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Imperial Defence! Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

JamGuys: Well, it's with considerable regret that I've decided to go ahead and archive this cache. I went out there this afternoon because I'd always thought that there might be good fishing to be had at the site and I wanted to throw a line in and see if I'd get lucky. Well, the first thing I noticed as I hiked the trail in was that someone has been very haphazardly bulldozing the area at the back there. When I arrived at the cache site, I found that the area had also been bulldozed over and the precise spot where the cache should have been was now occupied by a huge pile of uprooted trees, branches, and debris. I fell heavily onto my knee clambering over a fallen tree trunk and, despite a 15-minute search, could not find the ammo can. So, rather like the Great Wall itself, this cache has not been able to withstand the tide of progress. Thanks to the intrepid dozen or so of you who solved the puzzle and made the long trek in but this cache is now H-I-S-T-O-R-Y!

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Hidden : 1/7/2007
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


Congrats to The Fox Den for being FTF!!

ATTENTION! The co-ordinates above are FALSE! Solve the puzzle to obtain the TRUE co-ordinates!

Since my 13-year-old daughter is currently enamored of all things Chinese, I've created this cache in her honor. It should not be too difficult a puzzle to solve but you'll have to put in a bit of legwork, about a mile and a half round trip, to retrieve it. No hints will be given until the FTF prize has been claimed - GOOD LUCK!

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IMPERIAL DEFENCE!

"The Great Wall of China, also known in China as the Great Wall of 10,000, is an ancient Chinese fortification built from the end of the 14th century until the beginning of the 17th century, during the Ming Dynasty, in order to protect China from raids by the Mongols and Turkic tribes. It was preceded by several walls built since the 3rd century BC against the raids of nomadic tribes coming from areas now in modern day Mongolia and Manchuria. The Wall stretches over a formidable 6,350 km (3,946 miles), from Shanhai Pass on the Bohai Gulf in the east, at the limit between China proper and Manchuria, to Lop Nur in the southeastern portion of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The first major wall was built during the reign of the First Emperor, the main emperor of the short-lived Qin dynasty. This wall was not constructed as a single endeavor, but rather was created by the joining of several regional walls built by the Warring States. It was located much further north than the current Great Wall, and very little remains of it. The primary purpose of the wall was not to keep out people but to insure that semi-nomadic people on the outside of the wall could not cross with their horses or return easily with stolen property."

Okay, enough with the ancient Chinese history, let's get on to more important things - like the cache! Similar to one of my Liberty Lake puzzles, the cache co-ordinates are to be found in the image you'll be creating below. Don't fret, there are a lot fewer and much larger pieces in this puzzle but you WILL have an extra bit of figuring out to do, heh, heh! Remember, you can use the Evince tool at the bottom of the page to verify your co-ordinates. If you are ultimately successful and endure the hike to the cache, you will discover a quiet and, on a still day, exceptionally scenic backwater of Lake Arcadia that is a haven for herons, ducks, and other waterbirds. I even saw a bald eagle soaring overhead when I went out to place the cache! So, without further ado .....

START BUILDING THE WALL!


First Emperor Qin


Reflections at Lake Arcadia

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

CACHE LOCATION: The cache is hidden on undeveloped land on the south side of Lake Arcadia that's leased to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Don't worry, the park ranger is unlikely to evict you unless you are in some way misbehaving, destroying the environment, or fishing in the lake without a valid license. Apparently, the area is often visited by the Boy Scouts and by the folks living in the nearby community. You can park on the side of the road at the recommended co-ordinates and simply duck under the barrier.

Please be aware that there is an archery deer harvest season in this area annually from October through December and it will then be illegal for you to enter the area without a valid deer hunting permit. The cache listing will be disabled during this time. As always, keep an eye out for poison plants, ticks, snakes, and other potentially harmful creatures.

CACHE CONTENTS: The cache is a 7.62 mm ammo can that contains a logbook, a pen, and some colorful Chinese decorative items. In keeping with the oriental theme, the FTF prize is a gorgeous, two-toned, 2007 Hong Kong geocoin. I'm also releasing the second of my new series of circulating geocoins, JamGuys' "2007 Hong Kong" Touring the World Geocoin #2. This is the copper version of the coin and it's nowhere near as pretty as the two-toned FTF prize!

FEEDBACK: Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions and/or suggestions pertaining to this cache - THANKS!

Click to verify coordinates

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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Chmmyr uvag: Lbh fubhyqa'g unir gb thrff!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
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N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)