afternoon. Not to worry -- we had plenty of good food to accompany our letterboxing stories.




The gathering at the home of home of Clyde and Cecile Bentley was short one key member -- Ron Danuser was away at a family gathering with his son. But in his honor, we quaffed several brands of root beer (Ron's favorite congratulary phrase is "You deserve a root beer!)

Oh, but was Ron there in spirit. He sent along a very special prize for our the contest traditonal. He had create a set of 10 boxes that were not yet posted on the Web. The winner would get a one-month lead on finding them.

And who better to win than Jenny Sennot!. JennyJ was the first letterboxer in the Columbia area and continues to be the creator of many of our best boxes.



Or contest was to create some item to stock a special box for children. Small stamps were glued to a child's block. Jenny, Mamaroots and Fox-fyr all carved outstanding stamps and Marie Haskins created a delightful log book. Sandy, Diane, Lorilee and Lucas all contributed goodies for first finders.



Clyde and Cecile will assemble the parts into one or more boxes to be hidden at a site determined later.

Winter meeting set

The game is afoot.

I know, I know -- that's the wrong phrase. But it sounds so good when Sherlock Holmes says it...

What I mean to say is that the winter gathering of the Mid Missouri Letterboxers is scheduled for Feb. 4 at my house. It will probably be a lunch meeting and definitely potluck. For directions or information, message me at clyde.bentley@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, sharpen your wits and polish up your log books. I believe Ron plans to show us his stamp-carving techniques and we should have several other activities. There are several new boxes in the Columbia area, so come early to scout around.

Clyde

State Letterboxing Rules

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is enforcing its rules on the placement of geocaches and letterboxes in state parks and recreation areas. The rules limit the number of boxes you may place in a park and you must have a permit, which is good for one year.

I just submitted a permit for one of my boxes and in the process came up with the "official" sticker below. Jim Gast, superintendent of the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and the Katy Trail State Park, also answered a number of my questions.

The system seems to mix geocaches and letterboxes. For your purposes, are letterboxes caches?

Yes. The total number of caches/letterboxes allowed is the number of acres in the park divided by 200. For Jewell Cemetery, since it is so small, it is my decision to allow them or not. I have said there can be 1 there. Caches/Letterboxes are first come, first serve. At Rock Bridge, we can have 11. If there are 11 letterboxes, then we wouldn't have any geocaches.

Caches seemed to be limited to one per 200 acres or two per park, but then the permit allows for 5-box multicaches. Do you care if a multicache has a multiple clues on the Web or can it only have a single clue and other clues in the boxes? If the latter, does this mean one could have 10 boxes in Rock Bridge State Park if they were in two sets of clues?

Usually with multi-caches, only the first clue is posted on the web, the other clues are in the caches are direct people where to find the remaining ones. We have one multi-cache at Rock Bridge. Even though there are three boxes, it only counts as one cache/letterbox. So yes a person could have two multi-caches with 5 boxes each. I've seen some letterboxes with each clue posted on the web. It doesn't matter as long as the owner links them so we can be sure it's a multi-cache.

How will permits be renewed? It is the permittee's responsibility to ask for a renewal.

Permits are good for 1 year. If no one else wants to place a cache at Jewell Cemetery, I would probably consent to extending the permit another year.

Does the entire text attached to the permit need to be included in the box, or just a paraphrase. A large document is problematic for a microbox, which is by tradition the size of an Altoids can.


It needs to at least have OFFICIAL LETTERBOX or OFFICIAL GEOCACHE on the outside. Otherwise staff may think it is trash and remove it. The rest of the text is optional, but it would be nice if the text were somewhere to explain to non-user what they just found.

One of the more popular facets of letterboxing is the “hitchhiker.” This is a very small box (often a 35mm film container) that is placed within another letterbox. The finder takes the hitchhiker and places it in another letterbox. May I assume correctly that one does not need a permit to drop a “hitchhiker” into an existing box on state property?

Hitchhikers seem like travel bugs used in caches. You don't need a permit for the travel bug since you can add or remove items from a cache. The hitchhiker needs to fit inside the letterbox, however. A 35mm film can does not fit into an Altoid box and thus would not be allowed. Hitchhikers need to follow the rules for decency, etc.

Finally, when were the rules created, what was the public input process and are they subject to revision or amendment? Can I be placed on a mailing list for the latter? We talked with various geocaching clubs around the state to get their input.

If you have questions or comments about the policy, you can come to any park's public meeting and bring up issues, you can send your thoughts to me and I will forward them on, or you can send a comment from the www.mostateparks.com web site.

New Box!

We did it! We finally planted our first box this weekend, and the clues are officially posted on the LbNA website!! Look for "Shelter Gardens" in Columbia...can't wait to hear from a finder!

Welcome to Letterboxing, Mid Missouri style

The other links on this page will take you the Letterboxing North America (LBNA) frequently asked questions and the new letterboxers online discussion board. But you should probably know more about this site and the folks who have planted all those wonderful boxes in this region.

Webfoot got us started by planting Mid Missouri's first box -- Batcave on Aug. 31, 2002. JennyJ picked up her interest in letterboxing from relatives in the Northeast, was Bat Cave's first finder and planted the first notable set of boxes in the area. But letterboxing really blossomed here when Lnd-Crzr organized a spring gathering at Rock Bridge State Park of 2005. A very informal group grew from that – the Mid Missouri Letterboxers. We continue to meet for conversation and boxing two or three times a year.

There are no rules in letterboxing – in MidMo or elsewhere. But there are strong traditions and etiquette. We letterbox under the most fundamental ethic:

Do No Harm

Here are a few of the ways we find to accomplish that:

• Show respect for nature and property-- never dig for a box nor damage the surroundings.
• Show respect for the person who hid the box – return it carefully to its hiding place, leaving only your stamp as evidence you have been there. Then both log your find on LBNA and contact the placer.
  
• Show respect for the person who lovingly carved the stamp – treat it with care, keep it clean and return it to its box or bag.
• Leave the box as you would have liked to have found it. Sometimes boxes or books are damaged by water or critters. Replace torn zip-bags and notify the owner of other problems. And, again, proper “re-hidation” is the key to continued enjoyment.
• Be discreet. Some say the best part of letterboxing is making a find, stamping the log and returning the box while those around you are totally oblivious. Shouting “I found it!” or leading a tour group to a box site are considered poor form.
• Play fair. Log your find with LBNA so the placer gets her or his share of the fun. And don’t give others shortcuts to the box, which may mean watching what photos you take

If you plan to place your own boxes, we have a few traditions here that we want to share:

• Find a dozen or so boxes before you place one of your own. That will help you determine what makes a "good hide."
• We think it both polite and smart to label all boxes well. It should at least say “This is a Letterbox” and provide the Web address of LBNA. Realize that geocachers or "muggles" may find your box, so explain to them what to do with it. And please -- don't let anyone mistake it for a bomb or weapon.
  
• It is easy to get excited on the hunt and not see where you are. Please don't endanger searchers by placing a box near a road, airport or other hazard.
• Double-bag logbooks and other parts of the box that could be damaged by rain.
• Select a site that takes a little forethought to find. Boxes placed in very obvious spots are quickly taken or damaged. And they are not much fun.
• While many letterboxers use store-bought stamps, the tradition in this region is to put a hand-carved stamp in your box. The stamp should reflect something about the box name. Remember that the box name is often one if its own best clues.
  
• Attend one of the Mid Missouri Letterboxing gatherings so we can learn from your skill and you can learn from ours. We have plenty of folk who will teach you to carve, navigate with a compass, make logbooks or write clues
  

More than anything else, we want you to enjoy letterboxing in Mid Missouri. We will do our best to make sure nothing spoils your hobby. Please do the same.

Ron on the air

Ron Danuser provided Mid Missouri with an introduction to letterboxing via a superb radio interview on KBIA in Columbia. Darren Hellwege, host of the public radio station's Thinking Out Loud, not only asked all the right questions, but went into the field with Ron. We had the experience of hearing Darren's excitement as he found his first box in Rock Bridge State Park.

Go to Hellwege's program site to listen to the whole interview. But then poke around in the site to hear the long version of the box hunt and enjoy several good links.

Thanks, Ron. I think the best promotion of letterboxing has been from public broadcasting and similar print sites, such as Smithsonian. Whether it is the audience or the format, it seems to excite people who not only enjoy the hobby but treat it with respect.

Fall Gathering

Good coffee, good conversation -- and REALLY GREAT letterboxes!

Those of us at the Fall 2005 gathering of the Mid Missouri Letterboxers had lots of reasons for celebrations. Not only did eight of us -- including little Jedidiah -- spend an afternoon talking to folks who actually understand our hobby, but just a mile away the mighty Mizzou Tigers beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

While the crowd at Farot Stadium tore down the goalposts, we were excited in our own, admittedly more sedate, way as we shared our experiences and expertise.

Attending were Ron, Jenny, JT & Sandi & son, and Clyde & Cecile.

Ron had supplied us all with empty mint tins with which we were to make microboxes. Sandi took the prize with here incredibly beautiful box-within-a-box. Her prize was a copy of "The Letterboxer's Companion" donated by Ron.

Jenny challenged us to a spooky Haloween Hitchhiker contest and suppled hand-crafted and lovingly filled supply pouches. Cecile won "most original" for her tiny box tucked into a plastic eyeball. Jenny's own Jaberwocky was voted "people's choice," but she passed her prize to Ron for his Great Pumpkin.

We spent three hours laughing, exchanging stamps and learning about ways to make books, carve stamps or write clues. We left with four new microboxes to place and three hitchhikers to tuck into other boxes, so even folks who couldn't make the gathering came out winners.

You can look at a gallery of photos take at the gathering by clicking here.

Get a Higher Education

(This box was missing for a few weeks, but the person who stumbled upon it graciously returned it. It has be re-hidden in a less obvious place and the clues updated. 11/6/05)

Take the Tiger by the tail during this weekend's gathering of Mid-Missouri Letterboxers. Our Higher Education box is within walking distance of the Cherry Street Artisan, but will leave you scratching your head like a freshman at midterm exams.

Remember that the University of Missouri-Columbia was founded in 1839 as the first public university west of the Mississippi River and was the first public university in Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase territory. It is steeped in traditions and pride. Search for the box with respect and honor.

To find this letterbox, you’ll use a map, clues and a replacement code.

Use this link to locate a map of the Francis Quadrangle (north). (http://map.missouri.edu/quad-north.htm)

Use the following clues to navigate to your destination. To locate the box you’ll need to decipher the code. When you find the box, snap your photo with the enclosed camera to let us know you’ve mastered this academic challenge. When we develop the film, we will post them at our Flickr site.

Begin at Elm Street, near Peace Park.
O Drive ->
Francis []
OOOOOO
9th
WW
Face E
Uphill to large []

Now, decipher the code to find the letterbox.

PZVZLHK BY VOH XUQ KCJH RC
QFUZ VMD |^|
MTQR DX EPZT ARIY
GNPK EPAF XEYHA


Instructions for breaking the code:
Your Key Word is the seven-letter word for the most visited landmark on the MU campus.

--Locate the letter in the word that comes first in the alphabet, and assign that letter the value of 1.
--Locate the letter that comes second in the alphabet and assign it the value of 2.
--Continue until all seven letters have been assigned a number. Example: In the word cat, C =2, A=1 and T=3. This is numerical sequence is your “decoder”.

Using this number sequence, assign each letter in the coded message above.

To decode the clue, start with the letter in the coded message. Use the number assigned to that letter and move backwards through the alphabet that many letters. This is the “decoded” answer. Complete decoding the message and follow the clues.

Here’s an example of how this code works:

Key Word: BLUE
Decoder: 1342 (B appears first in the alphabet; E appears second, L appears third and U appears fourth)

Apply the decoder to a phrase.

1 3 4 2 1 3 4 2
H R S F MXGM

Count backwards to find the answer.

H (move back 1 = G)
R (move back 3 = O)
S (move back 4 = O)
F (move back 2 = D)
M (move back 1 = L)
X (move back 3 = U)
G (move back 4 = C)
M (move back 2 = K)

Have fun
C2B2

Ghoulish Games Planned for Fall Gathering

Sharpen your carving tools and dip into your imagination for a haunted hitchhiker exchange at the October 22 Fall Gathering. To join the fun, create a hitchhiker based on a spooky, creepy or scary character. For inspiration, think of movies, books, cartoons, comicbooks, or fashion a figment of your own imagination. In addition to the carved stamp, make a logbook including all the necessary traveling information, so that eventually your creature can return to you. (Hint: Hitchhikers should be on the small side, as they must squeeze into letterboxes that are often quite full.)

Bring your HHH and logbook in a sturdy ziplock baggie to the Gathering. Those in attendance will vote on their favorites, and fabulous prizes will be awarded.

After the judging, we will exchange HHH's and place them in regular letterboxes to begin their spine-chilling journeys.

For more information, contact Jenny J.