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The North Carolina DeLorme Challenge Mystery Cache

Hidden : 3/17/2006
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The North Carolina DeLorme Challenge!!!

As with all puzzle caches, the container is not located at the posted coordinates. They represent a location close to the geographical center of North Carolina. This is no ordinary puzzle cache, however...


What is the DeLorme Challenge?

In January 2004, Haicoole unveiled the California DeLorme Challenge. Many states and regions now have their own.

The DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer is published for all 50 states. These maps are a favorite among travelers and outdoorsmen and are available at many locations, including online directly from DeLorme. The goal of this cache is simple: To find a cache on each and every page and block of one edition of the North Carolina State DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer. The final cache coordinates can be obtained by successfully finding at least one cache on each page of the Atlas.

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

  1. As mentioned above, the posted coordinates are not the actual coordinates for the cache. The cache may actually be quite some distance from these coordinates! [Hint: Where are most of OzGuff's hides?]
  2. 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 under your Geocaching.com handle. You may include caches found prior to the creation of the North Carolina DeLorme Challenge so long as they meet all other Challenge requirements.
  3. All cache types count as finds for the DeLorme Challenge with the exception of events (e.g., regular, Mega, CITO, and Lost and Found) and locationless caches.
  4. If a North Carolina DeLorme Atlas page includes space not located in North Carolina, only caches in the North Carolina portion count. We will go off of the posted coordinates for a cache when determining in which state or page a given cache falls.
  5. FOR EDITIONS 1-7: There are seven pages with more than one map block: 30, 68, 70, 71, 79, 80, and 86. For pages 68, 79, 80, and 86 a cache find in any one map block fulfills the requirement for that page. For pages 30, 70, and 71, caches must be found in all map blocks to fulfill the requirement for those pages. [For those who are wondering why there are no pages 44 and 45 they are in the middle of the atlas -- the centerfold if you will -- and show the entire state of North Carolina.] FOR EDITIONS 8-10: There are only three pages with multiple blocks -- 28, 29, and 86. Page 28 requires a cache find in only one of the blocks; pages 29 and 86 require cache finds in all map blocks. FOR HIGHER EDITIONS: Contact me for any issues with regard to multi-block pages.
  6. If you find that there are no caches on a particular page, I recommend that you contact a cacher local to that page and ask that they hide a cache.
  7. 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.
  8. When in doubt ask —- we can discuss it or even seek guidance from others, but the final decision rests with the cache owner.
  9. Remember that this is a game and is supposed to be fun!

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. (And especially to Moun10Bike! I stole most of the above text from his Washington DeLorme Challenge!]

The easiest way to check your progress is to keep track of your Challenge finds via a Bookmark List. [See my Challenge Bookmark List for the suggested format.] Please also include the Challenge on your Bookmark List so that I will easily be able to download your selected caches. When you are done or almost done contact me by email -- ozguff@gmail.com. I will then review your Bookmark List in order to verify the 77 or so caches. Once everything checks out, I 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 signed. The cache is located just off of the Mountains-to-Sea trail.

And while you are traveling around the state finding caches to complete the challenge, if you feel the urge to hide some other caches for those traveling behind you, be sure you will be able to properly maintain them per the guidelines for placing a cache. Leaving geotrash out there will give us all a bad reputation.


Don't forget to work on the North Carolina County Challenge at the same time!

Geo-Checker 1st-7th editions OR Geo-Checker 8th edition

FTF HONORS GO TO BEENTHERE309!!!

Click here to join WNC Geocaching

Cachers who have completed the DeLorme Challenge:
[Clicking a photo should take you to their online log.]


#1: BEENTHERE309 #2: Ranger Fox #3: Geo13 #4: YBIndoors #5: RosaBella #6 & #7: nbc Mom and jratzlaf #8: Night-Hawk #9: david&diana #10: bigtexlebrun #11: cudlecub #12: Badlab #13: FeatheredFriends #14: _c3_ #15: Bootdisk #16: Crescent Trekkers #17 & #18: DeepSeaGoddess and huggy_d1 #19: papermanone & catlover #20: Hunster #21: Cary Owl #22: Tatortott #23 & #24: dougee and Belzelga #25: Nechton #26: OzGuff #27: DewPoint52 #28: sub32 #29: ncbiscuit #30: smokeyboo #31: Tigerz #32: tokyotako #33: Inkahoots #34: abnduo&spawn #35: hootgibson59 #36: BearOakDruid #37/#38: SailorRory & the Winch Wenches/GeoCatGirl #39: mnloon #40: mclem829 #41: Bubba Q. Jack #42: pinkdolphin #43: SanityEndsHere #44: slackpacker #45: Physteeguy & Purple Princess #46 & #47: gapple/MrTBELL #49 & #48: umacme/ChucKremer #50: bamafan323 #51: kohldad #52: jv3 #53: The Alethiometrists #54: WanderingWolverine #55: tympanist #56: ladybuglee #57: budderbean #58: chaircity #59: CarolinaTrombone #60: Edgar Allan Gump #61: NCGliderPilot #62: netinator #63 & #64: bugsfan & ncmtnluver #65: inthehunt18 #66: Maingray #67: frograil #68: seadog129 #69: debaere #70: htomc42 #71: Qridge #72: Scouter Hal #73 & #74: rhettbutler2 and Scarlett.nc #75: n4grt #76: spaceteacher #77: sql_geek #78: kohlmom #80: PorkChopShane #81: pebjr #82: carels #83: D&TK #84: LuckysGirls #85: markcase #86: sull427 #87: wimseyguy #88: WINWINTERS #89: PenguinTeacher #90: DukeRoom #91: netryder #92: magtfplanner #93: InxtricablFate #94: duos perquisitor #95: bahama97 #96: Ike 13 #97: SCGeoNinja #98: BittenApple #99, #100, #101: JDGood1, WildBill50, and Geoku #102: loonylongs #103: Bicardi151 #104, #105: rick247 and pharaoh9500 #106, #107: AMEarhart and Mud-Diver #108: Lilyfrog04 #109: poeanne #110: geospillz #111: CB42 #112: uncsweetchic #113: AF BEE #114: Lajmaiz #115: Skyhawk63 #116: Danvers Duo

CACHER(S) COMPLETION DATE LOGGED FINAL DATE
1. BEENTHERE309 July 19, 2006 July 19, 2006
2. Ranger Fox July 19, 2006 July 20, 2006
3. Geo13 July 19, 2006 July 20, 2006
4. YBIndoors July 22, 2006 July 23, 2006
5. RosaBella July 30, 2006 August 2, 2006
6. & 7. jratzlaf/nbc Mom October 24, 2006 October 25, 2006
8. Night-Hawk November 17, 2006 December 2, 2006
9. david&diana February 17, 2007 February 18, 2007
10. bigtexlebrun March 12, 2007 March 18, 2007
11. cudlecub May 24, 2007 June 29, 2007
12. Badlab August 15, 2007 August 15, 2007
13. FeatheredFriends October 16, 2007 October 21, 2007
14. _c3_ October 29, 2007 October 29, 2007
15. Bootdisk November 17, 2007 November 17, 2007
16. Crescent Trekkers December 22, 2007 December 23, 2007
17. & 18. DeepSeaGoddess/huggy_d1 December 23, 2007 December 23, 2007
19. papermanone & catlover December 30, 2007 January 7, 2008
20. Hunster March 15, 2008 March 18, 2008
21. Cary Owl April 13, 2008 April 19, 2008
22. Tatertott April 20, 2008 April 20, 2008
23. & 24. dougee/Belzelga April 26, 2008 April 27, 2008
25. & 26. Nechton/OzGuff June 28, 2008 June 28, 2008
27. & 28. DewPoint52/sub32 July 4, 2008 July 11, 2008
29. ncbiscuit August 2, 2008 August 3, 2008
30. smokeyboo August 24, 2008 September 8, 2008
31. Tigerz August 1, 2008 October 3, 2008
32. tokyotako October 2, 2008 October 9, 2008
33. Inkahoots September 17, 2008 October 10, 2008
34. abnduo&spawn August 31, 2008 October 10, 2008
35. hootgibson59 November 9, 2008 November 9, 2008
36. BearOakDruid November 15, 2008 November 16, 2008
37. & 38. Sailor Rory & the Winch Wenches/GeoCatGirl November 29, 2008 November 30, 2008
39. mnloon September 10, 2008 December 5, 2008
40. mclem829 December 20, 2008 December 20, 2008
41. Bubba Q. Jack April 16, 2009 April 16, 2009
42. pinkdolphin May 25, 2009 May 25, 2009
43. SanityEndsHere July 4, 2009 July 4, 2009
44. slackpacker June 17, 2009 July 10, 2009
45. Physteeguy & Purple Princess July 10, 2009 July 11, 2009
46. gapple June 5, 2009 July 18, 2009
47. MrTBELL July 13, 2009 July 18, 2009
48. & 49. ChucKremer/umacme August 2, 2009 August 2, 2009
50. bamafan323 September 1, 2009 September 1, 2009
51. kohldad September 20, 2009 November 27, 2009
52. jv3 December 29, 2009 January 15, 2010
53. The Alethiometrists December 28, 2009 June 13, 2010
54. Wandering Wolverine April 11, 2010 July 13, 2010
55. & 56. tympanist/ladybuglee December 22, 2009 July 25, 2010
57. Budderbean October 5, 2010 October 12, 2010
58. Chaircity September 15, 2010 November 23, 2010
59. Carolina Trombone July 19, 2010 December 20, 2010
60. Edgar Allan Gump October 23, 2010 December 31, 2010
61. NCGliderPilot ?? January 17, 2011
62. netinator March 16, 2011 March 16, 2011
63. & 64. ncmtnluver/bugsfan March 26, 2011 March 26, 2011
65. inthehunt18 ?? July 10, 2011
66. Maingray December 25, 2010 July 26, 2011
67. frograil September 4, 2011 September 14, 2011
68. seadog129 November 20, 2011 December 31, 2011
69. debeare ?? February 20, 2012
70. htomc42 January 2, 2010 February 26, 2012
71. QRidge January 27, 2012 March 7, 2012
72. Scouter Hal November 17, 2011 April 15, 2012
73. & 74. rhettbutler2/Scarlett.nc April 18, 2012 April 19, 2012
75. n4grt September 14, 2011 July 6, 2012
76. spaceteacher ?? July 10, 2012
77. sql_geek June 5, 2010 August 13, 2012
78. kohlmom September 20, 2009 October 13, 2012
79. c and j's mom November 25, 2012 November 25, 2012
80. & 81. PorkChopShane/pebjr December 20, 2012 December 20, 2012
82. carels April 5, 2013 April 5, 2013
83. D&TK ?? July 30, 2013
84. LuckysGirls June 30, 2013 July 13, 2013
85. markcase April 7, 2013 December 31, 2013
86. sull427 July 11, 2014 July 16, 2014
87. wimseyguy July 28, 2014 July 25, 2014
88. & 89. WINWINTERS/PenguinTeacher ?? August 8, 2014
90. DukeRoom October 10, 2014 December 29, 2014
91. netryder May 31, 2015 June 5, 2015
92. & 93. magtfplanner/InxtricablFate July 17, 2015 July 19, 2015
94. duos perquisitor September 29, 2014 July 30, 2015
95. bahama97 July 15, 2011 August 1, 2015
96. & 97. Ike 13/SCGeoNinja ?? September 7, 2015
98. BittenApple ?? March 31, 2016
99-101. JDGood1/WildBill50/Geoku April 1, 2016 April 1, 2016
102. loonylongs ?? April 13, 2016
103. Bicardi151 ?? August 27, 2016
104-105. pharaoh9500/rick247 ?? October 30, 2016
106-107. AMEarhart/Mud-Diver March 25, 2017 March 25, 2017
108. Lilyfrog04 May 20, 2017 May 28, 2017
109. poeanne July 2, 2017 July 4, 2017
110. geospillz October 12, 2017 September 30, 2017
111. CB42 September 1, 2019 August 8, 2020
112. uncsweetchic July 9, 2016 August 19, 2020
113. AF BEE September 21, 2020 September 21, 2020
114. Lajmaiz February 10, 2021 February 10, 2021
115. Skyhawk63 February 28, 2021 February 28, 2021
116. Danvers Duo May 6, 2019 April 12, 2022
117. Tool King August 4, 2010 ??
118. LEGI0N October 25, 2010 ??
119. foxult April 23, 2011 ??
120. & 121. TravelDoc/Lapperoo May 10, 2012 ??
122. Sean J. Allen July 29, 2021 ??

Additional Hints (No hints available.)