A lousy crossword puzzle? You call that paradise? No, I do not, but you are starting your search with it. You will know when you see it. This crossword should be much much easier than my last one which was called Clouseau's Crossword (GC1Q0TM). How you find paradise using the crossword? I wont tell you. Will probably add hints to make the connection from crossword to paradise once the FTF has been accomplished to make it easier for others.
The four star difficulty is partly due to the hide as well. Its a camouflaged bison. You will know where to look once you get to GZ. Good observation skills will help you solve the puzzle AND find the cache, no bushwhacking necessary for either, unless you lost your pen and paper in the bushes at another cache.
If the first person to solve puzzle is going after this cache at night, I imagine its all right to search at night for this one, but try to be stealthy. After that, daylight would be preferable to future finders.
(solution counter reset 2/23 after someone had too much fun with it) it was over 150.
Hints:
stage 1 puzzle: a picture is sometimes worth a 1000 words and can be "more than meets the eye".
(from crs98): I noticed that there are over 50 people watching the FTF bell. Better make that 51.
P.S. if you do not recognize it, ask a kid, or any person who was a kid in the 1980s (like me!)
stage 2: will leave without hints for the moment, LMK if you struggle with it
cache: camo'd bison, first large shrub north of path, backside
congrats Dr Tusk on being the only person seemingly to get the AHA moment in the first week in stage 1 without hints. I honestly thought a few more would. As usual, if anyone wants to email me if they still do not get it, I am more than happy to help. Would rather have my caches found than sit there.