South Dakota DeLorme Challenge Mystery Cache
Electric Mouse: Archiving.
South Dakota DeLorme Challenge
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(not chosen)
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Welcome to the South Dakota DeLorme Challenge!
Check back often to make sure
you have the most up to date rules and info.
It is good to
have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters,
in the end. --- Ursala K. LeGuin
As with most mystery caches, the above are not the actual
coordinates to the cache. First you have to complete the Challenge
and then you will be given the final coordinates.
In January 2004 Haicoole unveiled the DeLorme Challenge cache. As
a result, an obsession was created and many caches in the far
corners of Northern California began to receive more visits than
ever before!
Inspired by the
California DeLorme Challenge and
similar Challenges set up by other states, we are 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 we 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 we 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, we 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 us a list of
the caches found or hidden so it can be verified that you completed
the Challenge. Send us either a bookmark list (which you can list
on this page) or a fellow cacher, Omaha, has sent us a great excel
spreadsheet which we will be happy to email to anyone to use so you
can keep track. We are keeping this in the low tech range so you
won’t be scared off by the .gpx and .loc extension files. 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; 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 us to look at
your final bookmark list will count as the time of submission. We
will not look at a bookmark listing until you tell email us to do
so. We can look at it at any point through the Challenge if you ask
us to, but again, we won't look till we receive an email from
you.
Review of submissions will take some time (bear with us – we are
only human) but if we find any problems or issues with your list,
we will let you know as soon as we find them. If we determine that
we 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:
- As mentioned above, the posted coordinates are not the actual
coordinates for the cache. While we think the difficulty level of
completing a DeLorme Challenge ranks right up there at around 5
stars, the terrain rating and attributes on this cache page apply
only to the final cache location. More details will be
provided when you become eligible to seek the final cache. For now,
the final cache is locked away, but a completion of the Challenge
could result in an event cache celebration at a local park.
- 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.
- 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.
- You must actually touch and sign the logbook in order for the
find to count for completion of the Challenge. “Finds” that do not
count for the SD Delorme Challenge: if you just see the cache but
don’t touch it; if you don't actually sign the log; if the cache is
disabled or archived when you visit it; if you stand in the zero
out spot but don’t see it; if you see it but cannot retrieve it; if
you find only pieces of the cache; any other combination of the
above; or another “like” scenario not mentioned. Although the owner
of that specific cache may allow a log suchh as these as a find for
their own cache, this Challenge will not accept it. Final judgment
on acceptable finds will rest with us.
- Since the Challenge is a lot of work, we wanted to reward
finders with extra swag (gifts.) Retroactive level signers will
receive a modest award but the greater gifts will be rewarded to
the first person to complete a Fresh Start Challenge. Second and
third Fresh Start finishers will also receive good swag. Please
note that the gift(s) will be based on your geocaching ID, not per
individual. So whether you are a one person caching demon or a team
of 5, gifts are awarded based on your geocaching.com ID, not per
person. If you choose to do the Challenge with another geocacher
(someone with a separate ID on geocaching.com) prizes will be split
(as best able) accordingly. The final cache container will also
most likely be filled with regular tradable swag.
- For South Dakota DeLorme Atlas pages that include space not
located in South Dakota, only caches in the South Dakota portion
count. We will use the geocaching.com posted coordinates for a
cache (including the final stage of multicaches or puzzle caches)
when determining in which state or page a given cache falls.
- While the various editions and versions of the DeLorme Atlas do
not seem to have changed much in terms of page boundaries, the
version we have (Third edition, Copyright 2004) will be considered
the definitive copy when determining locations of caches.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- The following pages do not currently have a cache located
within the page boundaries. In order for the Challenge to work,
caches need to be placed in the areas covered by these pages.
Placing a cache will count for you in either tier of the
competition, but note that one cache placed qualifies for one tier
only. Pages currently without caches: 25, 26, 28, 31 and 39.
- 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.
- *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. If you
have already logged the virtual, you will need to visit it again no
matter which tier you are completing. Do not add a second log –
just add the required pictures to your previous log. In order for
this virtual to count you must supply all of the following 3
pictures with your log. (a) A picture of you and/or members of your
caching group at the site holding your GPS with the virtual cache
clearly visible; (b) A close up picture of someone holding your GPS
showing the screen on your GPS that lists the waypoint and your
closest "zero out" spot at the cache with the cache in the
background; (c) A picture of that day’s newspaper together with
your GPS, with the newspaper’s date and the screen on your GPS that
shows the waypoint and your closest "zero out" spot at the cache
clearly visible. The cache should be in all your pics -
understanding that the pictures of you and the gps and newspaper
will most likely show the cache as blurry. 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.
- 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.
- It is not necessary to complete a cache for the insert on page
68.
- 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.
- Remember that this is a game and is supposed to be fun. Cache
on!
When in doubt about anything ask us. If you are working on either
level of this and wish to submit partial lists as you go along, we
will post progress reports on the cache page. We may post more
thoughts as we think of them, or if we forgot something please let
us know!
If you plan to complete either or both tiers of this Challenge, let
us know and we will add you to the list of those who plan to
participate. We want to complete the Challenge too right alongside
the other participants, just for the fun of getting to new places
and learning about our adopted new home state.
As you complete caches, feel free to post your status as a note so
we 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!
We 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!
Here's one of many links about South Dakota to get you started on
your journey. South Dakota Info
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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