Visitor's Center Cache Mystery Cache

The coordinates will take you to the Mohonk Preserve Visitor's Center building. The cache is hidden not far from the parking lot of the Visitor's Center. Once you solve the puzzle, it should be a fast grab and go. There is only room for a log in the cache container - bring your own writing instrument.

You don't need to buy a day pass to visit to this beautiful building, which houses a Nature Shop, Kid's Discovery Corner, interactive computer stations, an exhibit on the building's green design, and The Shawangunk Ridge Topographical Model, a three-dimensional, 52-square foot facsimile of the ridge. You can ask at the desk for trail suggestions and directions. Outside, there are short self-guiding nature trails, a butterfly garden, and a children's forest to explore.

Take a look at the Visitor's Center building. It was built in 1998 and has been awarded two green design awards: the international Excellence in Sustainable Design Award, and the Building with Trees Award of Excellence. As you will notice when entering, two-thirds of the building was built into the slope in order to minimize the visual impact, to better use the heating and cooling energy of the earth, and to minimize wind impact. The exterior stone of the building is aligned to give the impression that it came right out of the earth. To avoid wasted energy used to harvest, refine and transport other highly manufactured products, local and natural building materials were used - and recycled materials were used wherever possible. The majority of the stone is the same as what is found on the ridge, old millstones discovered elsewhere on the Preserve were worked into the design, and 14 of the 20 mature oak trees that were cleared for the footprint were used as major structural columns, finished by hand. 300 year old recycled Douglas Fir timbers were used for structural trusses. The building uses a passive solar design and a geothermal system for heating and cooling.

For the coordinates of the cache, please answer the following questions based on the description above and what you can find on the internet.

A: What kind of materials were used for the trusses?

1. Pine
2. Douglas Fir
3. Oak
4. steel beams

B: Which environmentally friendly design is not in the visitor's center?

1. composting toilets
2. geothermal heating and cooling
3. minimal impact on the surrounding forest
4. passive solar heating

C: What facilities are not available at the Visitor's Center?

1. Nature Trails
2. Children's Discovery Area
3. Snack bar
4. Gifts

D: What road is the Visitor's Center on?

1. Route 44
2. Route 55
3. Route 299
4. Route 44/55

Take the results of the quiz and fill in the blanks to get the coordinates:

N41 4D.05D W074 1B.CA8

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

When you search for the cache, be gentle on the environment and leave no trace. Please re-hide the cache well and use stealth, this is a busy area, especially on nice-weather weekends.

Some of the text in the description came from informational material about the Visitor's Center and has been used with permission from the Mohonk Preserve.