Counting Blocks Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

jon_crowe: I have moved, can not maintain.

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Hidden : 6/12/2007
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The cache ain’t at the posted coordinates, so no need to go racing out there. You have a little bit of work to do first- But don’t lose heart! Read the instructions below- (All of them!) they will teach you how to find the cache.

As always, plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, and I have copied this idea from Direction Maze, by Wiz Creations and Team Fatman in San Diego. I have added my own little twists and changes to the cache puzzle- but the credit for the original puzzle part goes to them. The cache is all me though. Enjoy!

 



Table Of Contents

Introduction

Above are the coordinates for the intersection of Doty Ave. and Manhattan Beach Blvd. Once you solve the first part of the puzzle, you can go there. I have provided examples to help with these somewhat confusing instructions, but if you pay close attention, you won't need the examples (even though they will help a lot).

 

Step 1

(The easier part.)
Below is the puzzle for step one. In order to solve it, you will have to find the correct starting square and follow the instructions to reach the blue end square. Starting squares are any square along any edge that doesn't have a 0 for the number. The last square of the route is the blue square. You must land on this square exactly.

 

2E 1S 2W 4S 9S 3W 2W 5E 4S 3N 1S 2E 2W 1E 1W 4S 2W 5S 1N 8S
10E 1W 5S 3E 11E 1W 1N 3W 15E 6E 7E 3S 4S 1N 5E 4W 1N 1N 3W 7S
1N 1N 4S 4N 1N 3W 14S 5E 7W 6W 5W 3N 3S 2N 3E 5W 4S 4E 2E 2N
5S 16E 3N 5E 4W 8E 13S 2W 1N 1E 4W 9E 14S 3S 3N 6E 1W 1W 3N 0E
1E 4N 7E 3S 2N 1E 2W 1N 11E 4N 2N 1W 3N 7S 2S 3N 3E 3W 3N 3N
2N 3E 5N 5W 4S 8S 2N 8S 1W 10E 3N 6W 13S 6S 3N 2E 3W 7W 1N 8S
0E 10E 3N 4S 15E 3E 6W 2S 2S 5N 6W 7E 5S 6N 1W 3N 1N 4E 8S 17W
8W 1N 2W 3S 1N 1S 2W 1N 1E 2W 3E 2N 1N 1S 1N 8S 3S 1W 1N 4W
1E 6S 1E 2N 1S 1W 12E 3W 2E 1N 1N 1E 1W 4E 2N 1N 5S 1N 1E 3W
8N 3S 1N 4S 4E 3N 6W 1E 4W 1S 4N 6S 1E 2W 5W 8N 3N 8N 13E 2W
3E 6N 7N 8N 2W 4N 5S 4W 5N 1W 9E 5S 8S 3W 1N 0N 2W 1N 13W 9W
4E 5E 3N 4S 4S 9N 3S 9N 1S 3S 7E 2E 9W 2W 3W 6W 4N 3S 2E 19W
1E 1N 2S 11N 5S 3W 6W 2E 1N 1S 3S 5E 8E 2N 3S 4N 3S 2N 2N 1W
5E 1W 3E 1N 1S 10N 5N 1N 1S 1W 8W 1N 2S 5E 3W 2N 1S 1W 1E 3E
1E 7N 2W 1S 4E 3N 7E 1E   1W 1S 3W 4W 5N 1S 3E 6W 1N 2N 2E
0N 2N 3N 1N 3N 2E 5N 6W 3N 4E 5N 6N 8E 3N 1N 2W 2N 3N 1S 13N

Rules:

  • You must end on the blue square.
  • In the correct route, you will not have to go the same direction twice (example: 4W then 2W or 2E then 2E)
  • If a square reads 2N, it means that your next square will be two squares north, or up (5W means 5 squares west, or left)

 

 

Step 2

(This is where it gets a little confusing.)
The solution to Step 1 is a map. Start at the listed coordinates, and go the direction that your starting square says to go, and while driving, count the intersecting roads. The roads (street intersections/blocks you drive by) will represent the number. You will need to turn on the Xth street block in the direction of your second square. (example: 3E means go east 3 blocks, and if the next square was 2N, you would turn left and go 2 more blocks.) You do not have to do this by car. You can do it using Google Maps or a Thomas Bros Map, but if you cheat and do it that way, you wont get to drive by my house. (Added 6-18-07: I originally wasn't going to mention one-wya streets, and let the cacher figure out how to deal with them- but if you do encounter a one-way street while driving the course- PLEASE OBEY THE TRAFFIC LAWS! If that means going around a one-way street so not to drive the wrong way up it- do so. Then get back on course and continue! I don't want this puzzle to frustrate you! Note: This cache will not be held responsible if you get a ticket!)

Rules:

  • Do not count the starting intersection (Doty Ave. and Manhattan Beach Blvd.) as one of the street blocks for your first square
  • Count all intersections (on one side or both sides of the street.) The distance from one intersection to the next does NOT have to be a true city block.
  • If you reach an intersection that has only one possible way to go (a 90° turn), count the intersection as a street block
  • If the road you are driving on turns (not an immediate 90° turn), do not count the turn as a street block.
  • Hawthorne Blvd may be counted as two streets.
  • One way streets may need to be circumvented to continue the course.

 

 

Examples

(The part you've been waiting for.)
The solution for Step 1 of this example is highlighted in blue (you can't miss it), and the roads for Step 2 are marked with red lines (you can't miss those either).

The Example - Part 1

Solution:

  • START at 1E on the left wall, 3rd square down
  • Move 1 square right to 1S
  • Move 1 square down to 2E
  • Move 2 squares right to 1S
  • Move 1 square down to 1W
  • Move 1 square left to 3N
  • Move 3 squares up to 1S
  • Move 1 square down to 2E
  • Move 2 squares right to 3S
  • Move 3 squares down to BLUE SQUARE
  • STOP

The Example - Part 2

Match the instructions from the solution to Example Part 1 with this map. As you can see, if you start where the arrow indicating the beginning is, the following happens:

  • 1 East
  • 1 South
  • 2 East (pass the first intersection)
  • 1 South
  • 1 West
  • 3 North (notice that the road turns, but not an immediate 90°; pass the first 2 intersections)
  • 1 South
  • 2 East (pass the first intersection; notice that now you can only take a 90° turn, so this gets counted as an intersection)
  • 3 South (pass the first 2 intersections)
  • STOP

 

 

The Important Step

(That would be finding the cache.)
If you make it this far ("about 1 mile as the crowe flies" according to the honorable FTF, CLRL), congratulations. Once at the intersection, you can park your car on the east side of the road and get out. Walk over to the stop sign (there is only one) and take note of what your current coordinates are. Change the last two digits of the North coordinates to 61. Change the last two digits of the West coordinates to 47. You will now have something like the following:
N xx° xx.x61 W xxx° xx.x47 .

The cache is a puzzle too. PLEASE BE GENTLE TO RETRIEVE IT!! Cache is plastic, so please be nice. It is big enough for small trade items. YOU DO NOT NEED A TOOL TO OPEN, JUST PULL ON THE LID! Please replace the cache exactly as it should be for the next cacher.


Cache contents for the FTF: Green Jeep TB, clip, micro cache, log, pen and no money. Enjoy!

 

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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