30 Day Georgia Tough Cache CACHETRACKER CHALLENGE! Mystery Cache
30 Day Georgia Tough Cache CACHETRACKER CHALLENGE!
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This challenge cache was inspired by and is dedicated to a good friend and an ex co-worker. I have always envied her and her husbands game because of the difficult caches they go after. I am talking about BOXERLADY and her husband Marc! If you look at their cache finds on any given day, you will see that the majority of the caches they have found in the last 30 days rate 3/3 or very close to that difficulty/terrain level.
I took an average of their last 24 cache hunts just before writing this cache page and my calculations came out to: 3.75/2.8125. Of the 24 caches they have logged, only 2 caches had a terrain rating of less than 3.0. To me that is impressive!
The posted coordinates take you to a parking lot. But this is not where to park to hunt this cache.
All of us have a different method of madness when it comes to our Geocaching games. Some like to go out and hunt as many caches as they can to bring up their smiley counts just so they can get to the top of the ranking lists. But what do they really get in return? Is it to be able to claim bragging rights as to how much gas money they have to burn on this game? We may never know!
Then you have those that go on daily hunting streaks. I just happen to be one of those crazy fools. But what do we get out of it? I can tell you that I am not looking for bragging rights. That is the last thing I want. As of this writing, my streak has become a personal challenge.
Then you have those that like to complete only challenge caches. I find those to be caches with a purpose and find them to be quite fun.
With that being said, I present to you a challenge that should grow hair on your chest.
WARNING #1!!! This challenge is NOT for whimps.
WARNING #2!!! If you are considered a Geocache-aholic, this challenge may cause you to experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Or on the other hand, this challenge may take Geocache-aholics to an increased level of addiction. Either way, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
So here are the rules.
1> First, you must post a note on this cache page stating that you accept this challenge. Your 30 days begin on that same day. All caches found on the day you accept the challenge are counted to your daily average should you choose to enter the Hall Of Fame option. Also, please write in your log entry whether or not you are going for the optional Hall Of Fame recognition status. See optional rule 3A below.
2> For the next 30 days, you must go out and find at least 15 caches that are rated at a 3/3 or higher difficulty/terrain rating. Of those 15 caches, NONE of those caches may be the final hunt of a challenge cache.
3> Create a bookmark list of the qualifying caches you hunt within the 30 days. Call the bookmark list "(your geonick)' 30 Day Tough Cache Georgia Challenge". Include this cache in your bookmark list. On day 30 of your challenge, you should have a minimum of 16 caches rated at a 3/3 or higher difficulty/terrain rating. Other caches that you hunt with a lower terrain rating should not be put into the bookmark list UNLESS you choose to accept option 3A in this challenge.
3A> OPTIONAL Platinum or Standard "Hall Of Fame!" Recognition
If you maintain an average of 3/3 or higher difficulty/terrain rating of all the caches you hunt in the 30 days of your challenge, you will be recognized in the "Standard Hall Of Fame" section at the bottom of this cache page. Also, you must include all of your cache finds under a 3/3 rating into your bookmark list.
IF you maintain a 5/5 average during the entire 30 days, you will be recognized in the "PLATINUM Hall Of Fame!"
4> Your log post on your qualifying cache hunts must say that you are using this cache for the 30 Day Tough Cache Challenge. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT EDITED LOGS ARE FROWNED UPON. So please don't forget to write in the required information at the time of logging your qualifying caches.
5> If you are not a Premium Member, you will not be able to create a bookmark list. You may create that list using another method such as creating a list in your profile, or a text file you can e-mail me.
6> On your 30th day, NOT BEFORE THAT DAY, post another note stating that you have met the requirements. I will then check your Geocaching profile and your bookmark list to verify your completion. I will then email you with permission to go after this cache hunt which can be hunted anytime after that. I will also include the solution to the hard puzzle associated with this cache if you are unable to solve it on your own.
Once you have been chosen for this adventure, you may proceed in hunting this cache, which I hope will be unique and a fun rewarding hunt for you. The information for this cache hunt is shown below.
KNOW YOUR LAND...KNOW YOUR PREY.
Congratulations in making it this far.
At the time of this writing, one of my favorite shows on TV was Mantracker. It was then being aired on the Science Channel. It was a Canadian show about a man, his horse and a sidekick of his choosing whose job it is to track down 2 people in deep untamed forests using only highly trained senses of forensic tracking skills.
In this cache hunt you have been chosen to play the roll of Mantracker. But here, you will be called the CACHETRACKER! And in this game, I and the cache are your prey. Your job is to track where I have been and where I have hidden the cache. I have left virtual clues along the way that you will be looking for. In the TV show, Mantracker uses absolutely no modern technology, but in this game, you will be allowed the use of computer and GPS technology.
WARNING: THE USE OF A CELL PHONE GPS IS NOT ADVISED! THEY HAVE CHEAP GPS CHIPSETS AND ARE EXTREMELY INACCURATE MOST OF THE TIME!
A compass will also come in very handy along this route. So lets get ready to play CACHETRACKER.
First, you must first figure out where my starting point was. The location is embedded in the following VERY HARD puzzle. The puzzle contains a 4 digit numeric code and the coordinates for the trail head. You can park there as well. PLEASE NOTE that if you are unable to solve this puzzle, I will be happy to give you the solution along with my approval to hunt this cache.
When you have the 4 digit numeric code and where your starting point is, you drive out and park your geomobile near 2 green signs at GZ. You make note of the two, 4 digit numbers found on those signs. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE NEXT INSTRUCTION!!! Add the 4 digit NUMBER FOUND IN THE PUZZLE to the SMALLER of the 2 numbers found on the green signs. The sum = ABCD
Checksum: A+B+C+D = 19
The starting flare has now been shot into the air. You proceed to the trail head, also near your parking spot, and start your hike down it. On this trail you see a valley to your left that has a small creek at the bottom. But you continue on the trail you are on.
You finally reach a T junction in the trail at a river. You stop and take a look around. You see a big sandy area near the water where you find fresh foot prints in this sand that lead up river. You look around some more and notice a small rickety pieced together bridge that crosses the creek you saw on the way down. But you decide to follow my footprints and head along the trail up river. You walk at about 2.5 MPH and about 5 minutes later you come to a T junction of another well traveled trail leading away from the river. That trail goes over two humps and turns slightly to the right in the distance. You also notice the sandy drop down to the river at this junction. There are no longer any signs of my having been here. So while standing in the middle of this trail junction, you take a GPS reading after you let it settle down a little just before backtracking. Your GPS shows that you are at
n33 nn.EFn w084 ww.GHw
Checksum: E+F+G+H should = 16
Additional Error check: E+F=an odd number and G+H=an odd number
...You now know what EFGH equals.
You figured that I intentionally lead you down the wrong trail to throw you off. But you are too smart for that trick. You head back to the sandy area where you originally found my footprints and decide to go in the other direction by crossing the small rickety bridge. You then find my fresh footprints in the mud next to the bridge and see more wet prints heading along the trail down river. Now knowing my general direction of travel, you continue down river until you come to a fork in the trail and stop to take a closer look. You see faint footprints and freshly broken plant life leading down the left fork. You proceed down that trail. Your senses tell you that you are not far behind me. But it is getting late in the day. So you look for a place to set up camp for the night. You come up to a point on the trail that splits around a small island of trees. On the left side, you see a neatly stacked 6 to 8 inch wall of flat rocks. You decide to set up camp here for the night to get a fresh start in the morning.
The next morning, you wake up and continue your hunt down the trail. You soon hear rushing water in the distance and follow the sound down the trail. About 300 feet past the rushing water, you approach another rather large sandy area next to the water. You see a large flat piece of granite sticking vertically out of the ground near a tree that has names and initials carved in it.You see a fresh camp fire ash pile in the area as well, and have determined that this is where I camped over night. Upon further inspection, you find that my footprints lead towards the trail uphill and away from the river. You continue on that trail and notice that my foot prints disappear, having been wiped out by a 4 wheel ATV. Continuing on, you come up to another fork in the trail. You don't see my footprints anywhere on the trail. Assuming they were wiped out by the ATV, you continue on the main trail going left at this fork.
While continuing down the main winding and hilly trail, you eventually pass a tree on the trail to the right just before you go downhill. This tree has what looks like a Keebler Elf hole that looks like a vertical 1.5 inch wide slit about 6 inches long. The hole is about 4.5 feet off the ground.
You continue following the trail until you see 2 roughly stacked piles of rocks about 20 feet apart to the right about 10 feet of the trail. Each pile is about 6 feet in diameter and about 3 feet high.
Standing in the middle between the 2 piles of rocks, take a GPS reading after your device settles down a bit. Then from the North decimal coordinate subtract (A-E-1)(D+D)(B-2), and from the West decimal coordinate, subtract (F-C-1)(H)(G). There you will find another pile of rocks with a reddish tint next to a tree.
From this pile of rocks, go (C-1)(H-1)(F-1) feet at (D)(G)(E-2) degrees to a big wide tree. The cache is around here somewhere. (Please note that there is no multiplication needed to calculate the bearing and distance.)
Have a fun hunt and enjoy these peaceful trails in this greenway park.
Below is the newly added PLATINUM HALL OF FAME. These hunters are recognized for their 30 day hunting streak by finding ONLY 5/5 Difficulty/Terrain cache hides!
Below is the original Cachetracker Hall Of Fame.
Below are a list of cache hunters that have chosen and succeeded in completing the hunt using the Hall Of Fame option of this challenge cache.
#5...tiehack and Whittling Fisher
#6...odocoileus
#7...TheMoiety with a 4.01/3.92 D/T(NEW HIGH)
#8...1/2 BSM
#9...HoochDog & Drake&Croft (Finding only Multi-caches to qualify!)
=========================
Not a Hall of Fame entry but an
HONORABLE MENTION FOR A TOUGH GEOCACHER
TeamMcG for hunting this cache with a broken toe!
=========================
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Chmmyr: Ab uryc urer!
Pbagnvare vf haqre n ebpx perinffr oruvaq n fznyy ebpx.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures