Hey folks! I regret that I have to chime in once again with less than happy, lighthearted good cheer but I felt the need to report, for the love of this beloved hobby, that I just returned from a rather long trip to seek out a newly planted series to discover that MANY of the hidey spots had VERY clear evidence that the area had been scoured through recently without any attempt to conceal their efforts. It was simply rediculous. We did our best to replace the boxes better than found, but that's not easy to do when the damage was so widespread. Do we really need to issue continual reminders that we are supposed to cover our tracks when searching for boxes that require looking under duff/bark or really anything? Many of the potential hidey spots had bark and thick layers of duff swept completely away from the backs of trees. This wasn't in just one location but throughout the series. And here I am introducing an enthusiastic newbie about all joys and magic to be discovered in letterboxing, including the few basic 101's of this wonderful hobby, only the witness others before us not following the most simple, easy to follow, ediquette when searching for other people's treasures which embody the most endearing qualities of letterboxing, namely: dedication, hardwork, and the giving of their time in the selfless act of creating adventures, in often undiscovered places, for others to freely enjoy. I am not directing these comments to anyone specific because I recall seeing more signature stamps recorded in the logbook than listed as finders. Yet still, I feel it would be a disservice to the planters and the LB community at large, to not say something. I don't appreciate being put in the position of having to upset friends and possibly people I never met before, but I guess someone has to. Do I really need to resort to including notes in each box I visit to emplore finders to cover up their tracks so others can experience the same joy as those before them? Seems like a lot of unnecessary effort to pass along to somebody else, on top of rehiding these generous gifts much better than found, or not found!

Well, now you know why I don't plant much near home....

Thank you for articulating what I've been forbidden to say........sigh.

The golden rule: don't leave a trace!!

Hi LS,

Many of the potential hidey spots had bark and thick layers of duff swept completely away from the backs of trees. This wasn't in just one location but throughout the series.

Just was wondering if this particular series had a “please re-hide well” statement in its clues, if it was restricted in any way, or open to non-members/listed on LbNA?

After finding some partially & totally exposed unrestricted boxes(found by some Girl Scouts, stamped in a few days before), I decided to restrict my “lots of effort” boxes, to try to protect them from unmentored newbies. But, Mentorship is the best thing we can do (either in person or through messaging) when we discover a newbie in our area to raise up careful, conscientious boxers.

Unfortunately, there always will be careless, clueless, and inconsiderate people in the world.