NH Hiker 1 Mystery Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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NOTE: On 7-10-19 the final coords for #s 22, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 & 53 were changed, and the hints for #s 23 & 45 were altered.
On 7-24-19 final coords for #s 55, 56, 57, 58 & 59 have been changed and the hint for #54 has been altered.
Note: On 7-31-23 the hide was slightly changed at the same location.
This series is located in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s 1,200 acre Cardigan Mountain Reservation with permission. You must solve the easy puzzle to obtain the final coords. Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C. The AMC's 275,000 members, advocates, and supporters mix outdoor recreation, particularly hiking and backpacking, with environmental activism. Additional activities include cross-country skiing whitewater and flatwater canoeing and kayaking, sea kayaking, sailing, rock climbing and bicycling. The Club has about 2,700 volunteers, who lead roughly 7,000 trips and activities per year. In the spirit of AMC’s mission, this series of 69 caches is designed to get people outdoors to explore the trails of AMC’s Cardigan Reservation in Alexandria, NH. While all caches are on trails, the terrain varies from relatively flat walking to steep, rugged hiking. Note that the AMC requests that hikers stay off ski trails as the tread way is not designed for hiking. The maps on geocaching.com show the trails with the Thunderforest maps giving the best detail. Hiking to New Hampshire’s 4000’ mountains is pursued by tens of thousands each year and climbing all of the 48 “4Ks” has become a pursuit for many hikers. Since 1958 the AMC has maintained the “official” list of the New Hampshire 4000’ mountains through its Four Thousand Footer Club. To be on this list a mountain has to rise at least 4000’ above sea level and have at least a 200’ prominence.
All needed information can be obtained from the “Four-thousand footers” on WikipediA.
The Puzzle: N 43 38. 9X3 W 71 52.614 - Mt. Lincoln is the Xth highest NH 4000 footer.
General Considerations: ALL containers are winter-friendly soda bottle preforms and should be easy finds. Be aware that cell coverage in the valley is spotty at best but usually OK up high. All trails are marked although some blazes have faded. Cardigan trails are blazed in yellow on the east side (the side of this series) and white on the west side. The summit area on the east side of Cardigan is steep ledge and is very slippery in wet and icy conditions. Also, I STRONGLY advise NOT to hike to the summit via the upper section of the Holt Trail (above the caches placed in this series on the Holt Trail) as there is a steep ledge requiring a crack as a hand hold. Trails on the ledges are marked with paint on the rocks and small piles of rocks called cairns - follow carefully. Parking at Cardigan Lodge can be an issue. The lodge can be full of guests, especially during the summer, and Cardigan typically has hordes of hikers during good weather. Best bet is to get there early. Containers were placed in the early spring, summer vegetation will be different.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur cersbez vf abj nggnpurq gb n 8' cbyr juvpu vf yrnavat ba gur fbhgu fvqr bs gur ynetr rireterra pybfrfg gb gur ybqtr.