Went down today to get the permit. I went to the office at 222 N Central in Phoenix. No problems other than you are now REQUIRED to watch the 30 minute video. I were told that you can no longer get your permit by mail. The permits themselves were stamped with the word 'VIDEO'. BTW, you can also get State Trust Land permits at this office also. Now about the trip... Can anyone estimate the time it will take to drive from the entrance at Wellton, to the three caches in question and back to Wellton? It looks like it is 40+ miles, which leads me to the next question.. To those that have done this road before, what is the road condition really like? Of the three caches, the one closest to Wellton has a terrain rating of 5 while the one furthest has a terrain rating of 1.5, yet you must pass the other one to get there. What equipment would be prudent to take? The video that they make you watch makes it look like you should bring everything but the kitchen sink. I know they are saying that you should be prepared, but is two spare tires realistic? Thanks in advance, Dan LazyK -----Original Message----- From: Team Tierra Buena [mailto:teamtierrabuena@earthlink.net] Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 5:56 PM To: az-geocaching@listserv.azgeocaching.com Subject: [Az-Geocaching] El Camino del Diablo Strike Force After a conversation with Scott and Ann from Team My Blue Heaven at the Tucson picnic, we have decided to schedule a "strike force" for anyone who would like to attempt the "El Camino del Diablo" cache (GC294C) ( http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=10572 ). This cache is located in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which is surrounded by the Mexican Border and the Barry Goldwater Air Force Gunnery range between Ajo and Yuma. The cache itself is not difficult to get to, but it is in an extremely remote area, so multiple vehicles will be prudent. Hence the "Strike Force". Also because of its location, each adult is required to obtain a permit in order to enter. The permit is free, but it involves signing a lengthy document that basically says if you run into trouble out there, you can't sue the government. You can obtain a permit application from the refuge and get more information about the refuge at the address on their web site: http://ifw2irm2.irm1.r2.fws.gov/refuges/arizona/cabeza.html. We are planning Sunday, January, 19, 2003 as "D-Day". That will give everyone interested plenty of time to obtain their permits (and get through the holidays). In spite of what the web site says, however, currently the only open route to and from the refuge and the cache starts near the town of Wellton, Arizona, just off Exit 30 on I-8 at approximately N 32 39.717 W 114 08.583. Christmas Pass Road, near Tacna, and the eastern entrances from Ajo are closed indefinitely. Keep that in mind when considering or planning this trip. We'll be providing more details on the meeting place and time as we get closer to "D-Day". If you're interested, let us know, and send away for your application. Steve Team Tierra Buena Making Geocaching harder than it ought to be...