What are you stairing at? Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

limpid green & white: It saddens me to have to do this, but the city completely removed the stairs that were the home to the final destination and has no plans to reconstruct. Thanks to everyone who found this one over the years.

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Hidden : 9/26/2012
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

THE COORDINATES LISTED ARE NOT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION.  THEY ARE YOUR STARTING POINT.

Please read the long description carefully as I'd really like you to be prepared before racing out to get your smiley.  Please bring a writing instrument with you and paper to do the math.


Please read this long description before you start your hunt for the cache.  I want you to be properly prepared.

This adventure was designed to be completed on foot. There really is no need to drive from stage to stage. Parking is available in a number of university lots nearby the start. Look for the green metered spaces. You can also park in the Baker Center garage or the City of Athens garage. This adventure should take less than an hour if you are prepared and do your math well.

Start your hunt at the coordinates posted.  In front of you is a lengthy stairway comprised of a number of flights of stairs.  One flight is longer than the rest.  Record the number of stairs in this flight.
"a" = the number of stairs in the longest flight.

Now that you are at the top of the stairs, proceed to the left (West) until you reach the main entrance. You will need to go indoors in order to collect some information.  When school is in session, hours are Mon-Wed: 7am-10pm, Thu-Fri: 7am-12am, Sat: 8am-12am, Sun: 10am-8pm.  Save yourself a little trouble and check the following web site to verify hours of operation: http://www.ohio.edu/eventservices/baker/hourscalendar.cfm
Proceed to the moving stairs.  Make note of the time that it takes you to get from the top to the bottom assuming you stand still while on the stairs and walk normally from one section to the next.
"b" = the number of minutes from top to bottom.
Forget about the seconds.  Example: if it takes 0 minutes and 55 seconds, b=0.  If it takes 4 minutes and 1 second, b=4.  Turn around and go back up.  You might use this as an opportunity to double-check the time.

When you get off the moving stairs, you will notice that you are not at the top floor.  There's another stairway to the left.  Record the number of stairs to the 5th floor.
"c" = the number of stairs to the 5th floor.

Proceed to Stage 2:
N 39° 19.((a * c) + a + c + a + b)
W 082° 05.((a * c) + (16 * a) + 5) 

Assuming you did the math right, you are standing on or are very close to standing on a navigational aid.  Record the four digit number in the center of it.
"defg" are the numbers in order in the center.
Example if the number was 9876, d=9, e=8, f=7 and g=6.

Now use this navigational aid to direct you North. Walk North until you see a large set of stairs to your left(West). Record the number of stairs from the bottom to the top. There will be many short flights of stairs and one longer flight.
"h" = the total number of stairs (it's a three digit number, so count carefully).

I told you to read this long description first, right?

i = the year that Stairway to Heaven was first released (same year as the album release)
j = the length in minutes of the studio album version (not live) of Stairway to Heaven.
Drop the seconds.  So if it was 3 minutes and 55 seconds long, in addition to that being a tragedy, "j" would be 3.

Proceed to the cache:
N 39° 19.((h * j) - (e * e))
W 082° 06.(i - (g * h) - (e * h) - (3 * h) + e + d + f)

If your final destination is not near many stairs, then you need to re-check your work.

The hide is not meant to be difficult. Final coordinates were a bit challenging. So don't over-think it and do use the hint.

Are you a stair master?

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Unir n frng naq uhag. Lbh qrfreir n oernx nsgre nyy bs gurfr fgnvef.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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