The Phantom Tollbooth: Reality or Illusion? Multi-cache

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RockyMtnReviewer: Please submit a new cache when you replace this one. Caches are not allowed to be under bridges.

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RockyMtnReviewer

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Hidden : 5/24/2003
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

A multi-step cache with a bit of math and a story. Have you ever looked at something without actually seeing it? This cache will help you see what you have been looking at, envision what is no longer there, and teach a little history.

"Then where is Reality?" barked Tock.
"Right here," cried Alec, waving his arms. "You're standing in the middle of Main Street."
They looked around very carefully. Tock sniffed suspiciously at the wind and the Humbug gingerly stabbed his cane in the air, but there was nothing at all to see.
"It's really a very pleasant city," said Alec as he strolled down the street, pointing out several of the sights, which didn't seem to be there, and tipping his cap to the passers-by. There were great crowds of people rushing along with their heads down, and they all appeared to know exactly where they were going as they darted down and around the nonexistent streets and in and out of the missing buildings.
"I don't see any city," said Milo very softly.
"Neither do they," Alec remarked sadly, "but it hardly matters, for they don't miss it at all."
...
"Why don't they live in Illusions?" suggested the Humbug. "It's much prettier."
"Many of them do," he answered, "but its' just as bad to live in a place where what you see isn't there as it is to live in one where what you don't see is."

Excerpts from "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster.

This area has very high volume and high speed traffic. For the sake of your future existence, use the crosswalks! Every day, hundreds of commuters make it through this area on foot. You can too.
During and after rain or snow expect to encounter significant mud. You might want to wait for things to dry out before doing any field work.
Recommended equipment: A magic staff (or equivalent), and a Mathemagician who knows how to use it.
There is ample parking at the starting point.
  1. At the starting point, locate a 2x3 matrix of single digit numbers.
  2. Compute the coordinates for point one: Treat each row of the matrix as a single value represented in Octal. Point one is ((row 1)8 - 231) m north and ((row 2)8 - 231) m east of the starting point.
  3. There are 2 numbers at point one. X equals the absolute value of their difference plus 17.
  4. Locate the benchmark known as KK14X. Note: the NGS coordinates for this benchmark are wrong by many meters. Don't wander into traffic! Use your head.
  5. Stand at KK14X and sight along the line towards point one. On the horizon, there is a utility pole.
  6. The pole has some nails in it. Some of the nails have numbers on their heads. Y equals the largest of the numbers.
  7. The longitude of the cache is offset from the pole by an angle of 2.Y25268 x10-6 radians.
In addition to the usual stuff, the cache contains some information printed on 2 laminated sheets of paper. Please leave them in the cache for others to read.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

2n) Pbaireg bpgny gb qrpvzny, gura fhogenpg. 2o) Hfr HGZ gb svaq cbvag bar pbbeqf. 4) Frr trbpnpuvat.pbz/znex. 7n)Pbaireg enqvnaf gb qrterrf: 180 qrterrf = cv enqvnaf. 7o) hfr qrpvzny qrterrf. 7p)Qba'g trg fgnoorq.

Decryption Key

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

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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