Anyone that does not belief me that Partypig is a letterboxer possessed, need only to view the photographic evidence:

http://www.atlasquest.com/gallery/viewphoto.html?gPhotoId=10275

That's him alright, POURING WIPER FLUID around a frozen box!!!!

http://www.atlasquest.com/gallery/viewphoto.html?gPhotoId=10274

And that's him again, going it alone as he attacks the frozen box with a car window scaper. The rest of us had long given up and just gave him room. After 20 minutes of scraping with a car key, a window scraper, asking for the tire jack (which we declined to give him) and soaking the area with wiper fluid....he managed to extract the box from it's hiding place! WOo hooOO! Well worth it too, as it was one of Sahalie's beautifully carved stamps.

NOW do you believe me?!?!?

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

LOL....

I hope that was environmental friendly washer fluid...lol :->

Now that's desperation!! I would never be that desperate for a letterbox...unless, of course, it was the dead of winter and I had been snowed in for more than a week with nary a chance to get at a box.

Yep, I think I could fall into the very same depravity! Guess I have a reaon to be thankful that we didn't see any real snow this year: )

't'
dtandfambly

Ok, I have to admit that it was pretty funny that he was that determined to get the box, BUT....wouldn't all that work (not to mention bright blue washer fluid) make it pretty obvious to muggles that there was something there?

TG

We kept laughing about what a CSI would say about the area after we were done. Three sets of footprints...all around a stone bench, which has no evidence of being sat on....and mysterious blue fluid all around...Hmmmmm....

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

I'd just like to say: I cleaned every single window in my apartment today. The stupid mullion ones. Each individual window has 8 mullions, each set has 16, and I live in a "treehouse" type apartment with 10 sets...oh and I washed the outside too.....

And that was before reading this post.

pre
(putting windex on the shopping list .....but for a different reason than LW)
;-p

Ohh, I didn't notice this post until after making my 'Ice Advice' post. Do you recall if the box in question was on the ground? OR was it elevated on a rock or anything?

Thanks!
LG.

The "Windex box" was a huge stone slab on the ground..but it had a small opening at one end, where the letterbox had been hidden. I STILL haven't figure out how they got it IN there....we had a rough time before we managed to get it back in! The opening was just covered with a thin rock.

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

Hmmm. Ok. :)

By the way, I know you're calling this the Windex thread, but I don't think Windex has all of the de-icing properties that windshield wiper fluid does...in case anyone was thinking of adding a jug of windex to their letterboxing backpack. ;)

LG.

.... I just had this very funny daydream about having to upgrade from a bag, to a backpack, to a Letterboxing Uhaul trailer. ;) My mom has already said we're taking the camping RV on a letterboxing trip this summer...

LG.

I agree. I just called it that because the stuff was blue. As for using it? I think it was just born from desperation...lol

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

Quote

in case anyone was thinking of adding a jug of windex to their letterboxing backpack. ;)

That stuff is REQUIRED (I think there's a "rule" written somewhere in the codes ;-) in vehicles in Colorado from October to May...

pre

Well, you're a fool not to have it in your car! A little salt on your window without any washer fluid and yer screwed.

Quote

That stuff is REQUIRED (I think there's a "rule" written somewhere in the codes ;-) in vehicles in Colorado from October to May...

You know it pre!! I have gotten many an oil change for that reason - I am never worried about my car's oil, but I am always worried about running out of windshield wiper fluid!! :-)

AGJ

You seriously get your oil changed for the windshield wiper fluid?? Nope. I don't believe it. You're just joking. :)

LG.

Quote

You seriously get your oil changed for the windshield wiper fluid?? Nope. I don't believe it. You're just joking.

I get mine changed for the washer fluid AND so my tires get set to the right pressure. :)

TG

Quote

You seriously get your oil changed for the windshield wiper fluid??

I have my oil changed with my windshield wiper fluid in mind. Sometimes I'll even pay the extra $$ at Jiffy Lube for a Rainex treatment too!

FG

Quote

Do you recall if the box in question was on the ground? OR was it elevated on a rock or anything?

Thanks!

I haven't a clue about the box in question but we've experienced some 'interesting' sub-freezing level temps letterbox situations during the past several years that may help future planters make decisions in how best to plant their boxes considering the different types of scenarios they may encounter along the way.

Idaho: One locale we found a letterbox hidden behind a rock that was frozen to the pavement. The letterbox was hidden in one of those little 'tunnels' of jersey barriers where the fork lift 'tines' actually lifts the jersey barriers to set them into place. We almost gave up on trying to access the letterbox because the rock in front of the box would not budge--even after using half a can of windshield de-icer on the rock. It wouldn't budge--it was that cold! Later on I decided to lean over the jersey barrier (I don't recommend this as it was fairly dangerous) and had one of the kids push the letterbox to the rear opening of the jersey barrier with a stick. We only had 'one attempt' to retrieve it this way as if I hadn't caught it the box would have fallen in the creek 15' below the footbridge and would have either floated away or sunk to the bottom of the parts of the creek that weren't yet frozen. So--rocks like to freeze to pavement!

DC: Another instance we found a micro-letterbox frozen solid to a stump--simply frozen into the wood--as if the wood had been 'spongey' all the time and when it froze it 'captured' the letterbox within the fibers of the wood. Trying to pry it out would have destroyed the box so we left it. Bizarre!

Central Oregon: Another instance we found a letterbox frozen to a rock--same scenario--you couldn't separate the box from the rock without damaging the container--so we chalked it up to another 'attempt' instead of a find even though we had the box in our hands. Nothing more frustrating than that!

Central Oregon: Another instance we found a larger letterbox frozen beneath 2' of snow after it had fallen into a tree-stump hole. After much persistence (we were boxing with other boxers who were just being really nice in helping us retrieve the box--as they'd already found it before) we were able to free the box without damaging it or the area.

Central Oregon, yet again: After trudging along 2 miles for a 'driveby' box (that would have been driveby during the summer when the parking area adjacent the box was open and not covered in 5' deep of snow) we got to a box that was buried in ice about 1' below the rim of a stump. We could see the box encapsulated in ice, pine needles and frozen leaves. Knowing it was going to be a 4 mile hike total we were determined to work on that box and eventually were able to 'entice' it out using body heat to melt the ice, sticks and other sharp objects to help chip away at the frozen needles and leaves taking great care not to damage the box itself. We finally succeeded in reaching the box and its contents. A bit bummed when we opened it up and it was a store bought stamp that had absolutely nothing to do with the really cool location in which it was hidden. :( Otherwise the trek we took to reach that particular box was one of the most memorable 'winter scene' type of hikes we'd ever experienced--so that alone made the outing worth it.

Just some ideas--we've experienced some other 'ice-boxing' treks along the way, I'll have to research our logbooks/blogs to see if any of the 'details' vary from the before mentioned ones.

I guess if we could recommend a good method of hiding boxes in freezing prone areas it may be best to place the box on a layer of rocks in a hole taking care not to pile too much 'freezable' debris atop it that may 'cake' together to create a solid leaf/pine-needle popsicle of ice encapsulating the box. For finders hunting in snowy areas, recommend creating lots of false trails in the snow around the area so as not to leave one straight trail to the letterbox. If you have a pet with you--the better, encourage them to run in a few different directions to lay false trails.

Happy snow-boxing out there,

daelphinus

that's PartyPig....always quick on his feet and his wit.....I am GLAD you got the box, I told him "way to be stealthy" Thanks for sharing the pics! We will make sure we have washer fluid in the car when we go boxing on the 25th!

Yeah, but did he tell you he wanted the tire iron?!?!? LOL

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"

I shall keep that away from him! Of course we will have Gweny, so he will have to restrain himself a bit....

I wonder if those little pocket size lock de-icers would be a practical for unwedging iced in letterboxes... I've never used the lock de-icer...but... hmm.

LG.

Quote

QuoteYou seriously get your oil changed for the windshield wiper fluid??

Yep - it's almost a guarantee that if I am out of windshield wiper fluid - it is time to change my oil. It's almost beautifully synchronized....I would probably forget for years about oil changes without the vacuum and fluids. It's nice to know I am not alone :-)

AGJ

Quote

I just had this very funny daydream about having to upgrade from a bag, to a backpack, to a Letterboxing Uhaul trailer. ;) My mom has already said we're taking the camping RV on a letterboxing trip this summer...

This put an image in my head of boxers walking around leading a burro like the old mountain men. :)

Shiloh

Quote

This put an image in my head of boxers walking around leading a burro like the old mountain men.

Do you know where I can get one? :)

Woodsong

Quote

Do you know where I can get one? :)

As a matter of fact I do. There's a guy here in Arkansas giving some away. I think he only has two or three though.

Shiloh

Quote

I wonder if those little pocket size lock de-icers would be a practical for unwedging iced in letterboxes... I've never used the lock de-icer...but... hmm.

LG.

I was using a large can of spray deicer that I'd purchased at a Safeway while driving through an off again on again snowed in Interstate highway through a mountain pass in the Cascades and it wasn't enough to separate the rock that was frozen to the pavement (mind you there wasn't any debris around the rock or on the pavement--the two items just fuzed together due to the extreme temps). I doubt a pocket can for a car lock would help in the least. Unless the temperature was hovering around 28-30* or so. ;)

Quote

I was using a large can of spray deicer that I'd purchased at a Safeway while driving through an off again on again snowed in Interstate highway through a mountain pass in the Cascades and it wasn't enough to separate the rock that was frozen to the pavement...

I'm from Florida and don't venture north in the winter, but I've gotta wonder why you guys are fiddling with spray cans. Why don't you just fire up a propane torch? Propane is cheap, the torch is cheap and easily portable, and you should be able to de-ice anything you need to.

Quote

Why don't you just fire up a propane torch?

Plastic melts. You wouldn't want to harm the letterbox, would you?

FG

Quote

Why don't you just fire up a propane torch? Propane is cheap, the torch is cheap and easily portable, and you should be able to de-ice anything you need to.

I like the way you think. However, this could quite easily go awry. Best case is you find the box without melting it. Worst case is you have Smokey the Bear on your case.