World Traveler 1 Mystery Cache

  1 - PDX / PWM StraightLine

Westpoint:

• Kelly Butte

• Water tank center

Eastpoint:

• Center of six-point star

• 270 feet from water

• South of cloverleaf 

Query:

• At the exact midpoint, you might want a:

        Race car (257)

        Swimsuit (269)

        Train station (250)

        Concert Schedule (242)

        High School Transcript (253)

        Write the number after your answer here:  ____

        When figuring distance

        Consider this for instance

        Your answer will be much cooler

        If you use the Google Earth ruler

Progressive Hints:

cbegynaq jrfg, cbegynaq rnfg

ybpngr gur cbvagf qrfpevorq va cbegynaq, bertba naq cbegynaq, znvar

va tbbtyr rnegu, hfr gbbyf naq ehyre gb qenj n yvar orgjrra gur gjb cbvagf

abgr gur yratgu bs gur yvar va zvyrf hfvat gur znc yratgu svther

pyvpx fnir gb fnir gur yvar

qvivqr gur yratgu ol gjb gb trg gur zvqcbvag

qenj n frpbaq yvar bire gur svefg bar sbe rknpgyl unys gur qvfgnapr

abgr lbhe fheebhaqvatf ng gur zvqcbvag           

2 - Oregon History

I had to work in a shameless plug for GC15A3D.  Speaking of which, the product of the FTF MM and DD of the nearby ugly one is ____.

  3 - Block & Unscramble

N 40 46.759  W 111 50.393

N 45 33.738  W 123 55.205

N 34 24.549  W 118 53.574

N 41 46.324  W 107 14.425

N 41 15.492  W 110 57.362

N 40 14.899  W 111 37.237

N 41 00.564  W 111 30.170

N 44 03.465  W 123 05.560

N 42 51.617  W 112 25.818

N 40 31.497  W 112 14.888

The resulting two-digit number is ____.

Hint:  hafpenzoyr gur yrggref gb fcryy n gjb-qvtvg ahzore

4 - Seventh Sojourn

N 37 40.168  W 122 04.833

N 33 04.031  W 080 57.260

N 46 02.760  W 067 14.453

N 39 08.888  W 079 29.962

N 53 03.246  W 002 46.117 (first word)

The sum of the 20 digits comprising the years of birth is ____.

Note:  It will probably be necessary to scroll a click or two to a slightly higher elevation in order to see the appropriate Google Earth labels.

Progressive Hints:

terng nyohz

vqragvsl gur svir pvgl anzrf

jr'er whfg gur fvatref va n ebpx naq ebyy onaq

5 - Yggdrasil

Locate the following scene in Google Earth Street View:

The following coordinate fragments should be helpful:

16.745

60

N

10.738

17

E

Across the street, what do you see?

    Tractor/farmhouse/radio tower/brick wall (85)

    Stream/lodge/pine trees/highway (52)

    Fence/field/trees/lake (77)

    Airfield/cafe/beach/lake (60)

    Stone monument/hotel/wall/forest (91)

Write the number after your answer here: ____

Hint:

shegure abegu guna rnfg

Geographic Runners-up

6 - The winner can be found at N 005 58.091  W 062 32.190.  Considering the runner-up, what is the sum of the digits of the area code and telephone number of the guest house with the Dutch-sounding name on the directional sign at the intersection of Cambridge and Muller Streets in the town 50 miles away at 315 degrees? _____

Note:  There should be 10 digits in the telephone number.  Do not include the country code.

7 - Number one is at N 053 42.699  E 108 30.599.  Searching the 2/24/2011 image very carefully, what is the product of the number of fixed-wing aircraft and the number of rotary-wing aircraft visible in the vicinity of the airport near the northern shore of number two?  ____  (Note:  There is now a newer image, so be SURE to visit the 2/24/2011 historical image!) (Note:  Don't count the aircraft icons that may be displayed by Google Earth itself!)

8 - Take an early-morning hike to the extreme at N 27 59.301  E 086 55.512, then jog over to the runner-up.  From that pinnacle, later in the afternoon, jaunt over and find the scarecrow (8/20/2011 satellite image) about 6,692 miles at 13.61 degrees away (using the Ruler Tool/Map Length method).  Approximately how tall is the scarecrow?  ____

    12 feet (50)

    1,280 feet (129)

    5.5 feet (29)

    900 feet (24)

    30 feet (59)

Hints for 6-8: 

gur pbbeqf ner sbe n jbeyq erpbeq ubyqre (fhpu nf gnyyrfg ohvyqvat)

svefg, vqragvsl gur srngher ng gung ybpngvba gung ubyqf gur erpbeq

arkg, vqragvsl gur ybpngvba bs gur ehaare hc (fhpu nf frpbaq uvturfg ohvyqvat)

Hint for 8:  gur fpnerpebj vf arne n erfreibve

On the flight home, why not compute the coordinates of the cache?  To do so, add your first 4 answers and 103 to get ??? and add your last 4 answers and 116 to get ¿¿¿. 

The cache location is:

N 40 43.¿¿¿

W 111 48.???

After hiking the Himalayas, a false trip to Sugarhouse seems trivial; nonetheless, you can check your coordinates here.  This puzzle is intended to be fun.  If you get stuck, or need a hint, don't hesitate to email me.

The following notes may make your Google Earth experience more enjoyable:

• Upgrade to the latest version.

• In the "Layers" panel, be sure "Roads" and "Borders and Labels" is checked.  If you don't see street names on the images, try scrolling out (to a higher elevation) a click or two.  Checking "Photos" can also provide helpful information.

• You can switch the latitude/longitude coordinate format to the one used for geocaching.  Click "Tools", then "Options".  Select the "Degrees, Decimal Minutes" option in the "Show Lat/Long" box.  Familiar format coordinates will then display at the bottom of the satellite images.

• If you haven't used the integrated Street View feature, check out this video.

• As you work, especially when exiting Street View, make sure north is reoriented correctly.  The quickest way to do that is to click on the "N" part of the rotation tool in the upper right corner.

• Also when exiting Street View, the satellite image may be tilted.  Returning to a direct overhead view will make navigation easier.  To do that, hold down the scroll wheel on your mouse and move the cursor up (or use the navigation controls in the top right corner).

• You will need to switch back and forth between the satellite image and the Street Views.  Don't try to do everything from just one or the other.

• When in Street View, if you don't see what you are looking for, you can try walking along the street by using your mouse scroll wheel to move backward and forward along the street.  Very cool!  To look at what is around you, hold down the mouse button and pan horizontally and vertically.

• Satellite images (and perhaps in the future, Street Views) may also have photos at the same site taken at an earlier point in time.  As newer images are added, it may become necessary to view an earlier one to get the same perspective as used in the puzzle.  Use the "Show historical imagery" button and the "Imagery Date" at the bottom of the screen.

• The Ruler Tool will be useful, both for measuring distances and for drawing and saving lines.  Click "Tools" and then "Ruler".  For purposes of these puzzles, all distances are measured using the "Map Length" reading.  After drawing a line with the tool, click "Save" in the tool control box to name it and save it to your "My Places" collection.  After saving a line, you can draw a second line over the top of it and measure distances along the saved line.

• The Geocache Google Earth Viewer is a great tool, and may help with the puzzle.  You can install it from your Profile page.  It will display the locations of geocaches on the satellite images.