"Where are we going?"
"We're going to Asgard, which rests on the banks of the
Yggdrasil, ruled over by Molthor, the Magnificent."
"Well that's great. I'm going to need a street name."
"It's 17 Crystal Lake
Court."
The Location
The cache not actually on the banks of the Yggdrasil or ruled
over by Molthor. However, it is on the banks of a river -- the
Patuxent, and it is ruled over by someone terrible -- the Crips, if
you believe the graffiti on the 7th Street Bridge. Furthermore, the
best way to get to it is from Pilgrim Avenue.
There are many signs of muggle activity in this area. I'm sure
anglers use this side of the river as much as the other during the
season. There's even a fire ring -- illegal, no doubt -- in the
middle of an ad hoc trail near the cache itself. I am also
serious about the graffiti. I did not see any near the cache site
itself, but there is plenty of gang-related graffiti on and near
the 7th Street Bridge as well as all over the park on the other
side of the river.
The Puzzle
Warm up your browsers and head to Wikipedia. It's time for a
quiz! All answers are numerical. Sum your answers to obtain a
number n.
The posted coordinates are not the actual coordinates. The real
coordinates are of the form N 39° 06.x W 076° 51.y.
To derive x and y:
- Divide n+914 by 1000. The remainder is x.
- Divide n+612 by 1000. The remainder is
y.
Stick to the plan!
Chocolate
Hernán Cortés is often cited as introducing chocolate to Europe
after his invasion of Mexico in 1519. He is not the first westerner
to bring chocolate home: that honor belongs to Christopher
Columbus. However, chocolate was not popularized until later.
I. On which voyage of Columbus' did he bring chocolate back to
Spain?
- 1492
- 1493
- 1498
- 1502
II. What year was the first commercial shipment of chocolate to
Europe?
Peanuts
Like the cacao pod, peanuts are another important New World
food. African American botanist George Washington Carver helped to
popularize peanut cultivation among poor farmers in the South
during the first half of the Twentieth Century.
III. George Washington Carver was asked by white Southern
peanut farmers to speak before Congress in favor of a peanut tariff
to help defend against low-price peanut imports from China. It was
very unusual for a black man to speak before Congress at the time,
and surprised Southern Congressmen mocked him for it. He was
initially given ten minutes to talk, but his allotment was extended
several times and he made a successful presentation. What year did
this happen?
IV. Often, merely giving standard food to malnourished children
is not enough to save their lives. To meet the need there is a
relatively new supplement called Plumpy'nut made with peanuts and
several other ingredients. Treatment with Plumpy'nut and another
enriched food called Unimix can cure malnourishment in two to four
weeks for roughly $20. About how many calories are in a single
sachet or cup of Plumpy'nut?
- 100
- 300
- 500
- 1000
Caramel
Caramel actually refers to two different confections. The first
is obtained by heating plain sugar above 170°C, where the sucrose
breaks down and forms dozens of volatile compounds. This process
creates a hard, brittle substance used in coloring and flavoring
many different foods. The other is created by cooking milk, sugar,
butter, and other ingredients to form soft caramel candy.
V. To what temperature are the ingredients of soft caramel
candy cooked?
- 100°F
- 212°F
- 232°F
- 338°F
VI. For this question, the number of the answer is the one you
should use in your sum. One of these sugars is not involved in the
production of soft caramel candy. Which one is it?:
- Galactose
- Sucrose
- Maltose
- Lactose
Nougat
Nougat as we know it from popular candy bars is not traditional
nougat as European confectioners make it. Real nougat is made
mostly with nuts, usually almonds. Candy bar nougat is sucrose and
corn syrup aerated with egg whites or hydrolized soya protein.
Yum.
VII. Almonds are an important ingredient in traditional nougat.
What percentage of Spanish Jijona turrón nougat must be
almond?
VIII. What year was the first American candy bar made with
nougat introduced with its current name?
- 1920
- 1921
- 1924
- 1932
Cache Contents
The cache container is a standard .50 caliber ammunition can,
and so can hold quite a bit. The initial contents are as
follows:
- One log book and two pens
- One deck of "Bee" brand cards
- Two dollar store animal toys, an elephant and a zebra
- Two short rolls of duct tape
- A package of pens
- One repair kit for eyeglasses
- One unregistered First-to-Find Geocoin
Check Your Answer
Check your answer at GeoChecker:
GC15KPC: 17 Crystal Lake Court
This cache is in a Howard County park, so please observe
all their regulations. Among other things, this means that the park
is closed between dusk and dawn. Thank you!