South Dakota DeLorme Challenge Mystery Cache

As with most mystery caches, the above are not the actual coordinates to the cache.

 

Inspired by the California DeLorme Challenge and similar Challenges set up by other states, I am issuing a DeLorme Challenge to all South Dakota cachers. You will travel north, south, east and west and to the far reaches of South Dakota to complete this Challenge. If you choose to accept this Challenge, you will see and learn things you never imagined or knew about South Dakota and then you can regale your friends with your newfound knowledge and photos. The gauntlet has been thrown down to find or hide a cache on every page of the DeLorme South Dakota Atlas & Gazeteer. It’s time for South Dakota to get on the cache map and see why we are known for our Great Faces and Great Places!

A lot of info follows because I tried to cover all the bases. There may still be gaps and/or questions, so feel free to ask or pass along any tips.

Some of you may already have a copy of the SD DeLorme Atlas. It's widely available at bookstores, online bookstores (good prices) and truck stops. Libraries generally, also have copies. You do not have to buy a DeLorme atlas to complete this cache, but it will help you especially out in the “field.”

To log this cache you must find or place a cache, located within South Dakota, shown on each and every map page of the SD DeLorme Atlas. If you place a cache while engaged in the Challenge, please feel free to mention DeLorme in the cache title so I can note it here and thank you properly for your assistance with the Challenge.

Counting prior finds may mean several people are very near to completing the Challenge. Completing a DeLorme Challenge is a mark of a home state caching honor rather than a competition to do it first. Therefore, I have decided to establish a two tier system of completion and awards. For the Retroactive level you may count every cache you have ever found or placed. For the Fresh Start level you will be able to count only the caches found or placed after September 22, 2006, the date this cache was published. Both tiers are subject to the guidelines listed below.

Two Tier Challenge. You can complete one or both:

1) Retroactive – Include finds and hides prior to the publication of this cache while continuing to finish the Challenge; and/or

2) Brand New – Start the Challenge with finds and hides after the date this Challenge is published (9/22/06).

Those who complete the Retroactive level are encouraged to complete the Fresh Start level as well. However, for those who attempt to do both the Retroactive and Fresh Start levels, the same cache (hide or find) cannot be used on each level. A totally different set of caches must be completed for each of the levels. In the end, you could conceivably log the final cache twice if you complete both tiers of the Challenge.

After completing the Challenge, you will need to send me a list of the caches found or hidden so it can be verified that you completed the Challenge. Send me either a bookmark list (which you can list on this page) or a GPX file. If you prefer to keep your own list, the following info needs to be provided in a clear concise list format: map page number; cache name; waypoint (GC#); coordinates; date found; cache page link.

Final submissions will be reviewed in the order they are received, based on the time on your email. If you choose to go the bookmark route vs. the excel spreadsheet, your email telling me to look at your final bookmark list will count as the time of submission. I will not look at a bookmark listing until you tell/email me to do so. I can look at it at any point through the Challenge if you ask me to, but again, I won't look till we receive an email from you.

Review of submissions will take some time (bear with me – I am only human) but if I find any problems or issues with your list, I will let you know as soon as I find them. If I determine that I cannot accept one (or more) of the caches you have submitted, that will move you to the end of the line of finishers and new entries will need to be submitted.

Here are some general guidelines for this Challenge (basically the same ones for all of the DeLorme Challenges) with guidelines specific to the South Dakota map following:

1. As mentioned above, the posted coordinates are not the actual coordinates for the cache. While I think the difficulty level of completing a DeLorme Challenge ranks right up there at around 4 stars, the terrain rating and attributes on this cache page apply only to the final cache location.

2. Generally accepted rules, guidelines and conditions for hiding or finding a cache apply. These must be bona fide caches listed on Geocaching.com that you have personally (physically) hidden or found and logged. Please pay attention to vacation cache rules if you decide to place a cache for the Challenge.

3. All cache types count as finds for the DeLorme Challenge with the exception of the following: any type of event, CITO, webcam, virtual (*see exception below) and locationless caches. In order to count as part of the SD DeLorme Challenge, all caches must be caches with a real container and logbook.

4. For South Dakota DeLorme Atlas pages that include space not located in South Dakota, only caches in the South Dakota portion count. I will use the geocaching.com posted coordinates for a cache when determining in which state or page a given cache falls.

5. While the various editions and versions of the DeLorme Atlas do not seem to have changed much in terms of page boundaries, the version I have (Third edition, Copyright 2004) will be considered the definitive copy when determining locations of caches.

6. 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.

Specifics to the SD Challenge:

1. There are 61 map pages in the South Dakota DeLorme Atlas, numbered 12 through 72. You must hide or find a cache on each of those pages, subject to the exceptions below.

2. Some caches are in places shown on two different pages or right on the border of a page. Caches so located may be counted for only one of the pages, not both.

3. A few of the pages currently only have one cache listed within the page boundaries. If you plan to complete both levels of the Challenge, additional caches will need to be placed in these areas. This is a good time to get friends involved and start spreading the word about how much fun this hobby is.

4. *Page 62 (the part in SD) is comprised entirely of Native American Land but contains a virtual cache within that area. In order to complete this Challenge, you must log this virtual. No other virtual caches will be permitted for the Challenge. Since this virtual cannot be completed twice, we are not aware of any other caches in this grid and we do not recommend placing caches on Native American land, this cache will count for both tiers of the Challenge.

5. Several towns appear on more than one page due to overlap or the town extending across the middle of the map. For example, the towns of Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Vermillion appear on 2 separate pages of the map (RC - pgs 37 and 49) (SF - pgs. 58 and 59) (Verm. – pgs. 70 and 72.) You may only count a cache found within the city limits for any overlapping town on one of the pages it is found on, not for both. For example, caches in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Vermillion city limits can only be used once to complete either tier of the Challenge.

6. It is not necessary to complete a cache for the insert on page 68.

7. Any caches located on the outside edges of the maps that fall outside the line that indicates the map is continued on another page will count only for the page where the map is continued.

8. Remember that this is a game and is supposed to be fun.

 When in doubt about anything ask me. I may post more thoughts as I think of them, or if I forgot something please let me know!

As you complete caches, feel free to post your status as a note so I can cheer you along.

There is no time limit to completing this cache and it will remain available for as long as people want to complete the Challenge.

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 to those (with special thanks to Omaha and NevaP) who have shared their knowledge in helping to set this one up. Please share this cache waypoint with as many friends (both cachers and non) as you like, so everyone can have a chance to participate and a chance to compete. Undiscovered geocachers are just waiting to be found.

As you progress on this journey please be smart and choose wise routes to all caches. Enjoy yourself but be mindful and safe!

I hope this Challenge produces some new caches in the more remote parts of South Dakota and that it gets more South Dakotans out to explore our beautiful state. Have Fun!

To speed the review process of your qualifying caches and if possible please use caches near the center of each page.

Here's one of many links about South Dakota to get you started on your journey. South Dakota Info