ALERT! Due to circumstances beyond my control, Episode 1 (Chop Suey), has been CANCELLED as of 8/11/01. The city removed the phone booth (including the audio prop) and with it one of the clues (phone #) that was necessary in order to determine the coordinates of Episode 2. The new coordinates listed above will take you directly to Episode 2, Ye Old Buckeye, where your adventure will begin.
This is a simple multi-stage cache in which you start by first going to the coordinates listed above. This location is called Episode Two (Episode one has been cancelled). From this point you will find clues that will lead you to Episode Three. At Episode Three you will look for a “deadly cache” containing additional instructions and the coordinates for the “super” cache, Episode Four. Additional clues can also be found throughout the story, so read closely. NOTE: For the latitude and longitude coordinates, you are solving “XXX” in all instances by entering the new value derived from the clues.
Total hiking distance is nearly 4 miles round trip with the majority of the hike in the shade. There are some elevation changes along the way (700’ ascent over 1.7 miles), but for the most part, the trails are moderately flat. However, the last 600’ or so, the trail is single track and at times you will have to scramble over rocky ground and boulders as you climb the last 300’ to the cache. Though probably not necessary, I found that my trekking pole came in handy (it also helps for poking around rocks looking for caches). Remember, this is rattlesnake country so use caution. The 3.5 terrain rating is mostly based on the last 600’ to the cache. Have fun, be safe and tread lightly when off-trail. The adventure begins…
Episode 1: Chop Suey (THIS EPISODE HAS BEEN CANCELLED)
After finishing a late lunch at your favorite Chinese restaurant (Photo #1), you walk across the street to your office (formerly the “Daily Planet”). Just as you sit down at your desk, your phone rings. “Daily Planet, Clark Kent speaking.” “Great Caesar’s Ghost Clark, where have you been?” It’s your boss, the irascible Perry White. “I’ve been calling for the last hour! Lois and Jimmy are in trouble and it looks like a job for Superman. Get a hold of him and have him meet me at the staging area at ‘Metropolis’ Regional Wilderness Park. You know the place; it’s just down the road from the little ranch where we have our yearly office picnic. HURRY, we don’t have much time left!” He hangs up before you can get a word in edgewise. You immediately jump up from your chair and bolt out the front door running towards the phone booth directly across the street. Once inside you strip off your suit, revealing your true identity. You’re about to fly off, when you realize that you don’t have the coordinates for the park.
Episode 2: Ye Old Buckeye (Start your adventure with this Episode by going to the coordinates listed at the top of the cache page)
While making your approach to the park, you can see Perry White, wearing a corduroy coat, standing next to a garbage can underneath a Buckeye tree (Photo # 2). You also see some sort of dispenser next to the garbage can and that he’s also holding a piece of paper in his hand. As you land, Perry runs over to you. “Superman, I’m glad Clark got you the message.” You grin. “Lex Luthor, Earth’s most evil scientist, kidnapped Lois and Jimmy and has them at his secret mountain top laboratory. He says that he’s going to kill them if I don’t squash Lois’s story about him wasting electricity at his laboratory. I told him that it’s too late since the presses have already started to roll.” You look north towards a distant mountaintop and upon focusing your super vision, you see that Lois and Jimmy are tied to some railroad tracks. (Photo #3) A short distance away from them you view Luthor, your archenemy, standing on a rocky ledge (Photo #4). You see that he’s smiling as he looks down upon Lois and Jimmy, who are franticly struggling to free themselves. “I’ll see what I can do Mr. White, but I’m not familiar with these mountains.” “I know Superman, take this.” You look down as he hands you a trail map of the area. You quickly study it, and since it’s a warm day, you decide to start your journey by flying in the shade of the trees along side of the creek…“Up! Up! And away!” As Perry watches you soar towards the mountains, he remembers something that Luthor had said and yells out to you, “Be careful Superman, Luthor has set a deadly trap for you!” But you’re too far away to hear his warning…
Clues for Episode 3 coordinates:
1.) Find the “Mutt Mit” dispenser and subtract 1494 from the year of its copy write (©). Enter this new value to latitude N37° 49.XXX.
2.) Find the phone number appearing on the brown “Dog Rules” sign, and divide its last 4 digits by the total number of trash containers in the staging area. Subtract 220 from that value and enter the new value to longitude W 122° 3.XXX.
You will find the deadly trap at these new coordinates.
Episode 3: The Deadly Trap
A few minutes pass when you near a mountaintop and see in the distance an approaching train. You look towards the northeast and see that Lois and Jimmy are only a short distance away. Suddenly you loose your super-powers and can no longer fly. As you plunge helplessly towards Earth, the branches of a large oak tree cushion your fall as you come crashing to the ground. Stunned, you lie there momentarily under the shade of a grove of oak trees. When you start to get up, you become dizzy and collapse to the ground. You try once more, and again you collapse…lying powerlessly on the ground. It’s then that you realize what is happening! You muster all your strength and begin to gradually crawl towards the source of your demise. Moments later you find it and read the handwritten note…
1.WARNING! Once you locate the “deadly cache”, you must follow exactly the instructions contained in the “secret” handbook. If you fail to do so, you will be unable to continue towards Episode 4.
Episode 4:The Rescue
“Whew,” you say with relief, “That was really close,” as you pick yourself up from the ground and brush the oak leaves from your Superman suit. “I need to hurry,” you say as you swiftly rise into the sky above the treetops. You focus your super vision and spot Lois and Jimmy on the tracks near a bench at the top of the mountain (Photo #5). Just then you hear the whistle and see the smoke from a fast approaching train. As you draw near, Lois and Jimmy catch sight of you and call out, “It’s Superman!” With a look of shock, Luthor curses and darts out of sight, into the shadows of his secret laboratory. Within seconds you land at the base of a fallen tree and while reaching down to release Lois and Jimmy from their bindings; you hear the deafening screech of train brakes behind you…
Will Superman succeed in rescuing Lois and Jimmy from their crushing fate? Will he capture Luthor and unearth his secret laboratory before it zaps millions of much needed megawatts from the homes and businesses of Metropolis? And will Superman, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, continue on to fight his never-ending battle for “truth, justice and the American way?”
Stay tuned for Episode 5, The Cache Postings, to find out!
Note: There is no need to bushwhack to find the final cache. Just follow the various paths off of the main trail that wind through the brush.
The multi-colored cache container is about 8” x 6” x 3” deep and is concealed in a camouflaged-zipper bag. The initial contents were:
- Log book (#2)
- Lois Lane, Jimmy Olson and Lex Luthor
- Kal-El’s rocket ship (Kal who?)
- A speeding bullet
- A powerful locomotive
- Tall buildings
- World Peace pin (from Small Joy’s cache)
- World puzzle
- American flag bandanna
- Misc. stars and planets
- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place ribbons for the first three “Superpersons” to rescue Lois & Jimmy.