If you were planting a few single boxes in a hiking area at the same time, I think it would be fun to find them as long as they were on different trails.

For instance, if you look at this trail map, one box could be at the Apple Valley Overlook, another could be at Orchard View, and another could be somewhere on the Fern Glade Trail. If someone only has time to get one box, they wouldn't get that itchy feeling most of us get when we don't complete a series.

Ooh I love this idea! Thank you!

Yes that hike connection from one box to the next is the best part I think too. Thank you for chiming in!

Rearranging and rewriting sounds like a great way circumvent some of the issues with missing boxes in a series. Thank you for that idea!

Will I attempt? Yes
Will I succeed? It turns out the answer is also Yes.

I have also done something similar as RIClimber. As boxes go missing in the series, I retire it and rewrite the clue without that box's clue. So if it's a series of 5 and box 4 goes missing, I write the clue from box 3 to box 5. Some parts of box 4 clues would remain the same, but parts of it would be deleted.

Curiosity kicking in...
This sounds fun and interesting. I love trying new (or lost) things, especially if it's something that is becoming extinct (for a lack of a better word). How can we get in on the mystery? 😃❤️

That's definitely an idea to consider, so that the finder does not have to muster thru a section of the clue that is not pertinent any longer.
Maybe I could preface the clue with a disclaimer saying the clues have been edited to reflect the missing box?
Thank you for the input!

Congratulations on the find, RIclimber. Glad you were successful!

Clues are posted here:

https://elanachivani.com/elana/#/

There is a new set posted every Saturday and they appear to be spread out across the country. If one isn’t near you now, keep checking cause there might be one in the future.

It's much easier to maintain the clues if they are in a series. If there are 6 boxes and a trail is rerouted or a landmark no longer exists, you only need to edit 1 clue instead of 6.

Every now and then, I see a post on the Facebook AQ page about newer carvers lacking confidence in carving, and I get it because I used to feel the same way.

I wanted to share that I think you should keep trying. It probably took me about 100 carves (thank you Power Plant Challenge of 2018/19) before I felt good about how my carves looked and eventually got a compliment along the lines of “wow, this stamp looks wonderful, you’ve really come a long way!” We all start at different places, but with practice, people can really come a long way quickly. Letterboxers that have been around awhile can see it all the time.

I once heard a linocut artist say “if you can carve a heart, you can carve anything” because hearts have straight lines, inside/outside corners, and curves. My recommendation if you want to start carving something is practice or warm up with a heart.

Lastly, I hope you plant the letterboxes with image quality that you aren’t confident in, because it can really encourage new carvers. All the time, newer ‘boxers will comment on a stamp image quality and make a comment along the lines of ‘I could never do that.’ And my response is always “I used to think that too” and I’ll send an image of the first few stamps I carved and we can laugh at my beginning inexperienced carving skills together. Being a beginning ‘boxer and seeing other peoples beginning ‘boxes can be really encouraging. On top of that, when you can practice carving and planting simultaneously, you improve on both skills. Goodness knows, our first few plants are not in the best spots and are not at the caliber of a letterbox planted by the same person a few years later.

Anyway, I’m done with my rant of unsolicited advice. I just wanted to get it off my chest and throw it into the AQ message board void in hopes that it encourages someone. :)

Somebody just posted on the FB AQ page asking for experienced carvers to show their earliest carves. I thought that was a great request! My earliest absolutely don't reflect what my carving skill would ever produce. I never expected to be a carver that boxers would ever ask if I could carve something for them. Almost 20 years later...

You had the Power Plant Challenge, I loved carving for the trading aspect of LTCs. So I carved and I carved and I carved some more and would do LTC after LTC after LTC! I have a binder full of baseball card pages of LTC trades that I have done.

I look at some of my carvings and shake my head still and go "I can't believe I carved THAT!!"

To those who are just starting to carve, if you find that you like to carve, just keep carving! If you have ANY questions, ask away! I'm happy to help.

Lynn

I've regressed :(

I've created a public photo album where people can upload their first carves at https://www.atlasquest.com/gallery/view-album.php?albumId=246. Definitely add yours if it isn't there already, and share it with people who need the inspiration. =)

It also includes my own first stamp which was my signature stamp for my first 10 finds or so, if I remember correctly. (Then I got better and carved another stamp for the first 100 finds before settling on a turtle which has gone through several iterations over the years.)

-- Ryan

I guess I'm one of the "old geezers" that found some boxes with your spider sig stamp image way before I ever met you. I think it was in the Columbia River Gorge in 2003.

I was pretty new to carving but joined a tracker... I needed to carve my sig stamp as a suspect. Stamped it up made the required cards and sent them off. They were returned to me, and I was told they were not good enough. So, I carved the one in my profile. Those were deemed worthy...

Everyone starts in a different place - and improve over time and practice. I love every stamp I've found and appreciate them all... the firsts and the 100th carves alike. Even now - I carve some stamps and look at them and think they are total crap... and then a couple I think are really decent. I no longer look for praise from others... it is so often not given.

Wow. Returning your cards was not a cool thing to do. My first LTC was primitive, but the recipients, many of whom are incredible carvers, were very kind to me, which encouraged me to keep participating in LTC swaps. I probably wouldn't have continued if that had been my introduction to LTCs.

I love looking at this album! It's fun to see how people's skills have progressed over the years.

As a person with no artistic talent I have made that statement many times. Just carving anything was a huge leap for me and even with years of practice I still can't carve as well as many others. At first it bothered me, but I finally realized that I still enjoyed carving even if I would never be great at it. I guess you could say I carve well enough to enjoy myself, and for some beginners this might be your first goal.

Even though I don't have artistic talent, I do have creative abilities, so that is what I concentrate on. Thinking of funny or interesting things to carve for a place I want someone to visit still gives me great enjoyment and even if nobody would find one of my boxes for its stamp, they will come to experience a new place with a creative stamp that might not win any awards.

I guess what I am trying to say is that because there are so many aspects of letterboxing to enjoy, find your niche and don't lament the parts you don't excel at.

Before I started carving, I had exactly zero experience with art or crafting. My first carves were made with stencils.

Then I joined numerous trackers for micro postals, and I’ve upped my game considerably from the consistent activity (as well as a lighted magnifying glass and custom narrow gouges).

Compared to LTCs, the postals mean recipients get my actual stamp. That puts the pressure on me to make precise carves.

I posted my first and current giraffe sigs—what a difference!

"They were returned to me, and I was told they were not good enough"

WOW - how incredibly rude and insensitive!!

Agreed! If someone had been that rude about my first card I wouldn’t have even tried again. I’ve gotten some amazing LTCs and some that were clearly newer carvers and I love all of them because I know I’ll love seeing their progress.

My introduction to LTC’s was getting an email grilling me in my experience like I needed a resume to join. NOT at all welcoming. So I’ll just put this little “bug” here.

It was not my first LTC tracker - as I was part of the very first one with some extremely gifted artists... many no longer around. But it was an awakening...

Acceptance is a gracious gift.... some just don't know how to give it.

Wow, just wow.


So very true!

"They were returned to me, and I was told they were not good enough."

Holy cow!! That's just completely awful!
I remember those first trackers. I know there were some incredible carvers back then and there still are, but WOW! That was a bit harsh. How very discouraging and unkind.

Everyone has such different carving skill levels, and especially when first starting out.
Some people could even be seasoned carvers, but struggle with carving because of artistic ability, or even arthritis, tendonitis, eye problems, or other health or disability issues but try their best.
I've had my share of tendonitis and eye issues, but I love carving, so I try my best.

Kindness, gentleness, appreciation, and encouragement are so important.

I love every stamp I find. The fact that someone took the time to create a stamp, carve it to the best of their ability, research a hiding place, and place it there for me to find is enough to me.

I really appreciate this Letterboxing community and the joy that Letterboxing has brought over the last 20+ years.

It is fun to look through the first carves album and see how people's carving skills have changed over time. Everybody starts off as a newbie.
I hope new carvers are encouraged and keep carving stamps!

The event was Saturday evening. I taught a small group of geocachers about REAL letterboxes and led a hands-on session teaching them how to carve a stamp.

They LOVED it. Everyone who thought carving would be beyond their abilities completed a small stamp, all of which looked pretty good!

As my gift, everyone (8 ppl) went home with a set of carving tools and a block of pink stuff, in addition to their completed stamp.

Definitely! I have arthritis and fibromyalgia and sometimes I realize I’ve committed to a carve and I’m in so much pain that I have to scrap the idea and do something way simpler so I try to get creative with colors and backings and stuff and just hope that nobody is too offended that it’s not as good as my previous card or my next card.

No matter what I always do my best - sometimes my body just has a different idea of what my best is on a particular day!