The Elves love finding challenge caches, so we've set up the Elves' Challenge Trail along our favorite section of the Montour Trail in order to share some favorite challenges we've encountered in our travels. Parking is available on McLaren Road or Cliff Mine Road at designated Montour Trail parking areas. See the parking waypoints below. All caches on the Challenge Trail are preform containers and are hidden within 30 feet of the Montour Trail. Normal challenge cache rules apply: you can find the cache and sign the paper log at any time, but you cannot claim an online smiley unless you also meet the challenge conditions described below, as verified by the Project-GC challenge checker linked below. I will validate your find using that checker - there is no need to provide proof unless you wish to do so. Non-qualified finds can and will be deleted.
Of all our challenge cache finds, the Elves are most proud of completing the Jasmer Challenge, which requires finding a cache hidden in each month from the beginning of geocaching in May 2000, right up to the current month. Why? Because of the travel required to score some of the harder months from the earliest days of our sport. This made me wonder, "what if I could find a Jasmer Challenge without leaving the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?" And thus, the idea for the PennsylJasmer Challenge was born. But, since there are few or no caches surviving in Pennsylvania from the earliest months of geocaching, the task is simplified: Find a cache hidden anywhere in Pennsylvania in each month from February 2001 to the present. Event caches (of all types), lab caches and locationless caches do not count, but all other caches (including now-archived caches) do count.
Beginning in February 2001, there are at least three active caches for you to choose from in order to fill that month's spot on your PennsylJasmer Grid. Use the challenge checker to see your progress, and to identify the months you are mising. You may be further along than you think, just through normal caching activity! To show you how this feat can be accomplished, I've bookmarked my qualifying finds. You will note that the vast majority of my qualifying caches are still active today. So, find those, or any other Pennsylvania caches, using Geocaching.com's advanced search tools. Good luck, and enjoy finding caches all around our great State in your quest to qualify for the PennsylJasmer Challenge!
