Lessons from the trail.

along the Columbia at the Port of Kalama

It seems like an absolute age since I last posted. In reality, I have just been stumble-running through the last weeks of an intense course. No excuses - just mentally fatigued with the workload. So, after this last week, I booked a hotel where the crowds weren't, and my besties and I headed out for some boxing. No school (or thinking about school) for two whole days! Woot!

This time we headed southward and met another wonderful couple of letterboxers - Warble & Crewel. Cool trailname, right?  They were cooler than their trailnames, too! We had a wonderful time tailgating some exchanges and swapping stories. And, I finally got my hands on a pathtag in the flesh! But, the blazin' sun eventually drove us back on the road, headed toward the beautiful Vancouver area.

I foresee more pathtags in my future ... 

It was lovely boxing-weather, albeit a little hot. And, it is more than clear that even though a box is listed as 'active' and even if the findability is 'good,' there is no way to predict whether you are gonna find anything. These days we end up beating the bushes trying to make clues 'fit,' more than we enjoy the clue, the place, or the stamp. Just the facts. But, oh boy, when we hit on a good one, it feels so good! Of all the boxes we tried on this trip, and actually on the last couple of trips, we only found about half. So many are old boxes - which is cool - but they have been ignored by their creators, sometimes laying for many years unmaintained.

But, who am I to complain? I dropped off the planet for a decade, letting my boxes lie forgotten in the wilds of the PNW. Years of wet neglect is never good for a box, I don't care how tight that lock-n-lock seems to be. I didn't even think about getting on AQ to check my inbox, leaving pleas for hints and find/attempt-reports ghosted. I get it - life happens. But, I can tell you - the first thing I did when I got back on was go through my plants and re-assess their 'active-ness.' I just felt it was the right thing to do. And when comments reported a box was missing, or the landscape had changed, or the clues no longer fit, I either retired the box or marked it 'unknown' or 'unavailable' until I could get to it in person. That seemed to be the responsible thing to do, as a planter.

beautiful summer views in Vancouver

I am a letterboxer for the cool places, unknown hidden gems of history, and for the fun of the hunt. I am not in it for frustration or angst. I know, everyone has different motives and box for different reasons, but if I had my kids with me (like when I started), they would have staged a rebellion by this point. I would have never gotten them to go out with me again after some of the boxing experiences we have had lately. In fact, my partner has only been boxing a short while, and he has somewhat soured on the pastime, unfortunately. Not enough to abandon, but the excitement seems to have left the building. Our recent experience has revealed two types of boxes: 1) those like I remember (findable with a bit of effort),  and 2) those that leave us wandering aimlessly looking for that specific fern, rock, or v-tree in a location filled with them, hoping we will stumble upon the magical spot. And I never know which it will be. 

I used to have a boxing friend who adored thistles - 
aren't these incredible?

Well, if you have read this far, thank you. I think I just needed to get that off my chest. If anything, all this experience has further cemented my thoughts that planters are responsible to maintain their boxes, either by keeping them alive and well, or marking them unknown or retired. As a planter, this includes me, as well! 

On the lighter side, we were able to be first-finder on a couple of boxes - one was a flamingo box, and one was in a rest stop, which was so fun! I love tourist boxes and any that we can get while traveling, like at rest stops (flat tire, anyone?). Another first for me - finding a box that was planted just a tad too close to a geocache, thus resulting in getting 'geotrashed.' Sad for all involved.

no box to be found, but this was cool :)

Even with the disappointment of not finding many boxes, we always learn and grow from the experience of exploring a new place. Here are some fun pics from our two-day adventure:

the required trail pic - this was definitely a gem!

a wayside view

what's a letterboxing outing without visiting a cemetery?

Now, that's an interesting hiding spot!
Obimaster is pretty slick on re-hiding out of the view of muggles!

well-earned nourishment :)

Yep, that's what we do when we burnout on frustrating letterboxing attempts - a bit of tourist-ing and good eats! It was absolutely slammed in Seaside, Oregon, due to the holiday, but that's what made it fun! 

Important takeaways:

1. Planters are responsible for (or arranging for) maintenance on their plants.

2. Perhaps the 'findability' feature on AQ is all about encouraging planters to do just that.

3. WE set the tone for the hobby and letterboxing community - a little care goes a long way. 

3. When all else fails, chill-out at your favorite brew-pub.

And, as all the clues say these days - Happy Hunting!

Obimaster, SHH, & Samsonite cheesin' in Seaside