A 1K cache for...
...the NCGO online presence who said "occasionally it's nice to be reminded to take property laws with a grain of salt. Or more."
- The hike for this cache is along a Corps of Engineers boundary complete with many "NO TRESPASSING" signs to remind him about the property laws regarding the adjoining lands. This cache does NOT take property laws with a grain of salt, however, and takes place entirely on the NC Gamelands side of the line.
...the veteran cacher who has seen it all when it comes to caching
- No matter what new "inventive" idea we think we come up with, Ken seems to have already found a cache like that somewhere. Well, this is our final try. If he's seen stages like these before, we give up!
...the creative crafter behind the NCGO and Alethiometrists signature magnets
- Perhaps unknowingly she provided technical craft consultation for the design and construction of the intermediate stages.
...the team that loves letterboxing, puzzle caches, woodland hikes, large containers, and literary references
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- Keep reading...
If you've read The Rule of Four (highly recommended), then you are familiar with the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (roughly "Poliphilo's Struggle for Love in Dreams"). This cache is based on a later work, the "Hypnocachemachia Alethiometra" (roughly "The Alethiometrists' Struggle for Caches in Dreams"). With much difficulty i translated this work and i learned much about the Alethiometrists and their search for the most excellent caches in all the lands, not to mention the reasons why they have placed so many Night caches. Alas, my only copy was lost in The Dark Territory and i am left with these two fragments, having scanned them for further analysis not long before that fateful trip.
Together, this illustration and text must hold some clue useful in locating the first stage of this cache.
Notes:
- Roadside parking is available not far from the posted coordinates.
- The posted coordinates are for an orange stake where you will first turn away from the tire tracks and follow the Corps Boundary. It is also your point of origin for the offsets to the first stage.
- Further offsets are relative to the stage at which they were obtained.
- To complete this cache you will require an alethiometer. If you don't have one you can first seek a small container in a ledge beneath two rocks at an offset of N -.053, W +.125 from the posted coordinates (just like the rest of the cache, follow the boundary line for access).
- If the Gage Height is under 8 feet, you should (with careful stepping after a rain) be able to get to Stage 1 with dry feet. That is the worst of the water on the hike (unless you bushwhack).
- Red stripes are your friend. Follow the Corps of Engineers boundaries and you'll make your life easier. If it doesn't look like it's going the right way, you'll probably see 3 stripes (corner) soon. No stage is more than 100 feet off the "trail".
- To avoid briars, etc., cross the "clearing" at the top of the hill under the two towers.
- Standard gamelands warnings apply. Hunting season info is available at ncwildlife.org
- Stumped on the puzzle? (Innovative hint delivery mechanism expired, so) Jung qb gur gjb vzntrf unir va pbzzba?