X Marks The Spot 2: For Those Who Walk In Darkness Mystery Cache
X Marks The Spot 2: For Those Who Walk In Darkness
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Cache is not at the posted location.
A multi-step puzzle cache in honor of local military and civil servicemen who walk in harm's way to protect others.
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The posted location was picked based on the location's resemblence to my favorite letter, you probably won't even need to zoom to see it, it's that big. Yes, I know what it is, but at this angle? ;)
This cache is in honor of the local military and civil serviceman who walk in harm's way to protect others. Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day are both later this month, and this memorial park will be full of observances on those weekends if you would like to visit then, and again on the July 4th weekend. It truly gets crowded, but since all but the final cache are virtual waypoints, you CAN do this on a busy day here.
The waypoints will take you to specific memorials around the park you might otherwise miss, in order by the time periods they observe. It is a small enough park to make this a walk-around day (given that it is a partially sloped park), mostly wheelchair accessible but not entirely so (and not at all for the first waypoint, sorry), and nearly the entire circuit is also driveable if there is not a large crowd for an observance in the park that day.
All of the roads within this park appear on my old TomTom GPS that I've never updated the maps on, so you may have some nice direct routing software already available to you as well if you have an auto nav GPS unit.
Please note the limited hours of the park for visiting the virtual waypoints (below), but the final cache location has been chosen to be accessible 24/7. Of course, you'll have difficulty parking outside normal hours.
Excerpted from their website (visit link) "You are also welcome to visit our park any day of the week, year-round, during public visiting hours 7 AM to dusk every day." I have gotten locked in there (oops), you have to wait til security comes and lets you out! So don't rush this one before sunset, since 'dusk' is a mushy definition of closing time. ;)
Out of respect for the deceased, no physical caches are in the park itself, and no dates or names of any people living or dead will be used as clues. So as to minimize intrusion to the greatest extent, the final physical cache is a nano.
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WP1: Go to the posted coords for the cache, this is WP1. You are not looking for a headstone, but instead a round cement marker about 6" across, marked with an 'X'. There are four different three-digit numbers on that marker, you need the largest of them, let's call this 'A'. After this, all the virtual waypoints will be at monuments, but I had to take advantage of an actual 'X' directly in the center of the big 'X' on the sat photo! ;)
To find the coordinates for WP2:
1) Subtract 13 from A, then divide by 14. Subtract this from the lowest digits of the latitude of the previous waypoint.
2) Add 11 to A, then divide by 2. Add this to the lowest digits of the longitude of the previous waypoint.
You can check your answers for WP2 on Geochecker.com: (visit link)
WP2: Here is a monument awesome in scope and history...the quotes at the bottom are thought-provoking. At this monument, count the number of letters in the last name of the man quoted on the north side of the monument. Or the south side, for that matter, the answer is the same. Call this number 'B'.
To find the coordinates for WP3:
1) Multiply B by 8, then add 4. Add this to the lowest digits of the latitude of the previous waypoint.
2) Multiply B by 58, then subtract 1. Subtract this from the lowest digits of the longitude of the previous waypoint.
You can check your answers for WP3 on Geochecker.com: (visit link)
WP3: This monument appears to be for a particular branch of the service, and the dates span a few wars, as you will see. On the side of this sculpture there is a two-digit number, below the name of the sculptor, above the year it was created. You need this two-digit number. Call this number 'C'.
To find the coordinates for WP4:
1) Add 1 to C, then divide by 4. Subtract this from the lowest digits of the latitude of the previous waypoint.
2) Multiply C by 2, then subtract 23. Add this to the lowest digits of the longitude of the previous waypoint.
You can check your answers for WP4 on Geochecker.com: (visit link)
WP4: This monument is almost more heartbreaking than the others, considering what it commemorates. Civil servants killed in the line of duty are honored here, as well as every citizen impacted by an event that changed our country as deeply as another event 60 years before. On the east side of this monument is a relief sculpture of these civil servants protecting and helping people. How many people total are shown in this depiction? You will need this number. Call this number 'D'.
To find the coordinates for WP5:
1) Multiple D by 3, then subtract 7. Subtract this number from the lowest digits of the latitude of the previous waypoint.
2) Multiple D by itself. Then subtract this from the lowest digits of the longitude of the previous waypoint.
You can check your answers for WP5 on Geochecker.com: (visit link)
WP5: Here is a stunning monument and sculpture, honoring in particular the first local military service member killed in a particular conflict. On the back of the monument in his honor is a quotation. Count the words in this quotation, you will need this. Call this number 'E'.
To find the coordinates for final cache location:
1) Multiply E by 6, then subtract 2. Subtract this number from the lowest digits of the latitude of the previous waypoint.
2) Add 1 to E, then divide by 5. Add this number to the lowest digits of the longitude of the previous waypoint.
You can check your answers for the final cache location on Geocaching.com: (visit link)
Final Cache Location: This location was chosen to ensure the cache is available 24/7, NOT near any resting places, and gives you a plausible reason for being there. Please exercise stealth when searching and retrieving, you should have enough cover to be successful, but be sure you are not observed by people within the structure nearby.
Did I mention it's a nano?
Congrats to camsoradap and silent confusion on the FTF! :D (And mpulele, thanks for correcting my math! ;)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ol gur jnl, guvf unf abguvat gb qb jvgu gur pnpur, ohg Gubfr Jub Jnyx Va Qnexarff jnf nyfb gur gvgyr bs n abiry ol Wbua Evqyrl, fubjvat na nygreangr shgher fvzvyne gb gur jbeyq bs gur K-Zra, n qnexre jbeyq. Gung vf abg gur onfvf sbe guvf pnpur, va pnfr lbh jrer snzvyvne j/ gur obbx naq phevbhf, tvira zl bgure pnpur gurzrf. Pbvapvqrapr. Gur uvqr vf abg uneq, vs lbh ernyyl arrq n uvag, cyrnfr rznvy zr. ;)