Monterey Bay USGS 15-Minute Quadrangles Challenge Mystery Cache

Have you ever wished you had the time or resources to systematically explore the Monterey Bay Area?

I sure have! So here’s your motivation and opportunity:

The objective of this challenge is to find a cache in each of 11 USGS 15-minute topographical map quadrangles surrounding the Monterey Bay. These quadrangles are either directly on the Monterey Bay coastline or are adjacent to a quadrangle that is.

This challenge will take you to the far reaches (… and everywhere in-between!) of one of the most spectacular places I know.

Detailed rules follow, but the one major difference from similar navigational challenges is that you MAY NOT take credit for finds made prior to 11/6/2006, which is the same posting date as the Bay Area Quadrangle Challenge (GCYNR9) by mjp303.

Everything starts from this point forward as of 11/6/2006!

In order to complete this challenge and find the final cache, you must:

1) Find a cache in each USGS 15-minute quadrangle shown in the grid above:

* Ano Nuevo
* Ben Lomand
* Santa Cruz
* Los Gatos (New Alamaden)
* Morgan Hill
* Capitola
* San Juan Bautista
* Monterey
* Salinas
* Point Sur
* Jamesburg

2) Create a list for me to check in one of two ways:

a) Create a "bookmark" list of the caches you’ve found in each quadrangle and post a note to this cache page that you have finished your bookmark (Note: the "bookmark" is much preferred), or
b) Create and send me a list that contains the following: cache name, waypoint, coordinates, and date found.

Once you send me a list of caches, I will acknowledge receiving it as soon as possible, hopefully within 24 hours.

Following that, I will review and verify the list. The review process should not take more than 72 hours. Once everything checks out, I will then send you the correct coordinates for the final cache!

The find cannot be logged on-line until the physical container is found and the logbook inside signed.

If I cannot temporarily meet the 24 hour notification or 72 hour verification commitments then I will post a note on the cache page to let everyone know what's going on.

The guidelines:

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.

In order to level the playing field (and perhaps even handicap things for cachers who have lots of finds all around the Monterey Bay Area), you may not include caches found prior to the creation of the Bay Area (and Monterey Bay USGS 15-Minute) Quadrangle Challenge: 11/6/2006.

If you have found all the caches in a particular quadrangle map, then you are allowed to revisit one of your previous finds in order to complete that quadrangle. Please bear in mind that the determination of whether or not you have visited all of the caches in a quadrangle will be as of the day you submit your cache list for verification.

All cache types count as finds with the exception of events (CITO included). Virtuals and earthcaches do qualify.

For the purposes of this challenge, the coordinates listed on the cache page will determine which quadrangle puzzle and multi caches are located in, and not the coordinates of the actual physical cache.

The boundary of each quadrangle in the challenge is determined by the coordinates listed on the USGS quadrangle map of the same name. Please see the attached grids which can be used as a reference.

If for any reason it becomes impossible to find a cache in a particular quadrangle, that quadrangle will be dropped from the challenge.

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!

Enjoy! And happy caching!

50sumtin