My attempts at a Week 1, and my attempt at a week 5.

[whimsy]

Gnarly's the word!

Have the "harder" Rabbit Hole one but not the "easier" "Count" one -- go figure.
Those ABCs are just not cooperating with me on that one.

[whimsy]

Yes! Finally!
Sorry, but yes, more than a 1 -- at least 2 or maybe even that 3 you were willing to stretch to. A triple whammy for me to get all those duckies to line up right.
Pretty, pretty intricate, woozy - Thanks!

[Laura M]

Got the week 1. I think I'm two steps into the week 5 but somehow it's not resolving into an answer. The setup is pretty nice though!

[woozy]

I got into creative swearing on CrossHare when I realized I made a real careless mistake in the Rabbit Hole one. If you couldn't get it you can blame it on that. I simply had to change one of the clues, the grid and mechanism remain completely unchanged. I won't tell you which clue was changed but if you have a good memory and can find the change it could help you.

[woozy]

Okay, reveal time.

First can I count on you

1A The unnamed forest outside Shakespeare's Athens and Burzee Forest near L. Frank Baum's Ix are full of these: FAIRIES

25A If I've recalled correctly, it would go next, right? REMEMBER

35A Members of the phylum often noted for boniness VERTEBRATES

48A Gray area without the weight of our certainty PENUMBRA

64A This type of boating hazard is even worse on the north reef SANDBAR

.....

So if you take the letters corresponding to the hidden numbers and make word with the same letters in the same positions you spell RENUMERATE

Now the one that was meant to be hard:

So Many Rabbit Holes:

20A Unequivocally STATE that one refuses to get along: SC,OR,NH,AR,MO,NY which is composed of U.S. State Abbreviations. There are three clues that are states: 8A Louisianna, 23D Montana, and 1D Arkansas. But only Arkansas, AR, is used in the themer. The entry for that clue is ICE (and THUMB and BIG are red herrings)

38A PERIODIC bouts of sleepwalking S,O,Mn, Am, B, U, Li, Sm which is composed of chemical symbols. There are three clues that are chemical elements: 4A Tungsten, 63A Plutonium, and 53D Manganese. But only Manganese, Mn, is used in the themer. The entry for that clue is CREAM (and NAIL and BAND are red herrings)

52A The study of the progression of conveyances of information (such as AIR, print, or broadcast) over time: MED,IAH,IST,ORY which are codes for International Airports (MED is Medina, Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz; IAH is Houston, George Bush Intercontinental; IST is Istanbul Airport; and ORY is Paris, Orly). THere are three clues that are airports but only Houstan, George Bush Intercontinental is used in the themer. The entry for the clue is FLAVOR (and PIC, and MUSIC are red herrings).

So we have ICE CREAM FLAVOR (and THUMB NAIL PIC and BIG BAND MUSIC are red herrings). Of the clues 19D "Rocky Road" is an ice cream flavor (and the clues 9D ICON and 41A SWING TIME are red herrings)

And so the final answer is the grid entry for 19D: ORDEAL

[ChrisKochmanski]

I got the Week 1 fairly handily, thinking it was more like a Week 2 or 3. Good one!

With the Week 5, I’ve found some interesting things, but … well, I’ll stop there and read the spoilers.

Thanks, woozy!

UPDATE: So I got it, and in the intended way, though I was still very unsure upon submitting, because of the red herrings. That was a fun puzzle for a day that we here made lazy.