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Ground Zero and a Third Mystery Cache

Hidden : 2/10/2006
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

A simple combination of geometry and Ground Zero mystery caches. But due to groudspeak, not so simple anymore.

Completely rewritten because G®°und$pe@k can't seem to keep cordinates of fixed points permanently fixed in a database. Thank them for ruining this and many other similar puzzles. But there still is a part of this puzzle that you have to figure out and you have to then go to almost the coordinates you figure out (see the last paragraph for details on that).

This is the third, and last, of my tribute caches.

The listed coordinates are not for the cache but for a spot within a couple miles where you can get some good snacks.

If you have done any of the Ground Zero caches by Team Spoonhead, or Mcdyver adopted by Trail Buzzards, or BigRock95, then you know half of what you need to do to solve this puzzle. In your log DO NOT mention in any way, even encrypted, how you got your answer.

Now the other half of the puzzle. This cache is exactly (or very close to) one third of the way between the town that's north of my Gas Saver Candy Stop cache which has the same name as a famous Massachusetts university, and the town where my Quick Pit Stop Route 2 cache is located. Be careful in thinking what town that is, it is actually about due south of that pit stop. That town won't by your first choice or second choice, it's the third choice that also starts with the same letter as those other two choices. That's the third and last reference to the name of this cache, or is it actually the fourth? Ooh, these self-referential paradoxes give me headaches. Now do your math or plotting correctly or you might be frustrated out in the field where there are no caches of mine. Just to be helpful, you know that every minute of latitude is exactly the same but minutes of longitude are not right?

When you are near the cache site do not just park willy nilly perpendicular to the cache site on the road or you might come back to a wrecked car. Instead, there is a very nice parking area about 1000 feet east that can fit dozens of cars. Drive slow and keep your eyes open, it's about half way to a place where you might want to park but you can get closer. That parking area is possibly good all year round, but I wouldn't try parking there when there is a lot of snow unless you drive a Hummer or a Tank. In the winter, I guess you could be a Willy but the hike would be less rewarding and the next few paragraphs wouldn't make much sense to you.

You will know your on the right path if you can hear the sound of one hand giving yourself applause and possibly have some lambs be sure to follow you (but not actually). You will not have to stray ever expect right at the cache site itself. Just follow the blazes to the tee. I counted exactly 666 paces from the car to the cache, the number of you know who, but also the number if you add up all the Roman digits except the thousands, i.e. I+V+X+L+C+D but not M. And of course there is going to be a year 4K problem with Roman numerals. I did have to return a third time to make the hide a little better since I didn't have the resources on me at the time I planted it. There I go and break my word, well I just had to mention this.

The geometry of this cache is also a tribute to Pentagon and Arabicache by Team Spoonhead and Euclids Revenge by El Fago Baca,. But it's much much simpler. No, I have not yet visited the other Euclids puzzle or any of the puzzles by Geometry, what, does he have a hundred of them?

Even if it's buried by snow you should be able to see something to guide you, and if there is no snow it really blends is quite well. But the immediate area can be treacherous if you can't see your footing.

Now instead of as described above, go about 35 yards SSE from the big 20 foot dead tree at the trail tee, or perhaps 45 yards SE from your plotted or calculated coordinates. The trail tee should be visible except when there is a lot of snow since then people would probably not use the correct trail and use what I call the wiener or willie trail. This is in the direct opposite direction from where the cache was first placed. From the cache you can see that dead tree NNW and also a nice small wooden foot bridge SSW at about the same distance. There is a book of trails in this town (I'm not telling you what town) and it shows that this trail goes around a small pond. There are some large boulders at the cache site that might be hidden under snow so watch out with your footing if you visit during seasons where that would matter. Have fun.


Because of all this I've added the following. But the checker is for your calculation, the cache is where I describe in the last paragraph.

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

ok, because the last paragraph is too letterboxish and there are a lot of places the cache could be, here's a better description. offset from your calculation to the cache is -0.006n -0.031w

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

F'abj gebhoyr. Fgevat'f gur guvat.

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)