CACHERS SEEKING THIS ONE MUST BRING A FRESH 9V BATTERY WITH THEM (the typical square ones used in smoke detectors). Also, please be advised that the puzzle and course have been changed as of 4/5/2012. If you have not solved the puzzle since then, you will have to re-do it.
This cache can be found during the day or at night as orange fire tacks have been placed at each waypoint. However, if you decide to seek this one during the evening hours, please be aware that there is a house on either side of the trailhead, so please be conscientious and use a modicum of common sense when going past them. There is a sign near the trailhead indicating that the woods are available for overnight camping or for evening "picnicking", though I personally doubt that many people have ever done this. There will be some bushwhacking involved through soft-ish (but not wet) ground, and through moderate vegetation, so dress appropriately and be sure to check for ticks when you're done. The whole course should take about 45 minutes to complete.
BACKGROUND
Princ3ss has logged over 100 FTFs (First To Finds) since her geocaching career started on May 25th, 2006; defining her as an FTF hound by pretty much anyone’s standards. At the time of this writing, she had just surpassed 2200 finds, which means a lot of log entries. Log entries are like minnie-diaries of people’s caching experiences. And here, you are offered a puzzle cache, in which you will have to do some simple research into Princ3ss’ log entries and find numbers for questions A-Z (clicking the links at each question will bring you to the appropriate log, or at least pretty close to it). There are three waypoints you will need to find, including the final. Please start at the trailhead located at: N 42° 39.690 W 071° 12.612 so as not to inadvertently trespass on private property. OK, you’re on your way !
THE COURSE:
Ninja Training W.P. #1
We first took notice of Princ3ss' exploits and her log entries after Ninja Bruno placed several caches around the Methuen area designed to physically challenge cachers - called "Ninja Training" caches. These usually involved climbing up vines, up trees that extended out over water, or other similar obstacles. If quicksand is ever found locally, Ninja Bruno will hang a cache over it. In most instances, cachers exert themselves a bit, make the find and are on their way. In other cases, people like the Haveroods and Greystones, fabricate specialized tools to retrieve the cache without the need to leave the ground – very clever and quite ninja-like if you ask me. You might want to contemplate their cleverness as you go for this waypoint.
Find Princ3ss’s Lost Phone W.P. #2
On November 9, 2008, Princ3ss was seeking "Milk Street Micro" late in the afternoon when she realized that she lost her cell phone somewhere in the swampy woods that she was just in. Fortunately, she recovered it after going back in the dark while dialing her own number in hopes of seeing that familiar cell phone glow or hearing it’s faint ring tone. This waypoint recreates the search for Princ3ss’ “missing cell phone”. The phone has the coordinates to the final. You are looking for an ammo box that has been secured to the underside of a downed log and is about 3 feet off the ground. There are two inputs for a 9V battery. You can use either one, the second one is installed as a back-up. You'll have to figure out what to do from there. If you can't find Princ3ss' phone for some reason, I have attached a tag to the inside lid of the ammo can with the next set of coords, but they are encrypted using the answers from the puzzle below so don't forget to bring the answers with you just in case.
The Final – W.P. #3
As in W.P. #2, this ammo can is mounted in place; just open the can where it sits. The basic premise here is that many people love geocaching. Some people like to chalk up FTFs and many become quite competitive in adding yet another notch to their holsters – even if it means going out after another FTF in the dark. How far do you think you would go for a FTF? I don’t think there would be much that would stop Princ3ss, but she is only one of many in the cast of characters that enjoy this game and I have always been intrigued at the race that takes place in the first few days after a cache has been published. After finding the final, you are invited to check out a travel bug called "Cast of Characters", which is affixed to this cache. The travel bug page contains spoiler photos and video, so please wait until you've done the cache before looking at it. Unfortunately, there is no room for more travel bugs, so please treat this as a "log-only" cache.
THE PUZZLE OF PRINC3SS DIARIES:
Answer the questions from A-Z and bring a copy of these answers with you to do the cache: you will need them.
Solve for WP1:
ME° LA.NIE RO° CK.SGC
A): It’s always good to start at the beginning. "Salem Firehouse - Hose 2" was Princ3ss's first official find and she lists someone who was with her. How many letters are in this other cacher's name: __ = A.
B): In "Buckshot or Blueberries" , Princ3ss talks about rhododendron bushes, blueberries and lady slippers. How many white lady slippers did she find: __ = B.
C): In "Bring Your Codebook", how many antlers did Princ3ss lose (no, I’m not kidding): __ = C.
D): In "Happy Ever After Livery: A Fismo Fete", Princess posted two pics. One was of a raptor and the other was of her “trusty steed.” What color harness is her trusty steed wearing: __ = D.
Answer 3 if it is Blue.
Answer 5 if it is Orange.
Answer 9 if it is Girly Pink.
Answer 2 if it is Brown.
E): "1K for #1batman" is the first FTF that Princ3ss claims. She also indicates which find number this is for her, what is the last digit of this three digit number: ___ = E.
F): Read over the log entry for "Elks Playground (Nashua Parks)". Princ3ss describes muggles she encountered, saying in part: __ = F.
Answer 6 if: “they were fishing, , , “
Answer 1 if: “He pulled over & whipped out a gun, , , “
Answer 2 if: “I waited her out and pretended to be on the phone.”
Answer 4 if: “I couldn’t wait to get to my next FTF and so just ignored them and went for the cache.”
G): "free bird" is a cache located in this same piece of woods. Its owner has now passed and it is out of respect for "de-man" that I include the link to the cache page itself for you to read ("F" for free bird). The cache is maintained by his brother Rambler Too and by fellow Geocachers. Princ3ss logged a find on April 27th, 2007. She writes that she was puffing when she arrived at which waypoint: __ = G.
H): In "Tree and Gas Saver" Princ3ss was which number cacher to find the cache at her “new puppie’s first hunt”: __ = H.
I): How many wild turkeys did Princ3ss see at the final of "Pericles, Prince Of Tyre": __ = I.
J): "North Carolina's" entry describes yet another Princ3ss FTF hunt. She writes (and I really want you to THINK about how badly she must have wanted that FTF once she set her mind to it): __ = J.
Answer 2 if she drove across town on a flat tire.
Answer 6 if she drove into the garage door, but just kept going to the cache site, so that she could still make FTF.
Answer 1 if she broke her ankle while traversing a stone wall, but dragged herself to the ammo can just to make sure she would beat the Haveroods to FTF.
Answer 3 if she passed a sickly nun, who broke down on the side of the road and looked desperate to get to a pharmacy to fill her life-saving prescription.
K): On Christmas Day, Princ3ss logged a find on "50 States Geocaching Series - Hawaii" . Perform the following math ( it helps to cut and past the whole entry to a word document, then go to edit > find, put the desired word into the text box, check the “highlight all items found in” box and click “find all” or “find next” ).
Take the number of times the word “cache” appears in her log (including the plural - chaches), add the number of times the word “puppy” appears, now divide this by the number of times the word “Princ3ss” appears and finally subtract how many times the word " Christmas " appears. So: [ (cache+puppy) divided by Princ3ss ] - Christmas = K
L): Car troubles were responsible for a “ranting” log at "Pandora's Really Little Box". How many different towns are mentioned in this log: __ = L.
M): In "Don't Be Stumped!" Princ3ss describes which day her birthday falls on. What is this day of the month: __ = M.
N): In "Six Of Hearts" Princ3ss describes being mauled by how many muddy wet dogs: __ = N.
O): In "Coyote Hill" Princ3ss described a “fierce watchdog”. What was it: __ = O.
Answer 7 if it was a mini-pinscher.
Answer 1 if it was a toad.
Answer 8 if it was a hawk.
Answer 0 if it was a queen bee.
P): Princ3ss describes an event in her log for "Mr Humphries Quarry". Was it that: __ = P.
Answer 6 if she got a flat tire.
Answer 3 if she got stung by bees.
Answer 1 if she saw a naked man on the side of a quarry.
Answer 8 if she couldn’t take her eyes off the naked man she saw on the side of a quarry.
Q): How many queens are mentioned in the log from "Sorceress Melina's Book of Secrets": __ = Q.
R): The royal keys were left at the cache site of "Trompe L'Oeil". Who was FTF at this cache: __ = R.
Answer 7 if it was LandRocket .
Answer 2 if it was the That's A Given .
Answer 7 if it was Mountain_Wanderer .
Answer 9 if it was CayenneTS.
S): Princ3ss photographed an otter sunning himself in "Black Brook Cache". In this pic, what was it surrounded by: __ = S.
Answer 6 if it was cattail heads.
Answer 1 if it was seagulls.
Answer 4 if it was rocks.
Answer 7 if it was clam shells.
T): Bright Shining Stars placed a cache called "0 --> 1000 in 23 months... YEAH PRINC3SS!!!!". In her log, she thanks someone for introducing her to geocaching. Was it: __ = T.
Answer 8 if it was Team Bullis .
Answer 5 if it was RJB43NH.
Answer 6 if it was Still_Avatar .
Answer 7 if it was ChiefKJB .
U): On September 7th, 2008, Princ3ss describes an outing with 76-CJ7 at the "P&S #12" cache. What color marker does she have around her neck: __ = U.
Answer 1 if Blue.
Answer 3 if Green.
Answer 7 if Orange.
Answer 8 if Black.
V): In the log for "The Stone is Grey", how many rectangular stones does Princ3ss ask about.
W): On January 4th, 2009, Princess logged her find on "Mission Impossible", where she was part of a group of cachers. The Haveroods were also there. Read over their log and fill in the missing information:
“We took the long way around from Bachelor Street to the back side of Ash Street and arrived X X minutes late and with PRINC3SS and ChiefKJB waiting at the trailhead. We begged forgiveness, as we know it's not nice to keep a PRINC3SS waiting!”
Add the two digits together to answer W.
X): "Taekwondo History" marks what I think is an unbelievable effort on Princess’ part and highlights not only her drive to find caches and be FTF if possible, but also demonstrates her insight into the intricacies of GPS navigation and geocaching. When this puzzle cache was first published, there was an error in how one of the questions was worded. The incorrect coordinates placed Princess and a coworker ½ mile away from the cache and on the wrong side of the Merrimack River ! Guess who still found the cache and made FTF that very afternoon in spite of this obstacle: __ = X.
Answer 1, there’s no point in even suggesting anyone else for this.
Y): How many cachers came to Princess’s aid to tell her that she was looking in the wrong spot at "Old Walking Path": __ = Y.
Z): At "Welcome to Methuen", Princ3ss found that she didn’t have a pen and says: __ = Z.
Answer 0 if she took a pic of the cache in lieu of signing the log.
Answer 4 if she signed the log using a dirty stick.
Answer 7 if she found the pen in her pocket after all.
Answer 1 if she would have signed the log in blood if need be.
Check your solution for the coordinates to get you to WP1: http://www.geochecker.com/index.php?code=4df8b2ceab81de64514c28fd27e883f1&action=check&wp=4743315056374a&name=5072696e633373732044696172696573
Congratulations to Princ3ss on her 100 FTFs and to all who successfully find this cache !