The majority of the physical caches I’ve found so far are hidden among trees – in holes in trees, tucked into tree trunks, hanging from tree branches, hidden amongst the roots, in old stumps, in fallen logs…you get the idea.
Most of southern Ontario has been clear cut since the time of the settlers, and rarely do we get to see ancient trees which were probably common a few hundred years ago. So I decided to put together a simple multiple choice puzzle cache with some fun facts that I found about really old trees in Ontario.
For the final, I created a special cache “container” fitting for a puzzle all about trees. I built it using some stuff laying around my yard. The "container" is roughly "medium" in size and conceals a micro-sized plastic vial which can only hold a small logsheet. Please bring a pen, and bug spray! PLEASE upon finding the cache, please pay attention to how it is positioned and how the micro tube is hidden within the “container”, and return the log and replace the container exactly as it was found.
The posted coordinates will take you to a trail head, and there is plenty of on-street parking in that area. If you try to approach from Lake Ave you will need to cross the creek.
A. The oldest white oak tree to have lived in Ontario occurred in the Hamilton area and lived approximately ______ years. (Circle the appropriate answer: 320, 440, 560, 680, or 900)
B. The oldest white cedar to ever live in Ontario grew on the Niagara escarpment and was ____ years old when it died (Circle the appropriate answer: 1140, 1390, 1640, 1890, or 2140)
C. In 1992, a _____ year old Red Pine tree was cut down in order to run power lines to some cottages (Circle the appropriate answer: 375, 500, 625, 750, or 1000)
D. Currently, the oldest living tree in Ontario is a white cedar which is believed to have germinated in _____ AD (Circle the appropriate answer: 688, 819, 950, 1081, or 1212)
E. The oldest known sugar maple in Ontario is growing near Pelham in the Niagara region. It is believed to be ______ year old. (Circle the appropriate answer: 425, 500, 575, 650, or 725)
F. The oldest know tulip tree (also known as yellow poplar) was a specimen in the Backus Woods located in the Long Point region. It was estimated to be _____ years old. (Circle the appropriate answer: 245, 290, 335, 380, or 425)
To get to the final, simply plug your numerical answers from above into the following equation:
N 43° 13.X W 079° 45.Y Where X = (A+B+C+1185)/5 And Y = (D+E+F-1168)/5
You can check your answer using the following: X and Y are both prime numbers, and when multiplied together they give a large number Z which of course is not a prime number since it can divided by X or Y. Z has five digits, and when all five digits are added together you get another prime number. "Board yet?"?
Need more help? Do an online search for "Ontario's oldest trees" for various resources.
