GAMER'S QUEST 1: Not Out Of The QUESTion Multi-Cache

At the coordinates for each of the first 3 stages, there will be no physical caches but you'll need to answer questions about your surroundings to decode the coordinates of the next stage. Stages 1 and 2 will each take you to a different park located in the southern part of Miami; Stage 3 takes place in the same park at which the final cache (Stage 4) is located. Note that some driving will be required, so plan for a good hour or two to complete this quest. The terrain at the first two stages is single-star easy; the terrain at the third and fourth stages is 2.5-star easy-to-moderate. At the final stage is a medium-sized lock-n-lock container with some swag: the original contents of this replacement cache (as of 4/24/22) include a racquetball, a golf ball, a Hot Wheels car and a Star Wars toy/figure.

STAGE 1:
The posted coordinates will take you to a popular Miami park at which several other physical caches have been hidden by other Geocachers. The park features two lakes (one with a beach), some great nature trails, picnic tables, and more. Once you've reached the posted coordinates, you'll need to answer the following three questions:

A. What is the first name of the person who, years ago, apparently thought it okay to inappropriately announce her name to the world?

B. What is the first initial of the last name of that person?

C. On what object did you find that information?

To change the answers for A, B, and C into numbers, use the following conversion table:

FOR NAMES: I/J = 0, A/D = 1, E/G = 2, P/R = 3, B/C = 4, H/M = 5, K/L = 6, N/S = 7, T/Z = 8, U/W = 9

FOR OBJECTS: H/K = 0, A/B = 1, C/G = 2, M/P = 3, N/S = 4, B/I = 5, F/L = 6, R/Y = 7, D/W = 8, E/T = 9

To determine the coordinates for stage 2, fill in the missing information:
25 _ _ . _ _ _ (fill in the blanks with the decoded numeric answers to Questions B and C)
80 _ _ . _ _ _ (fill in the blanks with the decoded numeric answer to Question A)

STAGE 2:
The coordinates you obtained at stage 1 will take you to a small community park. Parking for the park is just around the corner as you enter the community. Once you've reached the appropriate coordinates, you'll need to solve the following two puzzles:

D. As you look toward the playground from where you are standing, what are the colors of the five houses you can see to the east of the parking area, going from left to right?

To change the answers for D into numbers, use the following conversion table: Red = 0, Blue = 1, Gold OR a-slightly-deeper-shade-of-yellow-that-the-other-house-that-you-already-labeled-as-yellow = 2, White/Off-White, Gray OR Silver = 3, Yellow = 4, Pink OR Cremey-Orange = 5, Black = 6, Green = 7, Transparent = 8, Polka-dotted = 9

E. Nearby, you will see a set of 5 metal objects. Standing behind them and working from left to right, answer the following questions:

SET 1: What is the 2nd digit in the "date manufactured"?

SET 2: What is the 4th digit in the "date manufacturered"?

SET 3: What is the 2nd digit in the address?

SET 4: What is the 4th digit in the serial number?

SET 5: What is the 5th digit in the serial number?

To determine the coordinates for stage 3, fill in the missing information:

80 _ _ . _ _ _ (fill in the blanks with the answers to question E)

STAGES 3 & 4:
The coordinates you obtained at stage 2 will take you to a very beautiful park that features a great nature trail with a number of cool sinkholes and solution holes. When the park is closed, you can park outside the gate and visit by foot until dark.

Here the quest departs from the original version in a major way. No bushwhacking is required throughout the entire hike to Stage 3...just follow the trail. You do NOT---repeat, NOT---need to go to the exact coordinates you obtained at Stage 2. That would involve significant bushwhacking, which was one of the problems with the original location of the final cache. DO NOT BUSHWHACK...protect the plantlife! (However, DO pay attention to the signs you see en route to Stage 3.) When you near the coordinates, you will be passing what may be the coolest solution hole you'll ever see. As I understand it, decades ago moonshiners hid their stills in this solution hole, and while the moonshiners have long since departed, the man-made step-like slope into the hole remains intact. We've visited this hole a few times and have loved it...it's just SO cool, and I couldn't resist making our first cache take you to this park and this particular attraction.

After you've finished exploring the hole (if you choose to), imagine that you are taking a look at the sign just outside the solution hole. It's currently missing...the park eventually will replace it, but it apparently disappeared within the last couple of years. However, the sign is the next number AFTER the numbered sign-post that you passed along the way to this solution hole, so you can easily extrapolate what the next number would be...and the colors on both signs would be the same. So imagine the signpost here. Your imagination shows you that it's a number...a "hiking waypoint," so to speak. This envisioned signpost will give you the information you need to get to Stage 4.

To change the coordinates that led you here to the true final coordinates, do the following:.

For the final North coordinates, look at the color surrounding the number on the signpost, along the edges. Subtract the number corresponding to that color from the previously-obtained North coordinates: Red/Orange = 25, Dark Blue = 132, Polka-dotted rainbow colors = 255, Green/Turquoise = 41, Yellow = 98, Pink = 5, Black = 166, Gray = 77, White = 88, Brown = 319

For the final West coordinates, reverse the numbers on that envisioned signpost and add the result to the previously-obtained West coordinates.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This cache may contain a playing card and a die, both glued to the inside of the container. IF THEY ARE THERE, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THESE ITEMS! They are clues to Gamer's Quest 10, a puzzle cache published on April 18, 2008.