The coordinates shown above are not where this cache is! However, you can go there for snacks and sodas (the point shown is less than 1 mile from the cache and all waypoints.) This is a multipoint cache. The description that follows contains the necessary information to find the first waypoint, where you will seek a small Altoids-type tin. That tin contains the information you need to find the final cache location (a .30 cal ammo box.)
Chapter 1: Morning
Willie awoke early, as was his wont. Night was drawing to a close, and as it did the world seemed a peaceful place. His cabin on Deck 4 was among the smallest on board, but it was right across the passageway from the radio room where he spent his working hours. Work would come later, however. After quickly dressing, Willie left his tiny refuge and headed topside.
On deck, 122 feet above the water, Willie stood at the rail and looked out from huge ship. The North Star shone faintly, a flickering yellow dot in the lightening sky. In the lagoon, green fronds of kelp floated just beneath the surface of the water, expectantly waiting for the day to come. The black water looked up at a black sky, save to the east where a slowly gathering glow told of the sun's impending rise. Ashore, three trees stood above the undergrowth, their green leaves slowly gathering color from the rising sun. The water was a vivid shade of blue in the lagoon, but far to the west it picked up the gray color of clouds which bespoke tomorrow's weather.
A few minutes later, with the sun above the horizon, the rich brown earth on the island practically glowed in the red and orange rays. A blackbird with a yellow head flew across the lagoon. Next to a cluster of green ferns, a huge brown log formed a perfect perch for the blackbird to land. Satisfied that he had seen the day off to a good start, Willie turned and started toward the mess hall.
He chose not to take the most direct route to breakfast on this day, since he still had some time before food would be served. He chose instead, a path that wove through the dark interior of the ship, which he knew better than anyone else on board. Down to Deck 9, across to the starboard passageway, then 97 feet forward to the third ladder. Up to Deck 6 and follow the passageway there, past 5 cabins on the left and 6 on the right. There, he would cross to the port side, where….
As Willie climbed onto Deck 6, he saw the ship's First Mate walking away from him in the passageway. Strange, he thought, in all the time he'd been on board he had never seen the haughty FM down here; these areas he normally left to the crew and lower-ranking officers. Willie paused, and watched as the First Mate walked away from his vantage point. Just before the FM rounded the corner into a crossing passage, Willie saw something flutter to the deck as if it had fallen from the FM's pocket. He quietly proceeded along the passage until he found what he had seen fall: a small, tightly folded scrap of paper. Aware that his behavior might arouse suspicion, Willie cautiously checked to be sure he wasn't being watched. Satisfied that he was alone, he carefully unfolded the paper and puzzled over its contents.
The Scrap of Paper
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Chapter 2: Afternoon, the same day
"You fool! That cipher is the key to where we hid the treasure! And you say you don't even know how you might have lost it?" Willie recognized the voice of the ship's engineer, coming through the air vent over his head. He knew this meant the engineer had to be in the room just on the other side of the bulkhead.
"It's not as bad as you make it out to be," the First Mate's voice answered. "The cross and the key weren't even put together, so if anyone found it they might not realize it's a cipher. Besides, what are the chances of anyone even realizing what it's for?"
Willie kept working on the section of coaxial cable that was exposed in the bulkhead access in front of him, but keeping especially quiet. He didn't want to be noticed by the men in the adjacent room, nor did he want to miss a word. He had come up to deck 2 to repair the cable, which had been damaged by a careless crewman. A six-foot section of the coax had been damaged along with one of the expensive connectors that were used with it. The conversation in the next room was an unexpected bonus.
"Well I'm just upset that you took such a risk! It puts us in a precarious position. You might have lost everything for us! You should never have written that down." The engineer's voice sounded a bit calmer now, but still very upset. "But I suppose the treasure is still safe. The cipher is only half of the solution. Even if somebody figures out the cipher, they aren't likely to notice the colors, and if they do they won't know what to make of them. It's a good thing you didn't write down anything that would give away what the colors mean."
Chapter 3: Morning, the following day
Alone and at work in the ship’s Radio Room, Willie was in his element. A malfunctioning transmitter lay on the bench, its circuit boards removed and arrayed around it. He had traced the problem to a faulty 47K-ohm resistor, which he was now about to replace. Digging into the parts bins, he pulled several resistors from a bin that contained resistors from 10K to 100K ohms, a system that made perfect sense to him. He quickly scanned the colored bands on the resistors and easily picked the one he needed, tossing the rest back into the bin.
Last night, he had thought about the conversation he overheard, and re-examined the scrap of paper he had picked up from the deck after the First Mate carelessly dropped it. In a flash of insight, he had figured out what he now thought of as the “Double Cross” cipher.
Finally, this morning, he put the rest of the pieces of the puzzle together, and he knew the exact point on the earth’s surface where the hidden cache of treasure lay. Do you?
Notes About This Cache:
- Take some paper and a pen or pencil with you!!! You will need to copy some information that is located at the first waypoint.
- After you find the first waypoint, I recommend returning to your vehicle and driving to the final point instead of going cross country. If you drive, stay on the public right of way. After you leave your car, stay on the same level as the parking area until you are 340 feet from the cache, then take the trail you will find at that point. It's a lot easier than the trail directly from the parking.
- It is not necessary to trespass on private property to find this cache! The cache, all waypoints, and all suggested parking spots are on public lands.
- After seeing how bad GPS reception can be at the final location, I added a hint that should reduce the workload there (I must have been lucky when I got identical readings on two trips there.) Also, offsets in the logs are welcome, but please don't post actual coordinates.
- Watch out for poison oak. The immediate area around the cache seems to be clear of it but you will pass some on the way in. Be careful!