In honor of Geocaching's first Leap Year and my first Geocaching
Anniversary, on 3/1/2004.....
This is IT! The Holy Grail of cache hunts and for many of you,
it will be
personal.
(Think Stars of S.E. Texas to the
ultimate extreme.) Like ParkerPlus' Stars, you need not trade.
The locations and caches (More than 40 so far. All approved.)
are gifts to my geocaching family and friends. I never met a
geocacher that I didn't like.
It has taken nearly a year to set this experience up. Plan on
spending at least half a day completing each leg of it if you draw
more than one leg and have all the recommended equipment and
supplies. (Most of the final hunts do not have more than three
redirects.) Some could actually take weeks if you drove.
Expect about a 2 to 3 hour car trip (depending on how fast you
drive) from the first secret "Dead Drop" redirect. The drop itself
is a 2.5/3. You can see where you're going then and make plans to
get there when you have time. All of the final caches are 5/5,
because the scale doesn't go any higher.
There are some EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS, at the "Dead Drop," That will
make your preparations for your find MUCH easier. (If there is any
confusion after reading these "Dead Drop" instructions, e-mail me
with your phone number and I will call you back A.S.A.P. Likewise
if you are coming form a great distance or need advice on
preparations/accomodations.)
It all begins quite simply. It begins with a code. The "Leap
Year" offset substitution code. Quite similar to the ROT 13 used to
encode hints, the "Leap Year" offset substitution code is as
follows: A=L while Z=Z. That's all you get.
Use the code to decrypt the following coordinates for the "Dead
Drop" (UPDATED 8/8/06):
JKOSCSVKJDJYSCOYYQYTYJMKDJSKJYSCOYYKJYVYQSZYOKJDJYRDTYSCOYYZYOKMKDJSYDBCSSCOYYRDTY
The coordinates you get from the drop will lead you out past the
"Boonies" and beyond the "Stix." When "B.F.E." is well behind you,
the coords will lead you to a place to park, on very overgrown
private property, that I own. The nearest neighbors that I know of
are 4.5 miles away.
As with all of my rural caches, if you hear banjo music playing
somewhere, it's not a good sign.
Follow the long flagstone walkway into the woods to a set of
beautiful stone steps, leading nowhere, in front of a pit, in a
largish clearing.
The pit is actually the basement of an old house that burned
down in 1977.
In what was once the back yard you will find a tree stump that
is like no other tree stump in Texas. Push the stump over, on its
hinge, and you will find a locked submarine style hatch. You will
already have the combination to the lock from the "Dead Drop." (Be
sure to conceal the base of the stump again when you leave.)
After opening the hatch, look just inside for a button with 2
lights (Amber and Green) next to it. Push the button once and the
amber light will indicate that the underground space is being
ventilated. You might hear a wooshing noise in the nearby woods and
a barely audible hum.
When the venting is complete (About 10 to 15 minutes. Much less
if recently vented.) The green light will come on (for 1 minute)
and it is safe to enter. THIS IS NOT THE CACHE!
You will find a 14 foot wide, by 9 foot high, by 29 foot long
subterranean room. Think of this room as a museum of late 20th
century survivalist paranoia. NO trading. (Only the outlines of the
weapons remain and most everything else is old and worthless
anyway. The couch is a bit musty, but quite comfy. Don't pull out
the Murphy Bed. It's totally gross with stains and I haven't had
time to hack it up and remove it.)
You will find what you are looking for in the filing cabinet
next to the stainless steel chemical toilet. (DON'T use the toilet.
Use the woods if you have to go.)
All the envelopes inside the filing cabinet are sealed. Do not
take an envelope with an individual's name on it, unless it's
yours. These will give you your final list of supplies/equipment
needed to complete your hunt.
There are several generic envelopes as well, for people I don't
know, or haven't assigned a specific hunt. These hunts each have an
enigmatic title (I.E. Leap of Faith, Davy Jones Locker, Chunks of
Meat, etc.) and the list of equipment/supplies and an estimate for
completion time printed on the outside, so you can decide which you
are more suited for and plan accordingly.
