Arizona DeLorme Challenge Mystery Cache

The cache is not at the listed coordinates.

What is the DeLorme Challenge?

In 2004, Haicoole unveiled the California DeLorme Challenge. Now, just about every state has a DeLorme Challenge. Arizona is long past due for getting one of our own.

The goal... to find a cache from each page in the Arizona DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer. The DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer is published for all 50 states. These map books are a favorite among travelers and outdoors-people. They are available at truck stops, travel plazas, your local discount store and directly from DeLorme. You do not have to buy a DeLorme atlas to complete this cache, but it may help.

The goal of this cache is simple: to find at least one cache on each and every grid block of the Arizona DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer. Every grid block has its own page in the Atlas. You will be provided with the coordinates for the final cache when you have successfully documented finding a cache in each map page of the Atlas. Arizona is divided into 52 map pages in the 2008, Seventh Edition of this popular map book.

In order to claim this cache, you must first send us a file containing a list of caches you have found, one per DeLorme book page, that proves you have completed the Challenge. We don’t want every single find you’ve ever made, just the ones you are using to substantiate your claim to have completed the Challenge. .GPX is highly preferred, although .LOC format is a close second. You can email your file to us here.

We will review and verify the list. Once everything checks out, we will then send you the correct coordinates for the final cache! The find cannot be logged until the physical container is found and the logbook inside is signed.

Based on feedback from and incidents seen with DeLorme Challenges in other states, some guidelines need to be laid out:

• As mentioned above, the posted coordinates are not the actual coordinates for the cache. The actual cache may in reality be quite some distance from these coordinates!

• Generally accepted rules, guidelines and conditions for logging a cache find apply. These must be bona fide caches listed on Geocaching.com that you have personally (physically) found and logged.

• Placement of a cache on a DeLorme Atlas page does not count as finding a cache.

• Caches found and logged online prior to the publication of this cache do count towards pages found. While it is preferred that you list currently active caches, archived caches will count if you made the find while the cache was still active.

• All cache types count as finds for the DeLorme Challenge with the exception of events (CITO included) and locationless caches.

• The 2008, Seventh Edition of the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer for Arizona is the freshest version available at the time of this cache posting. It shall be the definitive version of the Atlas for the purpose of this Challenge.

• For ease of verification and to avoid arguments, please try not to use borderline caches in claiming the Challenge. In the 2008 book, there is a blue border delineating the boundaries of the grid block on each map page. Each page has a "collar" area outside of the blue border belonging to adjacent grid blocks. Your cache find claim for that page must be within the blue border.

• If an Arizona Atlas page includes space not located in Arizona, only caches in the Arizona portion count. We will go by the posted coordinates for a cache when determining in which state or page a given cache falls.

• The following pages are exempt: Pages 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 29. These pages are wholly Indian Reservation lands where caching is generally not allowed. Update: Due to some confusion, we're adding the eastern block of page 64 to the exempt list. You will still need a cache from the west block of page 64.

• When in doubt ask — we can discuss it or even seek guidance from others, but the final decision rests with the cache owner.

• While you may have others with you when you find the final cache, only those who have fulfilled ALL criteria for this cache will be allowed to log it as a find. Find logs by other cachers will be deleted.

• Remember that this is a game and is supposed to be fun!

Again, many thanks go out to Haicoole for the original idea for this cache and to the other cache owners who have taken the idea and run with it for their own states.