My last puzzle cache focused on the first person to ever hide a geocache, or, as it was called at the time, "GPS stash". This puzzle is about the first person to find that first GPS stash.
First to Find - FTF - is an unofficial part of the geocaching game; cachers have many varying opinions on the subject. Some will do anything to be the FTF on a newly published cache, while others have no interest in being first.
Have you ever been FTF on a cache? Congratulations! But guess what? The subject of this puzzle was FTF on a cache before you even started playing this game!
On May 3, 2000, the first geocache was placed in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon. Three days later, on May 6, 2000, the logbook was signed by the first FTF.
Who is he? That's what you need to find out to solve this puzzle.
Here are some informational links related to the first FTF; check them out to learn about this important person in geocaching history. Once you find out who this man is, follow the instructions below to decipher the coordinates to the final. You will need his first and last name.
- The first FTF was from Vancouver, Washington.
- On May 7, 2000, the first FTF hid and posted online the coordinates for the second and third GPS stashes.
- The first FTF created the first GPS stash listing page on his personal website. He wrote the web page with a text editor, manually updating the HTML with newly hidden geocaches until the page became too difficult to maintain.
- In 2012, the first FTF gave an interview about the first geocache listing site and his personal involvement in the beginning of the geocaching game. This page also includes the only photo of the first FTF that I could find.
Use the name of the first FTF (ten letters, with no spaces) as the keyword to decipher the text below using the keyword cipher (you can use this link for the deciphering).
Puzzle: flldalprubqkmkutabjmfmrjlprualpryabaryqtvtjnlbjrjbjtusjeptemjeabvtiywtqrqtvtjryalspztplabvtnlbjrtbgurusjepteqtvtjryljt
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Per the rules of geocaching, a Found It log must correspond to a signed logbook.
Happy caching!
*** Congratulations to agufert for FTF! ***