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Counting Scheme Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

virtualdavid: This one is not getting found that often, so time to archive it and make room for other caches.

David

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Hidden : 8/30/2007
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Convert an evil micro to a simple find by figuring out the counting scheme.

The listed coordinates are the start of a bike path heading roughly North West. The cache is not here. A long black fence runs down the North East side for a mile or so with a black post about every eight inches. The cache is in one of the posts.

But which one? You could do a brute force search of the 10,000 or so posts, or you could solve this puzzle and go to the correct one. I have invented a counting scheme that specifies the correct post exactly. Your job is to figure out the scheme and apply it using the numbers below.

People have counted in all kinds of wonderful and interesting ways over history. The "rational" metric system based on 10's is a relatively recent invention that has permeated everything from scientific measurements to money. In this system, there are 10 centimeters in a decimeter and 10 decimeters in a meter. Old counting systems often had different amounts between each unit. For example today in the US we use 12 inches in a foot and 3 feet in a yard. Some systems, like the Roman Numeral IX for 9, weren't even additive! My counting scheme, while logical and based in the local environment, is not nearly as "rational" as metric.

Here are the numbers you need to find the correct post:

As recently as 1970, the British counted money using shilling, pounds and pence. How many pence are in four shillings?

Perhaps you have seen the joke, "There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who speak binary and those who do not." Computers count things differently than humans. How would a computer answer this question: 3C / 14 = ?

Of course the most familiar way to count is "one, two, three..." Or perhaps "unos, dos, tres...". What is the unlucky number pronounced "she"?

When you find the cache, please return it exactly as you found it. In particular, don't push it so far into its hiding place that it is difficult to retrieve and don't leave it hanging out so it is obvious.

Good luck!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

1. Gur fpurzr vf n ovg yvxr gur byq Oevgvfu flfgrz sbe zbarl. 2. Guvax urknqrpvzny. 3. Vgf nyfb fcryyrq "fuv". "Lba" nyfb jbexf. 4. Ybbx ybj sbe gur pnpur.

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)