Cemetery Caches - Again in Arizona

I am sure that not all cemetery caches are haunted caches.  If you don't have some really good stories of ghost and spirits, we have to assume that all those lost soles have moved on.  Right?  We can go on our merry way, wonder through the cemeteries and enjoy the thoughts of the history of these areas.  So many stories could be shared by the deceased, if they could only communicate.  So take you time, for the caches, enjoy the scenery, knowing that all is save.  But I would be willing to bet that most of you will not dare to do your caching at night. 

So, back to Arizona we go to catch up on caches that have been respectably placed in the home of the undead dead.

First up - 
GCPQ2H, Memory of . . . . . The Lost Padawans, seems to be a difficult cache to find.  As of today, there have been 109 happy faces since it was established in 2005 by AZJEDI, but it has also had 51 not so happy faces.  Tough odds.  This is an amazing location for a cache, if for no other reason then the nearness of Westgate City Center which includes Jimmy Buffett's  Margaritaville, Yard House Restaurant, an AMC theater, a ton of shops surrounding a grassy courtyard and best of all, University of Phoenix Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals. 

Back to the cache - Here's the info as per Geocaching.com

Geocache Description:

 THIS A 2-STAGE MULTI, WITH A

 TWIST OF PUZZLE 

33° 33.214 & 112° 11.832 

 "IN MEMORY OF ...... THE LOST PADAWANS" 

The Above Coords will have you arriving at a Cementary, 
Yes I said a Cementary.....
SO PLEASE HAVE RESPECT !!! 

IF THERE IS ANY DIS-RESPECT THAT OCCURS I WILL ARCHIVE THIS CACHE... 

Bring a Flower or two 

Please take time to acknowledge the number of lost Younglings & Padawans... 

NO NEED TO MOVE / TAKE APART / LOOK INSIDE ANYTHING THAT A NORMAL CACHE WOULD BE IN 

This seems to be a very special cemetery cache.  I found no mention of any hauntings but did find many tender emotions stated.  This is a truly special cache. I don't know that I have the nerve to face this cache.  I'll stick to the spooky and ghostly. Check out what one cacher had to say -

Didn't find it.        06/02/2010

 It is better to go to a house of mourning 
than to go to a house of feasting, 
for death is the destiny of every man; 
the living should take this to heart. 

This is what I thought after attempting this cache. This one tugged at my heart! Could not find the cache though. I did look for while-and did get a little wet. I'll have to try again another time.

Very cool idea!

 Next up -

GCYXD6 - Los dias del muerto en Jerome sounds like a very interesting place.  The scenery is breath taking, the graves are tattered, the grounds are over grown with grass and weeds and the history that is evident here is absolutely amazing. As creepy as this all sounds, the worse danger that I found was the treat of summer heat, annoying grasshoppers an prickly cactus.  Check out the info and pics of this memorable cemetery, established by Zymurdoo.

Geocache Description: 

Take a walk through one of Jerome's cemetaries. Reflect on the past and enjoy the view. 

 Please take a moment to reflect on the inhabitants of Jerome's past. Park less than 500 feet from the cache but do not block the two roads to the right. You will find a locked gate but foot travel is permitted into the cemetery. 

Watch your step and follow existing footpaths. 

The hardest part of finding the cache is taking the right road. Look for a turn off approximately .15 miles from the cache and make your way to the parking area. You will pass some private residences so please watch for children and pets. 

This cache is hidden in honor of our favorite holiday and in a location with great views. 

Enjoy and Happy Caching!

 

I still have to say that I believe that New Mexico has the best haunted caches but this location in Jerome has the best collection of photos.  Those photos wouldn't be available if it wasn't an amazing area.  

Sticking to the same area -

Spirit of Jerome, GCVFJK is equally neat to the previous.  AzComet has been cacher friendly since 2006 with only a couple of frowning faces.  Here's the info - 

Geocache Description: 

Down a dirt road, in a mostly unmarked patch of desert scrub is a lonely cache and some of the hard working pioneers of the American west. 

The Arizona mining town of Jerome has a long and rich history, both literally and figuratively. Rich finds of copper pulled in a million dollars a month during the mine's heydey, thanks to the hard work of many often forgotten souls. 

Their hard work has ended, and most now enjoy a quiet view of the nearby Verde Valley. The rest of these pioneers are still busy as ghosts haunting in Jerome up the hill. Either way, as you visit our cache, pay your respects to the many forgotten spirits upon whose efforts Arizona was built. 

As you can see, the famous Adventure Mike actually had the nerve to go after this one in the dark.  Brave or Crazy?  No matter - he came out unscathed.  

Heading to the very deserted area, just out of Pima, there is the GC1N6A1, Bryce Cemetery cache.  This area is best known for their crops, mines and cowboys.   Woodcutter picked a great place for this hide, but again, I don't think that there are many spirits hanging out.  Check out the description -

Geocache Description: 

This is a small cache just outside the Bryce Cemetery. 

Cache is off of the Bryce-Eden Road. Trusty Companion was showing us around the area he'd been exploring. He thought we'd like this cemetery. If you know Trusty, you will know that he never actually stepped even 1 foot inside the cemetery grounds. But ignore the fact that Trusty wouldn't go into the cemetery. Go in and see the marker for Mr. Bryce. Yes, same Bryce that Bryce National Park in Utah is named for. 

Cache is a small tin but does have room for small trade items. The small capsule with the log book is a fold up pen. Please do not take it! Please only take 1 woodcut per team. 

 This cache description sounds pretty simple and easy.  But - if you take the time to read the profile of Woodworker, I am sure you will be extremely entertained. 

Heading south there is a cache with a frighteningly simple description.  I haven't been to this one so I have no idea what to think.  GC2NGDP, Once you check in, you never check out, is located a bit off the highway heading south out of Safford.  From what I have read, the biggest danger here is the heat and possibly the grouchy old man who wants to run you off if you don't have a relative buried there.  Littlelulu7 found a great, little known location for this cache.  Check out the little bit she offers as a description. 

Geocache Description: 

On a dirt road that is car friendly 

 It is all in the name.

And that is it.  All there is to go on.  I have one suggestion on this cache.  If you take a flower with you when visiting this cache, just maybe the grouchy old man will be a bit more easy on you.  And it never hurts to leave a nice little offering when visiting those who can not go out and gather their own flowers.  

Lastly - let's head farther south to the Town Too Tough To Die, Tombstone. 

Nobody can argue that Tombstone is a town of spirits running amuck.  The history of this town is of  mining, gambling houses, bars, brothels,  gunfights and death.  What remains is a great tourist town full of history, fun, spirits and caches.  There are many to find but for now I will share the information on GCGEOR, Monumental Ed, owned by Scrawlinn.  Sound like this cache is going to be pretty simple to find but, as always in Arizona, beware of the summer heat and creepy crawlies.  Many cachers mention close calls and sitings of both snakes and bugs.  Check out the description -

Geocache Description: 

Hidden near a monument to the founder of Tombstone, Ed Schieffelin. It's a Dirt road in from Tombstone city limits but well maintained; it can be used by non-4WD vehicles, only about 2 miles out of town. You will have to step about a rocky area just off of a side road. Be careful of rattle snakes, scorpions, thorns. The gate on the side road may be open or shut, dependent on current cattle roaming. If shut when found, shut when leaving. If open; leave open. 

**The monument was recently annexed by the Tombstone Courthouse National Historic site and is once again a nice, clean place to visit.** 

This was our first cache placed, 2 days after finding our first, and one day after joining 

Container: Large, rectangular, gray/blue, top-lid, rubber-maid type storage bin... about 5 GAL capacity. 

Concealment: Tucked in amongst a natural rock niche... added a few more rocks to one side so it's not visible to passers-by on the ranch trail. It's Easily visible to off-trail searcher. 

We keep it stocked with AZ and Mexico (Sonora) auto license plates. We welcome drops of license plates from other states/countries. 

Tombstone is a super place to cache.  Place on a day trip to The Town Too Tough To Die and enjoy some caching, eating and playing.

 Fear the night - in Tombstone shirt

Double gun w/ skull Tombstone shirt


















The Justice Team of Tombstone shirt  













That's all for Arizona, once again.  So many more to cover, so little time.  I think this will have to be a year round project.  Check back again for still another state with ghostly caches.  

Photo Post for Creepy Caches # 1

There are so many neat cemetery, creepy, spooky, scary and just plain ole' neat caches that I really want to show some of the photos.  Lots of these caches have very little in the way of stories behind them but because of the creativity of the maker or the location, the photos are all that is required to enjoy them.

Take a look at El Diablo's Treasure, located just west of Tombstone Arizona.  From the looks of this cache, it really could fit in at Tombstone's Boothill Graveyard.

The not so lucky, last geocacher

 What brave soul these are - to do this cache at night

I don't know but this sort of looks like the beginning 

of a great friendship

Must have been something contagious that I 

managed NOT to catch

Even Mother Nature supplied a bit of creepiness for some cachers

GCKPPC - El Diablo's Treasure has been enjoyed by almost 400 cachers and only one of those didn't get a smiley.  From all the post I have read, it is by far one of the favs in southern Arizona.  Thanks

Team Piggin Out, for this amazing cache.

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.  

The town too tough to die

     Tombstone Arizona motto is "The town too tough to die".  From what I can see it could also be called the "The town full of great caches".

     One of my early cache trips with SchnauzerQueen was to Tombstone in search of one cache in particular,  El Diablo's Treasure.  SchnauzerQueen has caching friends that live in the area.  One of whom is Sanruft, the man who got this whole thing started for her and then me.  Much thanks to Sanruft for getting us off our butts and out there caching.  

    Here is the scoop about El Diablo's Treasure:
It is located just west of the town of Tombstone in a beautiful desert area.  It is listed as a difficulty of 1 1/2 and the terrain 1 1/2 also.  I found it to be a nice little hike and was glad that I forfeited the usual flip flops for tennies.  It's a large cache and the owner has lived up to the reputation of the town old west where gunfighter ran crazy and the ghost still remain.  So beware if you are weak at heart.  From where we parked we had an easy little hike thru desert bushes and some really neat wash areas.  I especially like the washes since you can find all kinds of signs of the wild life.

     When this cache was originally placed there were a few people that thought this cache was symbolic of something evil.  And ya know it only take a few to make something out of nothing. The cache was nick named The Happy Halloween Cache to pacify those few. Originally hidden in October of 2004 makes the nick name a good one.  
     
     There have been 348 logged visits in the past 7 years and the post from the finders are great.  Here are a couple of them -

 Found it

01/03/2012

By far our favorite in the Tombstone area.Thanks for the extra effort on this one.

 Found it

10/12/2011

One of the best ones yet, w/ serial70. Very interesting at night

 Found it

01/29/2012

#617 Noon: The sun was directly overhead when we parked the covered wagon & journeyed on foot the last few yards to the site. Buzzards circled in the distance hoping for one or two more souls to become victims to El Diablo's curse. As we opened the cache, a slight breeze blew across our faces! El Diablo's odor flared our nostrils and wrinkled our faces in agonizing grimaces! We signed the log & left a kaleidoscope, taking Hoher Stiefel boot TB. Suddenly, the odor vanished & the buzzards soared away into the distance. We walked back to the wagon and after giving our horses a sugar cube, we made our way toward the next cache.

As you can see, people just love this cache.  And oh that SchnauzerQueen - she falls for the most interesting guys!

     I contacted the owner of El Diablo's Treasure and asked him how he came up with this idea.  This is how he responded -

Actually, we teamed up with friends of ours that live there in Tombstone. We were sitting around having a few cocktails one evening about doing unusual Caches, and we all giggled about doing some really elaborate Caches that would be strange and unusual in the desert. We were fairly close to Halloween, so we thought it would be awesome to do a theme that resembles Halloween. We were honestly going to remove it after Halloween, but it became so popular, we decided to leave it where it lies today. There has been a newspaper article written about it in one of the Tombstone papers, due to someone hiking one day and thought it was a Satanic Ritual of some sort. The Sheriff Department and all kinds of folks went to see it and discovered it to be what we know and love as a Geo Cache. . . . 
 

      Well - this is my favorite cache to date.  There are more in the area that I will post about over the next couple of weeks.  Like I said - Tombstone is a great place to eat, drink, sight see and cache.  And just out of town to the east there is another great find, if you like oddities.  Check it out.

      Just to let you know -  Tombstone Boothill Graveyard does not support Geocaching at this time.  There are no caches hidden there and the manager does say that if he hears or finds a cache there, it will be tossed out.  Too bad since it would be such a great place to play.