Zipping up Lincoln:The 685 Challenge
The cache is at the posted coordinates.
The posted coordinates will get you to the park the cache is located in.
You must solve the puzzle on this page and complete the challenge listed to log this cache!
The Challenge
Welcome to Zipping Up Lincoln! Can you find or hide a cache in every zip code of the city of Lincoln?
One caveat, only caches hidden prior to 9/03/09 can count towards the fulfillment of the requirements in terms of hiding. No New hides allowed. However finds made on caches published after 9/03/09 do count towards the challenge.
In order to log this cache, you will need to find or have hidden a cache in every zip code in the Lincoln metropolitan area.
Zip Codes that require a find in the actual zip code area are:
68502, 68503, 68504, 68505, 68506, 68507, 68508, 68510, 68512, 68516, 68517, 68520, 68521, 68522, 68523, 68524, 68526, 68527, 68528, 68532
Zip Codes that require a find anywhere in the Lincoln city limits:
68501, 68509, 68514, 68529, 68531, 68542, 68544, 68572, 68583, 68588.
1. Find a cache within the boundaries of each zip code in the city of Lincoln (30 caches total). All cache types count as finds or hides for the 685 Challenge, including event and virtual caches. Caches that you placed prior to the publishing of this challenge can also count towards the requirements, but caches hidden after September 03, 2009 may not be counted by the placer—they may however be counted by those who find them.
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. You may include caches found or hidden prior to the creation of the 685 Challenge. All caches must be bona fide caches logged, or placed and maintained by you.
3. Caches found before the publishing of this cache DO COUNT – you do not need to start from zero. Caches found or placed that have since been archived may also count.
4. Zip code boundaries will be those used in Google Earth. When websites differ the determination of the cache location will be made by using the boundaries in Google Earth.
5. All finds must be listed on this website. Caches listed on other websites are not allowed.
Verification: To verify your finds, please attach a bookmark list to this cache so that I will be able to run a pocket query from it. I will check your finds after you have found and logged the final cache. If for some reason you do not qualify I will send you an email to try to work the issue out. If you still don't qualify after a couple of weeks from the time I send an email, I will remove your log.
Please follow the above challenge and rules to keep things fun, and fair for everyone.
The Puzzle
N 40 4A.BCD W 096 4E.FGH
A= N 41 17.918 W 096 38.101
B= N 40 58.735 W 087 46.568
C= N 41 53.240 W 096 38.238
D= N 40 54.376 W 087 40.207
E= N 41 53.081 W 096 04.087
F= N 40 57.212 W 087 37.826
G= N 41 48.053 W 087 45.697
H= N 40 41.937 W 087 32.792
The Cache
The actual cache will not be difficult to find.
A Little History About Zip Codes
To deal with the increasing mail volume and to make delivering the mail more cost effective, five digit ZIP codes were introduced by the U.S. Postal Service on July 1, 1963 . ZIP or Zoning Improvement Plan was developed by Robert Aurand Moon, sometimes called 'Mr. Zip'. He started working for the post office in the 1940’s as a postal inspector in Philadelphia and Chicago and then as United States Director of Mail Delivery Services.
A ZIP code consist of five numbers assigned to every address throughout the country. The country is divided into 10 zones. The first digit of the ZIP code indicates the zone the mail is going to; the next two digits indicates the metropolitan area or regional center in that zone; and the last two digits indicate the local post office. In 1983 the postal service added four more digits to the ZIP codes and called the extended code ZIP + 4. The new digits further refine the address within the local post office area.
Mr. ZIP (not Mr. Moon) was created to promote the use of the new ZIP code. The character appeared on several stamps, stamp margins and post office publicity items from 1964 to 1986. There was even a theme song, “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” used in TV commercials. With the introduction of the new nine-digit Zip + 4 code in 1986, Mr. Zip was retired by the post office.
Disclaimers, other information and final thoughts
I reserve the right to change the challenge and rules at any time. This may or may not affect those in the process of completing the challenge but will not do so to anyone who has already logged a proper find.
Feel free to post a note if you are taking up the challenge and/or to let others know how far along you are.
I don’t expect this cache to have very much traffic. With that in mind- please do not leave TBs, coins or other trackable items in the cache unless it is your own item that you are starting. I wouldn’t want to see it become a prison for those items. Temporarily dipping them in and out for miles is fine.
Other Zip Code Challenges:
"Zipping Up Chicago: The 606 Challenge” GC1DYF6
"Zipping Up Omaha: The 681 Challenge" GC1FPYW