Still Not Waiting For Graveyard Type Caches

Ready to add some haunt to your hunt? 

I hit up fellow Arizona cachers on facebook for their favorites when hunting for the haunted.  Geocaching - - Arizona is remarkable.  I got so many responses that I could fill a months worth of post with just their suggestions.  I had no idea that there are so many possibilities in one state.  So I'll share a bit of what I found out about.

This is a challenge cache which, from what I have read, thrilled some of the cachers who enjoy the challenges and cemeteries.   Check out  #1 Arizona Cemetery Challenge, GC33FXE, located at the east end of Sierra Vista.  Be prepared - this small cache has a difficulty rating of 4 and a terrain of
 4 1/2.  Here's how Fakari Mama describes the cache.

This is a cache to honor those who have found 20 caches or more in cemeteries in Arizona.  Hopefully, it will be the first of a series.  
The cache is at the location listed.  N 31° 34.177 W 110° 13.672

The difficulty rating is for the amount of ground work that has to be done before you can search for the cache.  I copied this idea from the cemetery challenges in Oregon and like the idea of challenge caches. 

Keeping it in southern Arizona, this cache is located just off the freeway that leads to Nogales.  It could just be that the scariest part of this cache is going to be wading thru the bug and snake infested brush.  Must maybe. The 16 Mile Cemetery appears to be just off the freeway, has a difficulty of 2 and terrain of 3, and is a regular in size.  GPS description is N 31° 31.862 W 111° 01.728.  And here is how it's creator, Sapocafe & Gonetobeans describes this cache. 

 
A small hidden cemetery in Santa Cruz County.  Many old graves.  
You have to hike up a steep hill aprox 20 feet.  No path.  Cemetery is unmarked from road.  Cache is a  small tupperware like container.  Log book different items. 

As suggested by cacher Rick Higginson, there is another one right down the road that may not have the same history as 16 Mile Cemetery but still worth picking up. GC171XG, Secret Cemetery, is a small container with a difficulty of 2 and terrain of 1.  From the looks of this one, I would not want to head in after dark.  This is how Sapocafe described their cache. 

 This is a private, small, very old secret Cemetery most people do not know exists.  Please respect all the work that has been done to make this a nice place.  The name of this cemetery is The Calabasas Cemetery.  It covers 4 acres.  There are several graves below the hill.  Newest grave is from 1953.  You can drive to this site, and then it is a short walk. 

 Diane Casey suggested A Ghost of a  Cache, GC2HJTZ, N 33° 22.383 W 112° 29.750 , was placed by T_FreeLancer on Halloween of  2010.  A regular cache with difficulty and terrain of 1 1/2, makes it very inviting for the whole family, but I am wondering if it holds up to it's name.  Here's the description - 

 

The old Liberty Cemetery.
It is one of the oldest in Maricopa County and has an interesting history.  It also has a lot of neglect due to it's remote locations and since it has been out of use since the 1960's.

When visiting this location my family and i decided that some clean-up is in order.  We have and will continue to do some each time we visit but I also thought that a cache like this one might bring others to do a little bit as well.   

 For this one, head west out of Phoenix on I-10.  This cemetery is located a little south of the the freeway and just east of Buckeye.  Beware, where there are ghost or not, the area is guarded.  Believe me, this little creatures can be mighty fierce.  

Matt O'Halloran suggested GCA256, The Lost Dutchmans Gold!, and my kilt wearing friend, Tahosa, Joe McCarthy, has made a deal I just can't refuse.  Joe said that I should go talk to the Dutchman, and see if I can persuade him to give me the directions to the mine.  Upon receiving those directions, Joe will make the hike into the mountains, retrieve the treasure, for a mere 30%.  Good deal! Right?  The part about him maintaining all the rights to the mine may be a bit of an issue but we will just cross that path when the time comes. 


Back to the cache -  
The description of this cache is very long and I will not attempt to copy that here for you now.  I will give you just a little basic info as a bit of and enticement. 


First and foremost, you do not have to hike the Superstition Mountains to claim this cache.  It is a two part cache and both are fairly simple with a difficulty of 2 and terrain of 1.  You will start out in downtown Phoenix which may be why  WhereRWe  stated -

DUE TO THE AREA, I RECOMMEND YOU VISIT THE DUTCHMAN ONLY IN THE DAY!!!


The search starts here -

and not here -

 but you will want to fit the later into your schedule to pay proper respects to The Dutchman.

After thought - considering the legend of The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, Tahosa can have the rights to the mine when  I get the directions. 

I just know that you will not resist a trip out to enjoy the super Superstitions, and make just a small attempt to find that lost gold.  While in the area, this is a must find.  GC1B6J5, Dead-A-Cated, this cache rated with a difficulty of 1 1/2 and terrain of 2, sound like a perfect cache for the entire family.  AJ.Jr  established this cache in 2008, it sports 343 finds and not even one DNF.  That is pretty neat.  Head out of Phoenix on the 60, through Mesa and when you get into Apache Junction stick those numbers in the GPS ( N 33° 28.848 W 111° 28.351 ), you'll be a stones throw away in no time.  
Here's the description you will find on line.  

This is dedicated to the people who love cemetery caches but seem to always have a coordination problem once they enter one.  Seems like something is always tripping them up, knocking them down or bumping their heads.  With one team in mind this ones for you, we love cemetery caches too.  So those afraid should not do this one.  There are slithering, crawling, scratching and biting things some may be animals others not for sure.  Be prepared for a short walk.  When it's dark out DO NOT go into the lights!  Keep your children in hand.  WaaaaHaaaaaaaa.  

This is a must find on my list for this October!

Smack in the middle of Arizona, and sort of in the middle of nowhere, lies Ray Memorial Cemetery (GC1JRM8), in the little town of Kearny.  This cache holds true to most cemetery caches in that it isn't too difficult ( 1 1/2 ) or difficulty ( 1 ) but in this case, it is posted as a micro.  I do believe it is just a bit larger than what you are imagining right now.  Tugies established this cache in December 2008, and Ray's has had 137 happy face finds.  Here's the coordinates -N 33° 02.999 W 110° 53.648

and here's what Tugies said about the cache -

I'm a fan of old cemeteries and Arizona has many.  Here is another interesting one.  Take time to enjoy the variety of grave markers and the history represented here.

I really am drawn to southern Arizona for some of the haunted type caches.  There are a few that just have to be mentioned.  First is Boothill Graveyard, in historic Tombstone.   I know that the man who runs Boothill is very opposed to caches in graveyard so there are no caches allowed.  But, and there is always a but, Boothill will be your first stop to get the answers to the puzzle that WILL lead you to a puzzle cache by Team Loki, simply called Boothill  ( GC1276E ).  This is not going to be extremely easy.  According to the post, this is a 4 for difficulty and a 2 1/2 for terrain. I believe that will be the actual cache because the graveyard itself is pretty easy to navigate.  This isn't a quick stop so plan on taking some time to enjoy this historic area and gather all the answers for the puzzle.

One thing I would like to say here - if you are not a believer in ghost, do not hang around Tombstone, especially this graveyard, after dark.  You may not want your believes changed and this place could do just that. 

I have saved the best for last.  Well, it is the best if you like a nice trail and if you can appreciate some great geoart.  Check this out -

 Located west of Tombstone and north of Sierra Vista, this is just neat!  I guess it is just best to show you just a little of what  AFUDC has to say about this adventurous project.   

Boothill Graveyard, located in Tombstone, Arizona, is the final resting spot for over 250 people.  Buried there are children, housewives, pained ladies, outlaws, gamblers, miners, business men and women, blacksmiths, cowboys and those "who died with their boots on".  Many of them are unknown.  Most of the occupants died in the early 1880's. 

This caches are part of a Geoart series that is dedicated to the people who are buried in Boothill Graveyard.  There are 188 people buried for whom at least some information is known.  There is a cache for each of them.  There is also a puzzle cache dedicated to the more than 70 people for whom there is no information known. 

That's it for this post.  You know that I could go on and on.  My caching friends have shared over 150 haunted type caches from Arizona alone.  But, next time I will be covering the spooky stuff in other states.  I still don't know if I can wait til October.  I just am not all that patient.

Give me a holler if you have a favorite that you wan to share, or just leave a message.  Both works.