On finding geocache letterbox hybrids

The beautiful views on the way to this letterbox/geocache hybrid.

To be clear, I am a letterboxer and not a geocacher.  I see from lurking in the AtlasQuest boards that there are some fairly disgruntled letterboxers who seem to despise some geocachers' lack of respect (understanding?) of our hobby - particularly in the stamp-goes-missing category of misunderstanding. I tend to think that that is only one of a myriad of ways a letterbox can go missing... And I'm inviting my stamps to go missing by the mere fact that I am essentially abandoning them in the woods. So I don't get too bent out of shape about it.

Anyways.  Where was I?  Oh, yes, well, in doing my due diligence for planting letterboxes, it became necessary to become a premium member on geocaching.com in order properly identify locations of geocaches to avoid.  In doing so, I've also been scoping out some of the geocache/letterbox hybrids that I see posted on that site.

Now, in the past, I have found some of these hybrids - mostly by Lone R - as they are also posted on AtlasQuest.  But, I sought those letterboxes out as they are by experience and well-qualified letterboxers who know what they're doing.  On the other hand, I suspect that some of these hybrid geocache letterboxes are likley planted by geocachers who, with all good intentions, aren't understanding the essence of what makes a letterbox.

Nevertheless, as with any regular letterbox, you never know what you're going to get, so you should always go find these boxes anyway!

Along with my premium membership to geocaching came access to some reserved caches, one of which is a nearby clued hybrid letterbox cache with an excellent puzzle clue.  I spent one rainy day solving it and it's been on my list of letterboxes to find.

Finally, last Friday I had the time and opportunity and I set off.  The hike was fantastic, skirting a deep ravine with the Rouge River below, there was an excellent puzzle before and during the find, and if not for the store stamp at the end, it would rival most standard letterboxes.  If you're in my area and have a premium geocaching membership, you'll find this great letterbox by Tequila.

View on the way to the geocache/letterbox hybrid. 

Moral of the story: you'll never know what you're going to get until you open that tupperware - so find 'em all!  I'll have to hunt down other hybrids off that site.  One more place to check for local boxes while I travel ;)

Happy trails!