Emmett's Wild Adventure VIII - Points of Interest Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

emmett: It is time to finish with archiving my caches. I understand some may be interested in completing this series. The containers are still out there as far as I know so you can still log finds but I will not be doing any maintenance. I don’t want them listed on GC.com any longer and will not be working on any of them unless and until I have the time to modify and publish these as new caches on another site.

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Hidden : 9/1/2007
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


The EWA series is comprised of nine basic caches, plus a bonus cache, and an Epilogue cache that was published last to offer additional help and tips for those interested in completing the series.

All of the EWA caches have been set up uniquely to allow for some extra fun and/or something different at the beginning. In general, there are two ways to complete each cache and you get to choose which option you think you will enjoy the most.

Those who complete the series will have visited a wide assortment of trails and terrain while finding micros and containers of all different types. It is hoped that the series will serve as a fine introduction for newcomers yet still hold the interest of veteran cachers with some twists and turns not commonly found in more traditional hunts.

For maximum enjoyment, it is strongly advised you consider the impact seasonal changes will have on some hunts. All of the EWA locales are spots that are very nice at certain times of the year, but not necessarily all year round. Make the best of the EWA collection by planning your visits at the optimal times. This is explained in more detail with the “Owners Tips” provided in the Epilogue cache.


About EWA-8: Points of Interest

A mix of urban and traditional geocaching, EWA-8 will take you to various spots in the City of Marlborough, before concluding with either a short or modest hike in a nearby park.

There are essentially three parts to the hunt:

Part One: Solve the puzzle, determine the location of Waypoint X, and use that information to determine the location of Stage One.

Part Two: Obtain a sheet from the Stage One container and then collect information from the various points of interest in Marlborough. This information will allow you to determine the coordinates of the next stage of the hunt.

Part Three: Hike to the final cache either directly from the designated trailhead or by taking a longer multi-stage path

The Stage One container will provide waypoints, instructions, and worksheets needed to complete the hunt. The waypoints will mark points of interest where memorials and/or plaques are located. Visit these locations and record information until you have what you need to begin your hike in the woods.

As with all EWA caches, there are two options to choose from. Visit only as many points of interest as needed to determine the location of Stage Two and then take a longer multi-stage hike to the cache, or visit all the points of interest and go straight to EWA-8 Stage Five, the final cache. You choose the option you will enjoy the most.

If you opt for the longer hike, each stage including Stage Two and beyond will provide coordinates and a hint for the next stage until you get to the final cache. Round trip is about a mile and a quarter. The alternate option is considerably shorter.


The EWA-8 puzzle

In the early 1700's an Indian attack on Marlborough claimed the life of a local woman who being physically disabled was unable to escape fast enough to the safety of the nearby garrison. So horrified by the incident, the townspeople built a monument to mark the spot where her body was found.

Today, a newer monument sits at that site in a spot that is now obscured by a private housing development. A sign posted on a well-traveled nearby road recalls the event and references the monument that lies .172 miles away at a bearing of 163.251 degrees.

Access to the monument via parking in a housing complex and a private trail is allowed between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Designated parking for monument visitors is clearly marked and is located about 200 feet south of the roadside sign. You must enter the development and take your first right and go a short distance where a few spaces are reserved for monument parking. A gravel path then leads briefly north into the woods to a trail that then circles counterclockwise around the housing to the monument.

Technically speaking, it is not necessary to visit the monument to determine the needed letter values below, as there is an alternate method to generate the results you need. The choice is yours if such a method comes to mind.

At the bottom of the monument is a number noting the year it was erected. Find the monument and read the number at the bottom. Call that number "abcd." Now add the four individual digits together to get a two digit number and call that number "ef."

Additional calculations:

g = e + a
h = g + e

For example, if the number is 1779, then a=1, b=7, c=7, d=9, e=2, f=4, g=3 and h=5.

Using the letter values determined above, apply the following offsets to the monument coordinates to determine the stage one location.

North: +0.gfe, West: +0.eeh

To confirm your result, adding the north and west offsets will equal 0.587.

Stage One has been positioned in such a way as to be convenient given where the hunt begins (at the monument) and where it will take you next (the points of interest). You can drive to within 20 feet or so of the cache container that has been placed under a sizeable rock.

Let me also add a warning based on a conversation I had earlier with one of the EWA-8 "watchers." Make sure to read the stage one instructions carefully. There is no trick or hidden mystery but apparently a possibility for an error.

Once you have calculated the stage one location, discard all of the letter values. These letters will be used again in the exercise below and the letter values will be changed.


Getting started

Stage One is located less than ten feet south/east of the road, below the overhang of a rock. Nothing fancy here. The location was selected not for its scenic appeal, rather because it is a convenient place to begin, given the location of Waypoint X and the various points of interest.

You will be given a worksheet with coordinates for five points of interest. One of the waypoints marks a parking location in downtown Marlborough. The other waypoints mark different spots around town. Choose one the options below to complete your worksheet and determine the stage two location.

Downtown - Park your car at the designated downtown waypoint and look around. Within 250 feet or so to the east and about 500 feet to the west are numerous, markers, monuments and plaques. The worksheet contains information that came from several of these points of interest. Search the area and identify the missing numbers on your worksheet until you have enough information to calculate the stage two coordinates.

Elsewhere - Waypoints One thru Four will take you to four different city locations. Visit each site and identify the missing numbers on your worksheet until you have enough information to calculate the stage two coordinates.

Hit them all - Visit all of the waypoints, both downtown and elsewhere, and you'll have access to enough information to bypass stages two thru four and go straight to stage five, the final cache.


The hike to the cache

It is a 10-15 minute drive from the points of interest to the woods in which the cache has been hidden. Navigation instructions to the designated parking are provided with your worksheet.

Stage Two is at: N 42 AB.CDE, W 71 FG.HIJ
Stage Five is at: N 42 KL.MNO, W 71 PQ.RST

The values of "A" thru "T" may be obtained by completing your worksheet.


About the EWA-8 locale

The urban locations are varied with most close to downtown Marlborough. Parking for each point of interest is adequate except for Waypoint Three, in which case you'll need to find a suitable spot close by and exercise caution as you walk to the monument.

Stages Two thru Five are located in a wooded spot where trails are well marked and suitable for hiking or biking.

The edit attributes posted above apply to the hiking area, not the points of interest. The estimated difficulty reflects the need to visit many locations, not necessarily the difficulty locating the stages which should all be easy finds.

The EWA Lineup:

EWA-1: Callahan Bypass - (visit link)
EWA-2: Which Way From Here? - (visit link)
EWA-3: Big Rock - (visit link)
EWA-4: The Theft - (visit link)
EWA-5: Micros or Mystery? - (visit link)
EWA-6: Kids Treasure Chest - (visit link)
EWA-7: The Ledges - (visit link)
EWA-8: Points of Interest - (visit link)
EWA-9: Upton Woods - (visit link)
EWA-10: The Final Conquest - (visit link)

EWA-Epilogue: Owner's Tips - (visit link)


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Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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