vivisecti

I guess I opened a can of worms. I appreciate the debate. I have a colleague that works for Game and Fish here in Arizona and I'm going to reach out to him as well as to the Payson ranger district to see if I can locate the applicable person to grant permission. Again, I really appreciate all the feedback I've received.

I want to place my first cache in a place that is of utmost importance to me and has a substantial amount of personal history. It just so happens that this location is within the Mazatzal Wilderness Area inside the Tonto National Forest in Central Arizona. Now, from what I've read thus far the general prescription is that Wilderness Areas are a no-no for cachers. However, I'm finding some discrepancies to that rule here in my home state that have me encouraged that my desired cache placement may be possible. Running through some of the most remote terrain in central Arizona, the Verde River is Arizona's only Wild and Scenic River. My cache placement would be close to the banks of the river approximately a mile to a mile and a half south of the Child's power plant just off the Verde River Trail #11. The cache would only be accessible via a minimum of an arduous 7 mile hike through the very roughly maintained trails of the Mazatzal Wilderness. On the multiple multi-day backpacking trips that I have taken through this area I have only encountered 2 groups of people: Two National Forest Rangers on horseback with pack mules and a group of ranchers on horseback. This wilderness is isolated by rough terrain, fast changing and dangerous weather conditions and proximity. Doing some research I've found the following statements to be true: National Forests are regulated (for geocaching's purposes) as individual entities Wilderness Areas are excluded from National Forests and considered off limits Now, I've found some contradictions to these statements and that has caused me to be hopeful. I'm not sure of the etiquette for posting other cacher's caches but I've found one obvious violation of this wilderness area assumption and a second that is possibly a violation within the same wilderness area as my own desired cache placement. GCG6NC Middle Saddle is within located between two of the four peaks of the Four Peaks Wilderness Area within the Tonto National Forest and GCB2CT6 The Twins is located on the extreme edge of the Mazatzal Wilderness Area. Is it worth my time to make the overnight backpacking trip to the site of my desired cache and get the coordinates and submit the cache? Does anyone have any suggestions on contact people at the Payson Ranger district (or it might be Cave Creek district) to get more information on caching within the Mazatzal?

Getting the same thing on my Rino 120. Worked without issue this morning.