OK, Wolfie has claimed that I am some sort of voice of authority (boy, if that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will).

In 2009 there were certain letterboxers who were tired of seeing new plants which seemed to be for the most part in parking lots where you could practically reach out the car door to get them. An idea was tossed around a bit of creating an incentive program to get people to plant on longer hikes and to FIND those plants. Those who were already planting on the long hikes weren't seeing finds on their boxes while the drive-bys were getting found left and right.

We developed some rules (really more guidelines) and launched the idea to the boards. People sang and danced in the streets, or the virtual equivalent thereof.

It has served its purpose and continues to. It was never meant to--at least from my point of view--to be a hard and fast "my way or the highway" sort of program. Different states set up different procedures.

The point was to get people hiking. It operates on the honor system. Nobody checks up on you and you will not be sent to Letterboxing Hell if you count maintenance and attempts to your mileage. I always felt the program should just be an incentive to get people hiking. As long as they are happy with their progress, that's great.

I stress that this has always been my point of view. There were others who did draw a harder line in the sand as far as what counted.

Knit Wit

You learn something new every day!! I thought it was fluff part of boxing... and here it is all about the hike :)
~C~

While I realize that this program started for and by letterboxers, would geocachers be welcomed into the program, too?

I have a cousin who has been caching for 10 years (since the beginning, really), and he has logged hundreds of miles in the Northeast. He also collects pathtags, and wanted to trade with me to get my TH ones.

Of course, I was loathe to part with them, but it got me to thinking - would the people who own the TH programs in the various states be willing to sell to geocachers? Why or why not?

If he finds some letterboxes for it, of course he can! Part of the program is also about planting letterboxes so I think it should stay a letterboxes program. But hybrids also count as letterboxes. :)

would the people who own the TH programs in the various states be willing to sell to geocachers? Why or why not?

Speaking as someone who is NOT a TH administrator...

If they meet the requirements (typically, xx miles in search of LETTERBOXES), then they have earned one. If they haven;t earned it, then no, they shouldn't be able to get one. What would be the point of it if you just gave them away to people who didn't earn them?

What would be the point of it if you just gave them away to people who didn't earn them?

I know I'm going to catch hell for this, but...

They're called Treasure Hiker Miles. Not "Letterboxer" Hiker Miles.

Geocaches are treasure too. And Geocachers, at least the ones I know, hike.

Hence, my question, of the people who administer the programs.

Amy, who has to learn to live with geocaching...

P.S. Don't hurt me; I'm still new. :)

It might not have the name Letterbox in the title but here is the basic rule:

Here's the only rule: One point for each mile hiked while letterboxing, either finding or planting, on hikes of 1 mile or longer round trip.

I do believe he is going to be forced to do some letterboxing for this program. A shame, I know! But he might like it if he tries it...

OK, Wolfie has claimed that I am some sort of voice of authority (boy, if that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will).

All rise as the honorable Knit Wit has entered the Atlas Quest Court carrying her trusted gavel baseball bat.

We developed some rules

Why do I get the feeling these rules are etched in rubber, not stone? =P

Geocaches are treasure too

Now, that is just funny!

Geocaches are treasure too. And Geocachers, at least the ones I know, hike.

I might actually attempt to find some caches if they had their own treasure hiker program!

But functionally, they are different sports. Letterboxing clues, especially treasure hiker ones, often take you on a designed and scenic hike. Geocachers are given coordinates to find. What do you set as the starting point for counting miles?

But they're more than welcome to find some longer-hike letterboxes to get the tags.

Geocachers are given coordinates to find. What do you set as the starting point for counting miles?

I think this is the key. While I don't doubt that geocachers log some miles while caching, it is possible with bikes and four wheel drive to manage to get yourself to a point where the only walking you do is to find the cache.

Treasure Hikers was set up so that a planter could measure the distance and plan a hike so that finder would reliably be able to count the miles. As others have pointed out, the only rule for the group is that the miles are logged while letterboxing because most coordinators ask the person buying the pathtag to provide the list of boxes that they have found that count toward the mileage.

Knit Wit

Geocachers are given coordinates to find. What do you set as the starting point for counting miles?

Well that's a fair point. I don't know.

And since this answer is coming from the person who actually administers the Maine program, I guess I know what I need to tell my cousin, who lives in Maine.

Get out and box! ;)

Amy

P.S. I did take him boxing, and he did not enjoy it. I, however, enjoyed finding his geocache. I guess I'm a little more open-minded than some. I also Munzee.

P.S. I did take him boxing, and he did not enjoy it.

There are tons of different types of letterboxes. Maybe he didn't like the ones that you found together, but would like another type. I know, it's a hard sell after they've tried it once :)

There are tons of different types of letterboxes. Maybe he didn't like the ones that you found together, but would like another type. I know, it's a hard sell after they've tried it once :)

He did enjoy sneaking out in the dead of night. And helping us track things down... He lives in Cape Elizabeth and there are several that we have to figure out. He didn't enjoy the Fort Williams Park ones, mostly because the clues were hard to follow and the landmarks had changed.

We'll keep trying. :)