[Az-Geocaching] Caches being removed from Superstition Wilderness Area

Regan Smith listserv@azgeocaching.com
Sun, 19 Jan 2003 08:13:29 -0700


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Well there goes my Geocaching  plans for Wednesday I knew I should have =
found those the week I first learned about them.......infact I was there =
the week before I knew about them.....
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: AZSaluki@aol.com=20
  To: listserv@azgeocaching.com=20
  Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 5:37 PM
  Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Caches being removed from Superstition =
Wilderness Area


  We just returned from a trip to the Superstitions.  Our intention was =
to hit the "Cholla Forest" Cache and then continue on to the "Other Side =
of the Needle" cache and the new "Really Fantastic" cache.

  Things were going good until we arrived at the  Other Side of the =
Needle.  While looking for the cache a ranger from the Mesa Ranger =
District came up to us and said we were not going to be very happy with =
him.  Turns out he had just removed the cache.  Both the Other Side of =
the Needle and Really Fantastic caches were sitting right there in his =
backpack.  He told us that they just found out about geocaching and have =
decided to remove all caches within the wilderness boundary.  In =
addition to these caches, they have already removed all of the caches =
along the Peralta trail in the Freemont Saddle area.  The caches in the =
Reavis Ranch area were also being removed today.  They are basically =
citing the regulation that it is property that has been abandoned after =
24 hours.  It seemed the biggest concerns were creating new trails and =
some of the items contained in the caches (food in particular).

  He indicated that all of the confiscated caches would be taken to the =
Mesa Ranger station.  The placers of the caches can pick them up and =
there will be no penalty or fine.  We asked him if there was any chance =
caches would eventually be allowed in the area.  He didn't give a =
definite answer but thought that with a proper permit and some advance =
approval from the district it may be ok.  Hopefully the caches will =
eventually be able to return to this area, some of our favorite trips =
have been in the Superstitions. =20

  I asked them to post a message on the list serve to let us know all =
the caches that were going to be removed.  If you have hidden any caches =
in the area it may be a good idea to call the Mesa Ranger District of =
the US Forest Service.

  On a side note, we are wondering if we should claim these two caches =
as a virtual finds.  We made it to the cache sites and even found the =
caches (in his back pack).  Unfortunately we couldn't exchange anything =
or sign the log books. =20

  Hopefully there are not too many others in the Superstitions looking =
for these confiscated caches.=20

  Jim & Kristen (AZSaluki)   =20

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well there goes my&nbsp;Geocaching =
&nbsp;plans for=20
Wednesday I knew I should have found those the week I first learned =
about=20
them.......infact I was there the week before I knew about=20
them.....</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DAZSaluki@aol.com =
href=3D"mailto:AZSaluki@aol.com">AZSaluki@aol.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dlistserv@azgeocaching.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 18, =
2003 5:37=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Az-Geocaching] Caches =
being=20
  removed from Superstition Wilderness Area</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3DArial size=3D2=20
  FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">We just returned from a trip to the =
Superstitions.&nbsp;=20
  Our intention was to hit the "Cholla Forest" Cache and then continue =
on to the=20
  "Other Side of the Needle" cache and the new "Really Fantastic"=20
  cache.<BR><BR>Things were going good until we arrived at the&nbsp; =
Other Side=20
  of the Needle.&nbsp; While looking for the cache a ranger from the =
Mesa Ranger=20
  District came up to us and said we were not going to be very happy =
with=20
  him.&nbsp; Turns out he had just removed the cache.&nbsp; Both the =
Other Side=20
  of the Needle and Really Fantastic caches were sitting right there in =
his=20
  backpack.&nbsp; He told us that they just found out about geocaching =
and have=20
  decided to remove all caches within the wilderness boundary.&nbsp; In =
addition=20
  to these caches, they have already removed all of the caches along the =
Peralta=20
  trail in the Freemont Saddle area.&nbsp; The caches in the Reavis =
Ranch area=20
  were also being removed today.&nbsp; They are basically citing the =
regulation=20
  that it is property that has been abandoned after 24 hours.&nbsp; It =
seemed=20
  the biggest concerns were creating new trails and some of the items =
contained=20
  in the caches (food in particular).<BR><BR>He indicated that all of =
the=20
  confiscated caches would be taken to the Mesa Ranger station.&nbsp; =
The=20
  placers of the caches can pick them up and there will be no penalty or =

  fine.&nbsp; We asked him if there was any chance caches would =
eventually be=20
  allowed in the area.&nbsp; He didn't give a definite answer but =
thought that=20
  with a proper permit and some advance approval from the district it =
may be=20
  ok.&nbsp; Hopefully the caches will eventually be able to return to =
this area,=20
  some of our favorite trips have been in the Superstitions.&nbsp; =
<BR><BR>I=20
  asked them to post a message on the list serve to let us know all the =
caches=20
  that were going to be removed.&nbsp; If you have hidden any caches in =
the area=20
  it may be a good idea to call the Mesa Ranger District of the US =
Forest=20
  Service.<BR><BR>On a side note, we are wondering if we should claim =
these two=20
  caches as a virtual finds.&nbsp; We made it to the cache sites and =
even found=20
  the caches (in his back pack).&nbsp; Unfortunately we couldn't =
exchange=20
  anything or sign the log books.&nbsp; <BR><BR>Hopefully there are not =
too many=20
  others in the Superstitions looking for these confiscated caches. =
<BR><BR>Jim=20
  &amp; Kristen (AZSaluki)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
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