The listed coordinates are for the trailhead. The cache is located
in the Elk River Wildlife Area; to find its coordinates you'll need
to solve the geometric puzzle below. The cache is a 1.7 pint
Rubbermaid container, about 7.5 by 5 by 2.5 inches, painted green.
The trail here can be overgrown at times, especially beyond the
abandoned house and barn. There could be fleas, ticks, snakes,
etc., so I recommend wearing long pants, boots, and gloves. Also be
aware that there may be hunters in the area.
The first time I came here, I locked my bicycle to the fence at
the north side of the parking lot, and walked to the end of the
trail. When I got back, I saw two horses leaning over the fence
near my bike. Then I noticed that they were chewing on my bike
seat! They'd torn the cover, and scattered several chunks of foam
on the ground. They'd almost pulled the seat off the bike; it was
hanging on by one screw. I patched it with duct tape, well enough
to ride home, and decided that I should hide a cache nearby to
commemorate the event.
Now, on to the puzzle:
After a more conventional dinner for two, 11 items are left on the
table. (A plate and the fork on it will be considered to be one
item, as will the salt shaker and all the grains of salt in it,
etc.) Your job is to draw 4 straight lines across the picture,
which divide it into 11 regions, each containing exactly one of the
items. (Note: The lines separate the items in the picture, not just
on the table. I.e. if the lines were drawn on the table, no part of
them would be hidden behind any items.)
The 4 lines meet the edge of the table in 8 points. Number the
points from 1 to 8, clockwise from the top (so point 1 is to the
right of the salad bowl). Then label each line by its
lowest-numbered point. For example, if a line passes through points
3 and 6, then that's line #3.
The coordinates of the cache are:
N 40º 44.ABC W 124º 11.DEF
where:
A is the sum of the numbers of the lines around the salt
shaker;
B is the product of the numbers of the lines around the salad
bowl;
C is the number of items to the right of line #4;
D is the number of lines that pass between the candle and the
flowers;
E is the sum of the numbers of the lines around the flowers;
F is the number of lines around the salt shaker.
Instead of printing the full color picture, you may prefer to
print the outline below; it's black and white and uses less
ink.
Thanks to Roamin Ronin and hidegoseek for pointing out
ambiguities in the original puzzle description. It's longer now; I
hope it's also clearer.
Added Sep. 11, 2006: You can check your answers for this puzzle
on
Geochecker.com.