The cache is not at the posted coordinates, but all the waypoints
and the final are within 1/2 a mile.
This mystery multi cache will take you to places describing some
of the memorable things about Concord,
Mass., including:
It would be best to do this cache with a friend (or two?), as
finding each waypoint will challenge you in three ways:
1) avoiding muggles,
2) finding the hidden coordinate container, and
3) deciphering the coordinates.
The coordinates are well hidden at each waypoint, and at most of
the stops, you will need to do some work to decipher the
coordinates of the next waypoint. Come prepared!
Most of the stops are very popular with muggles, especially in
good weather, so it will require you to put on your best stealth to
grab each successive waypoint.
How could you do this, you ask? Well, here are some
ideas:
- Use the trusty GPSr-to-the-ear “cell phone”
ploy! Always a good one when you want people to ignore your
seemingly random peeking and probing.
- Wear a bright safety vest! If you don't already have one
(I do) you can find one here. "Oh, that guy? He must be a
surveyor or something." For extra authenticity, add a
clipboard.
- Have a friend create a diversion! You could even have
two friends pretend to have a really loud argument to
draw attention away from your sleuthing.
- Bring a camera! Pretend to take very close-up pictures
of things. This will allow you to get into awkward positions
without attracting attention.
- Use CITO
as cover! Bring a trash bag and collect trash around the route
(see #2 above). When you come across a waypoint marker, toss it
into your bag, and move to a safe location to get the
coords.
- Join the Concord
Police Department! While this may seem like an extreme
solution to some, real geocachers wouldn't hesitate
for a minute if it meant upping their numbers. Just think, who
would question a man or woman in blue searching behind a guardrail
with a big Maglite?
- Wear a Hazmat suit! At
first you might think this would really attract attention, but once
people see you looking under benches and behind trees, they will
all start to move away very quickly. If you have access to one, a
Geiger counter would also add more realism.
(Some of these ideas came from here)
Each waypoint is hidden in a different way, using mostly
creative techniques I have encountered in my own hunts. This plus
the high muggle factor, the required deciphering, and large number
of stages accounts for the difficulty rating.
For any coords you find that are partial coordinates (e.g.,
offsets from the current waypoint), assume they are in thousandths
(e.g., "34" = "0.034").
Please be careful opening the final, and make sure to put it and
all the waypoints back as you found them. An appropriate prize
awaits the FTF!
To get you ready for this challenging adventure, the location of
the first waypoint can be found by puzzling together the answers to
the following True/False questions about Concord. Earlier questions
are more significant than later ones. ALSO, you will NOT
need these values to do any of the waypoints after using them for
the first one, so don't.
| A |
- Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne,
and Henry David Thoreau are all burried in the same cemetery in
Concord.
- There are four public elementary schools in Concord.
- Walden Pond is an example of a kettle pond.
|
| B |
- There is a medium-security prison in Concord.
- Concord has more than 15,000 residents.
- It's possible to drive from 100 Baker Ave. in Concord to 200
Baker Ave. without leaving Baker Ave.
|
| C |
- The Concord-Carlisle High School mascot is the Patriot.
- Lexington, MA, was incorporated before Concord.
- There are two commuter-rail stops in Concord.
|
| D |
- Concord borders at least six other towns.
- The Old North Bridge spans the Concord River.
- Nagano, Japan, is a sister city of Concord.
|
The coordinates for the first waypoint can be found by
subtracting 0.0AB from the posted North coordinates, and
subtracting 0.0CD from the posted West coordinates.
You can check your results for the first waypoint on
Geochecker.com.
Again, after using A, B, C & D for the first waypoint, you
will not need them again. They will only throw you off
track.
Parking can be found at the parking waypoint listed below, or on
various streets in Concord Center.
Congrats to gw0143 and Cook01821 for the joint
FTF!