Cosmic Gopher Mystery Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The cache is not at the listed coordinates, but is located within 2km of them in Great Brook Farm (GBF) State Park at N42 33.xxx W071 20.yyy. Solve the puzzle to determine the cache location.
This puzzle is based on a favorite game of the GOTJ clan. I've been playing it since the mid 70's (when it was first introduced) and have shared it with family and friends over the past 3 decades. Simple rules and high fun-factor make it a great family activity (hey, that sounds like geocaching!). One fun aspect of the game is you get to use anything you'd like as a playing piece. I like to use a nano container as it's much more fun to use as a game piece than to try and find in the field. 
We were in the middle of a game recently when an idea came to me. I asked Greg and Jane if we could pause the game for a minute so I could snap a photo of the board. I took the pic and we got back to the action. Jane, who likes to use a glass gem as her playing piece (no shortage of those around here 
), claimed First To Finish with an amazing come from behind victory! Of course she couldn't claim her FTF prize until Greg and I got one last turn each (aka "roll 'til you wimp").
Things that may help:
- xxx != yyy
- Knowledge of the location of the other caches in GBF.
- GBF Trail Map
- The cache is less than 30' from a marked trail.
- Click here for a larger version of the puzzle. Thanks to "the hermit crabs" for showing me how to add this link.
- Although "Gopher" has a nice ring to it (e.g. "Go fer the cache"), a more appropriate name would be "Cosmic Groundhog".
- We are your geochecker. Feel free to email us for coordinate verification prior to heading out to the park
The cache is a small-medium lock-n-lock container initially stocked with some goodies for the first few finders, some small theme-related items, and some generic geo-swag. Please take care to replace the container and camo exactly as you found them.
Happy Caching!
March 13, 2013: Great Brook Farm State Park's Winter Use Policy: When adequate snow cover exists between December 1 and March 20, the groomed ski trails (which are east of Lowell St.) are open only to paid skiers. Tickets for the groomed trails can be purchased at the ski touring center at 1018 Lowell St. Additional info can be found at the GBF Ski Touring website.
5/4/09: Congratulations to Eight Foot Llama on being First To Find!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[puzzle hint:] Gurer ner gjryir frgf bs pbbeqf. Gur chmmyr vf qrgrezvavat juvpu frg vf pbeerpg.