Lucky Sevens Multi-Cache

So I'm sort of this numbers geek... I've always noticed interesting patterns in numbers: phone numbers, my car's odometer, fun dates, etc. When I realized that 07/07/07 was coming up, I saw the opportunity to place my very first cache.

The spirit of this cache is SEVENS. It was placed in a city which is measured approximately seven miles by seven miles during the seventh minute of the seventh hour after noon of the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the current millennium(or: 07/07/07 @ 07:07PM). Although the hike is less than seven miles, there are seven major steps to follow, which will carry cachers through seven locations, where they will seek out different iterations of sevens to solve the puzzles. And although I have considered, since deciding to make this my FIRST cache, that maybe I should quickly place six others so that this can be my SEVENTH cache, it turns out my obsessiveness expires about seven inches shy of that - even to my own surprise.

Altogether, the hike is ~4miles. Therefore, I personally recommend this be done on wheels - preferably automated wheels, as some of the terrain is a bit hilly and I am extraordinarily lazy. In car or using transit, I'd rate the terrain ~2. Entirely on foot, I'd have to rate the terrain ~4.5, if only because of a couple sorta long distances and (I feel) treacherous hills I ask you to attempt. There is at least one portion where, if you are not already in some form of motorized vehicle, I *strongly* urge you to consider public transportation. It's not impossible to hike - I'm a big baby when it comes to inclines (can ya tell?), and I was able to handle it - but just so you know: it's no quick or easy walk. But it will be worth it!

You might want to get a copy of the SF Bike/Walking Map if you're not going to be driving. SUPER helpful. And they even offer a free PDF version for download!

If you decide to drive or take transit, I would recommend doing steps 1-3, then 4-5, and then 6-7 in batches between assisted transit. Additionally, if you are driving, for ease of return to your vehicle, I recommend parking west/northwest of the initial coordinates, west/northwest of the fourth set of coordinates, and south/southwest of the sixth set of coordinates.

But here's what you'll get at each of the stages of my epic journey:

1. easy and interesting starting point, very transit friendly
2. place for sandwiches, salads, and desserts
3. awesome piece of little known san francisco artwork
4. purdy park, famous landmark(s)
5. three places to eat, drink, and be merry (or mary, if you prefer)
6. culture
7. FUN while you find your booty in a place where i almost never run into anyone!

You will need at very least a printout of the puzzle and worksheet, along with some kind of writing instrument. If you have a way to run a Perl program in the field, you can use this handy perl script I wrote to easily convert words into numerical values using my letter/number key. You will almost certainly find a calculator to be helpful as well, as there are a number of cases where the calculations get a bit large. Don't forget PEMDAS -- the correct order of mathematical operations -- and to be careful with your variable substitution! I substituted incorrect values a couple times when I went through to verify my math. Because of all the calculations I ask you to compute, and the multiple locations you have to visit, I rate the overall difficulty 4.

Are you ready?

1. First, since it's no mystery where you are when this adventure starts, I would like to invite you to read the inscription on the statue located at N37 46.805, W122 24.813 before you begin. It's strangely inspiring, despite its foundation having been turned on its head some time in early 2003, and is where I originally wanted to begin our little adventure so that I could share a nugget of education with you.

   Once you're done there, or if you'd prefer to just move right along, you will find a number of flagpoles surrounding the given coordinates. Some of them are on buildings - you can ignore those. Others are on the ground. Some of the ones on the ground are short - you can ignore those as well. And then one set of poles is taller than all the rest. Count the tallest poles on the ground. You should have a number greater than 10. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number (ie: 38 flagpoles = 8 - 3 = 5) and assemble your next set of coordinates.

2. If you are facing south in the correct location, you should now be looking at what I think is a great place for a quick lunch. I can't say any more than that in the cache description without invalidating it, but please ask me for recommendations if you're interested. :)

   In any case, find the magic seven digit identification number for this business (disregarding the three digit final routing tag), aggregate the value, and assemble your next set of coordinates.

3. MID POINT PUZZLE ADVENTURE!
   

   This is one of the two main places I wanted to bring cachers on this adventure - the final destination being the second. I invite you to explore a little more widely than the solution requires you to, as there are a few additional fun things to see here (tip: I strongly recommend hopscotching across as you ascend).

   I happened to find this little treasure one afternoon while walking along the main street, and have since introduced it to no less than a dozen SF natives. It's super awesome in all its subtlty, and just one of the reasons why I love this city so much.

   At each location, aggregate the sum of the seventh word you find to generate the next set of coordinates. This is the midpoint puzzle adventure as there are seven discrete sets of coordinates you must assemble and visit to complete and progress to the next stages.

   There is a bus line that will take you almost directly to your next set of coordinates just a couple blocks south of where you complete the final set of coordinates in this section.

4. Here you see a fancy San Francisco landmark which you've almost no doubt seen somewhere before - whether or not you realize it. While this is generally referred to as a set of six, I'm stretching and observing it as a set of seven (work with me here, finding all these interesting sets or occurrences of sevens within a certain radius and making them function together was not easy). Aggregate the three digit identification number on the center unit of the group and assemble your next set of coordinates.

5. Here you should find a breakfast restaurant. Find the price of the seventh item down on the only portion of the menu with seven items in the window of the breakfast place (only one column has seven items in it - use the clue if you need help), and sum the values across (ie: $2.19 = 2+1+9 = 12) to assemble the next set of coordinates.

   If I were you and I had been hiking until now, I'd *definitely* be getting on MUNI at this point. The line that you need to take runs 24 hours a day, and will drop you off almost exactly where you need to be for the next stage - trust, especially given all the walking you've done so far, you will be happy you did this. You can walk it if you like - they're your hiking boots after all - but I wouldn't. Don't say you weren't warned.

6. Here you will find photos and a plaque. You can do one of two things: either aggregate the sum of all numbers in the seventh paragraph on the plaque or count the number of persons in photo number seven and use that value (which is the same) to assemble the next set of coordinates.

7. Welcome to your final stage. I have lots of good news for you. First: no more math! YAY! Second: FUN! Woo hoo! Check out this fancy adult size toy that one of my SF native friends showed me a couple years ago at the "extra" coordinates. Third: BOOTY! Find your cache!

   Enjoy.

   If you have driven yourself from the last set of coordinates and are approaching from the south, kudos to you, the rest should be cake. I encourage you, however, to travel first to the alternate coordinates I have you calculate to enjoy the fun that is to be had there. If you only come to seek out the cache, you might not enjoy the full benefit of why I've brought you here, and that really would be a tragedy - both for you and for me.

   If you are walking from the last location and are coming at this from the north, well, all I can say is that I'm sorry, cuz it's just up and up and then more up for you at this point. But hey, you knew what you were getting into, and at least you have to pass by the alternate coordinates on the way to find the cache, making the fun all that much easier for you to have. See? There is a silver lining. And you thought this was all pain.

   Once you've taken a moment to forget that you're an adult (assuming of course that you are an adult to begin with), you should find a .30 cal ammo can stashed nearby the real coordinates. I'm not sure that the extra cover is necessary, but please reapply anyway. I certainly will whenever I visit.

Seven lucky first, second, and third place cachers will have their pick of some fancy stuff I've been purchasing during manic episodes over the last few weeks!!! (That's 21 for those of you who weren't paying attention.) These are prizes, and do not require a trade (tho, please feel free, if you are so inclined).

At least seven subsequent cachers will also have a nice smattering of bits to pick through for trade.

I would also like to send special prizes to the seven-squared, seven cubed, and seven-to-the-seventh cachers to locate Lucky Sevens, so numbers 49, 343, and 823543, please make sure to let me know who you are. ;)

And finally, once all the initial contents have been savagely picked through -- the can was pretty full of stuff when I first stuck it out there -- I will most likely return to the cache to start seven personal traveling items - coins or other trackable objects - to try and maintain the cache's virility.

[ For the record, we super-ultra-megamega-doublesnaps LOVE LOVE LOVE travelers in this cache, so bring 'em on!!! ]

Finally - to kick the seven ton dead whale seven feet farther down the seven mile beach - the prize bank MAY be replenished seven weeks and/or seven months and/or seven years after the installation date. Who knows? Maybe. It'll all depend on how frequently the cache is sought and whether or not it gets raided, I suppose. ;)

On with the quest!

Use the following key for letter calculation:
1 = AHOV
2 = BIPW
3 = CJQX
4 = DKRY
5 = ELSZ
6 = FMT
7 = GNU
EXAMPLE:
packetfairy = 2+1+3+4+5+6+6+1+2+4+4 = 38
geocoin = 7+5+1+3+1+2+7 = 26

Or use this crappy but effective perl script if you can.

randy4fun and Team 5-12