The "Blatantly Obvious" Night Cache Mystery Cache
The "Blatantly Obvious" Night Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(large)
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It's time to burn up some batteries in the Ocala National Forest. Welcome to another Clan Riffster night cache!
As with most night caches, the cache is not located at the posted coordinates. Those coordinates represent the suggested parking for this cache. Alternate parking is at N29* 00.442, W81* 24.627. This night cache is somewhat unique, in that you'll need to do more than just mindlessly following reflectors through the woods.
To successfully complete this cache, you'll need a GPSr with a track log feature, and you'll need to be familiar with creating track logs. When you park, proceed on foot to The Twins, at N29* 00.465 / W081* 24.629, which is just a brief stroll away. At those coords, you'll locate three triangular reflectors affixed to a tree. This is your starting point.
Turn on your track log and look roughly northeast for another reflector. Continue following reflectors for about 1.6 miles, until you locate another set of three reflectors. This is your end point. Sounds simple, huh? Ha! If you wanted simple, you wouldn't be way the heck out in the woods, at night. You'd be wandering through 500 acres of exhaust laden, sweltering, Wally World blacktop looking for a film canister in a lamp post, dodging soccer moms in SUV's.
As you move from reflector to reflector, your track log will be drawing a giant picture, not unlike a Geoglyph. You'll need to decipher the location of the cache from the image you've just drawn. As your picture forms on your GPSr screen, the final location of the cache, a rather large, Clan Riffster camo'ed ammo can, should become Blatantly Obvious. If you survive the trek to the final tree, and can't figure out your "picture", you can search that tree for something that should help you.
The rules for this hunt are pretty basic:
Arrow pointing straight up = walk straight ahead.
Arrow pointing slightly right or left = turn slightly in that direction.
Two arrows pointing sharply downward = turn sharply in that direction.
The total length of the reflective trail is about 1.6 miles, and almost all of that is bushwhacking. Please come prepared for a vigorous trek through inhospitable territory. Necessary accessories for this hunt should include an extra flashlight, extra batteries, skeeter repellent, snake boots, durable pants, long sleeves, a hat and a stout hiking staff. A change of clothes would be a real good idea, as one section of swamp is nipple deep. You'll need to work out the dynamics for yourself, for changing clothes out in the woods. If you go in a group, you should consider rotating the lead person, so everybody gets to experience the joys of planting a 5" banana spider square in your face. If you scream like a little girl at your first spider facial, don't sweat it too much. If you're still screaming by the fifth spider, you might wanna take up knitting. Bears are prominent in the area, so come prepared. Having a firearm in Ocala, at night, whilst waving flashlights around is generally considered to be a real bad idea. No, I won't bail you out of jail.
The D/T rating of 3/5 came from the geocaching terrain/difficulty generator. The "5" came from the fact that a GPSr with a track log is required. I'd call this a 3/3, myself. Hunting is legal in this section, but not at night. However, that doesn't seem to stop the locals from blasting bambi after hours.
Critters you will encounter include ticks, chiggers, skeeters and deer. Critters you'll probably encounter include black bears, wild hogs, rattlesnakes and water moccasins. Expect to get wet at a few points. Can't have a true Riffster cache without a bit of swamp, can we? The single greatest threat is to your ankles. I've twisted mine twice while building this cache, stumbling through the saw palmetto fields.
Good luck & don't get ate by critters!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)