Having watched and been intrigued by some of the other states who have this cache already I decided Georgia needed it's own version. The simple version of it is this:

The Georgia DeLorme map book has 60 pages of which 3 of the pages have 2 smaller map sections on each for a total of 63 maps in all. The challenge is to find a geocache in each section of the map. As of Friday, Georgia had 3666 active geocaches within it's boundaries, yet there are still 3 map sections that do not have a cache in them (31B, 37, 53). There are also 2 map sections that only have one active cache in them (39A, 62).

Originally I was not going to allow cache hides to be counted towards the completion of this quest, but since I wish to include all sections of the map in this challenge, that's not feasible. My thinking is now to allow the first qualified hide in each of the three map sections without a cache already in them to count towards the completion of the quest. A qualified hide would be a non micro container that follows all of the Geocaching guidelines, especially the vacation cache one. If you can't maintain it - don't hide it.(I have nothing against micros, as everyone knows, and they will count everywhere else, just not as the *first* hide in those three sections - later if there are micros placed they would count for the finder, just not the hider). I also don't want to cause headaches for our three cache approvers with this as has been seen in other states.

The purpose of this Challenge is to introduce folks, who might never otherwise see parts of it, to all the sections of our great state and give them a smiley for doing it. After a cacher or team completes all 63 map sections and have had thier finds verified, I will email them the coords to the final cache in the Challenge, which could be hidden anywhere within the state's boundaries Since I do travel Georgia a lot, that is not as far fetched as you might believe

Also, event caches and CITO caches will be allowed to count for our challenge, however locationless cache finds will not.

I'm looking forward to hearing your stories!

Thanks!

T1

I am also working on the possibility of an All Georgia Counties Challenge Cache. It's harder to verify the finds with that so that may be a ways away. There are 159 counties in Georgia, btw

I have seen this one other people profiles and have wondered what it was. I think it is a neat idea.

Do the finds count if they are in 2006 or from the a certain start date? Is there a deadline?

Are these DeLorme maps online?

We would try to do it.

Where can we get the maps? I would love to do this.

Er.. dumb question, but what is the DeLorme Challenge? Is it something DeLorme is doing?

I'm confused. Got a link?

I'm sure there won't be enough activity that this couldn't be done by hand, but maybe there is a way to web automate this?

As a programming challenge I may take a look at doing the all counties one. How do you propose to verify finds?

Lemme see if I can answer all the questions in one post

DeLorme is a map maker - they put out TOPO and Street level maps for all 50 States individually in book form along with a couple of mapping programs for the USA.

What I'm proposing to do is use their Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer book 4th Edition, copyright 2003, which sections Georgia into 63 different maps, and challenge folks to find a cache on each page of the map. The mapbook sells for $19.95 in most book stores, along with Sam's, Cosco, and other different places (usually cheaper - $15.00 or so).

I have a program already to verify the finds in each section - unfortuntely it's not free and hard to export with. Moun10Bike uses several different maps in his Washington Delorme Challenge and I have emailed him to see if I can get Georgia versions of the same thing. There is one he just posted for use with GoogleEarth that would be very well worth it since GC.com already has thier map program with it and you could see all the caches in a section that way, etc...

What each cacher does is send me thier gc.com My Finds query (you can run it once a week, at the bottom of your queries page. I run the program on it and it tells me and you which sections are complete and which sections each cacher still has to find a cache in.

There is no time limit for this challenge - several states have been running thier Challenges for over 2 years. Each cacher is recognized when they find the complete the challenge. I plan on having a Georgia Plaque made up for the purpose and each cacher or Team will have thier name and date of completion placed on it.

There will only be one version of the Challenge which will count all geocache finds in Georgia EXCEPT Locationless Caches - so Regular, Multi's, Virtuals, Webcam's, Event's and CITO's will all count towards your completion of the Challenge.

For the moment I am concentrating on setting up the Georgia DeLorme Challenge, I will work on the All Georgia Counties next - if need be I can manually verify finds in each county, but we're searching for a way to automate the process. The problem is that County boundaries aren't square/uniform like the DeLorme Map pages are - Google Earth and some other map programs will help but not automate the process.

I think that answered all of the questions

T1

I think the census data may have good enough county boundaries to work with. I'll look into it, since I'm also working on a mapping program for my car.

Hi T1 from SC,

as you may or may not know there is also a DeLorme challange here as well. What you and many others may NOT know is that the DeLorme software will NOT automtically create the grids that correspond with the book pages for you. Since your in touch with Moun10Bike I'm guessing your taken care of, but I would hate for others to go buy the software as I did and find that it does NOT do what you think or assume it might.

As a side, maybe that program you are talking about could be offered to the holder of the SC challange? I've seen people have the maps in their profiles but have no idea where to get them.

Being on GA border and going to FL often I lok forward to attempting this challange as well!

Hiya UOBrae!

Yep, I was aware of that, unfortunately. I'm glad you said that in here because I had forgotten to, I would hate for folks to buy the program and be disappointed in it since it doesn't. I'm truly sorry it happened to you in SC.

I believe the SC DeLorme Challenge cache holder was contacted about it, not sure what his/her/thier decision was. I know some of the other Stated use different programs to tabulate and verify finds. Each week I've got nine queries that I receive covering the whole state and letting me know the active caches - I like to keep up with them, since I've hunted disabled/archived caches from old queries before As of this morning Georgia has 3736 active caches and we still have three map sections without any caches and four other sections with only 1 or 2 caches in them

Come on down and hunt our caches, too. We've got a whole lot of wonderful folks hiding them and some new country for you (and them) to explore It's all for fun, afterall, and maybe we can meet y'all at a GGA Meeting or on the trail sometime in the future!

T1

As a quick update for everyone - I've almost gotten all the details worked out and am about ready for the cache to be approved and to go live.

I still am looking for a final cache location - I thought I had found one today but it did not pan out. My requirements for it are somewhat set in stone, since not all cachers cache on the same level and I want an area/location that can afford both a 1/1 and 3.5/3.5+ challenge as needed. I probably need to put a bug in several Georgia Cachers ears for some help with this

Thanks for your patience!

T1

quote:

Originally posted by Thorny1

I am also working on the possibility of an All Georgia Counties Challenge Cache. It's harder to verify the finds with that so that may be a ways away. There are 159 counties in Georgia, btw

The last time I looked there were several GA counties without caches in them. Mainly down in the southern part of the state.

So has this started yet? Lori and I are interested in doing this too

Hey Thorny1,

Does this application of yours produce maps of Georgia with the Delorme pages overlapping the state?

Similar to this pic I stole from Moun10Bike:
http://www.switchbacks.com/files/Geocaching/Finds/Finds-DeLorme-WA.jpg

This sounds very cool - any change in status?

Very cool! A couple of my geocaching buddies in Bama finished the AL DeLorme Challenge a couple of months ago. I've been wondering if GA was gonna attempt to get one going.

Seriously, Thorny. Stop teasing us!

Hehehe - I wish I could. I'm still trying to find a location for the final.

The cache is ready to go - there's some fine tuning to maps I want to get done (like Moun10bike's maps) but overall the only thing holding it up is the final. You'd think as much traveling as I've done throughout Georgia lately I would have found one but I haven't.

So the search goes on...

Lets go ahead and run with it.

<obligatory_comment>
How many people could possibly have found a cache in each county already?
</obligatory_comment>

I did some rudimentary counts and of the (1998 edition) 60 pages, I have done caches on 10 pages. I obviously need to expand my horizons a bit. A couple of my geo-pals are planning to do it as well.

I do not have any idea on how this translates to map pages but we have found caches in 38 counties in Georgia so far. That has to be worth at least a few map pages. But I know there are lots of parts of the state we have not been caching...yet!

When you get this going T1 we will be going for it.

Sounds like FUN!

A few words of explanation....

We have a Georgia DeLorme Challenge

However it's not Thorny1's.

Although Steve has had his in the works for three or four months, Rick / AB4N submitted a well thought out and completed cache page for review yesterday.

I initially published it last night, was reminded of Steve's, and retracted it. I sent an apology to Steve and an explanation and apology to Rick. Both were true gentlemen in their responses, but I won't get into the details, other than to say that Steve admitted that he'd been very busy the last few months, and Rick felt badly that he had not been aware of this forum thread. And of course I felt badly publishing Rick's without consulting Steve first to see how his was coming.

To make a long story short, Thorny graciously acquiesced and I republished AB4N's DeLorme Challenge this morning. Let the games begin!

Thanks guys!

~erik~