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In the world of Middle Earth, which some believe to actually be the modern day Middle Run, there lived a Hobbit. What is a Hobbit, you might ask? Hobbits are interesting little folk, not all that different than muggles, though with much larger and hairier... feet. They are very homely folk, and although they are usually fat and well-fed, they are quite nimble and stealthy enough to avoid muggle detection even in the most urban geocaching environment. That is, if they liked geocaching at all, which they usually don't. They prefer to stay at home, tend their gardens, smoke their pipes, and eat as much and as often as they can.
This however, is a story of one particular hobbit (YOU!) who found himself/herself in the most peculiar of circumstances, about to set off on a challenging yet wonderful geocaching adventure, whether you like it or not. Your stealthy burglar skills and problem-solving skills will be put to the test...
Gandalf, the wizard who comes and goes through these parts on a very irregular basis and almost always stirs up trouble wherever he goes, has decided that YOU are the perfect burglar (WHAT???) to accompany the band of muggle dwarves seeking to reclaim their lost treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug deep inside the Lonely Mountain.
Little do the dwarves realize that their treasure has been largely plundered and spent by the band of dragons that inhabit that area and the parts further to the south, who collectively call themselves "Congress". They have decided that the treasure would be best spent preserving their own "social security" and investing in large quantities of pork. What's left of the treasure has been condensed down to nothing more than a small Lock-&-Lock full of trinkets, which can be found at the "Last Stage" of your journey.
At this point however, you are still sitting in your hobbit hole enjoying a nice quiet evening without any knowledge of the above-mentioned quest, when the dwarves start showing up at your door and ringing your doorbell as loudly and repeatedly as they can.
Well, answer the door, dear hobbit, and begin your adventure!
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The GPS is a bit jumpy back here, so I did the best I could with the coords. The final is not far from the first stage, within 100'. The first stage is in an obvious spot, and the final is like horseshoes and hand grenades: you only have to get close...
Congrats to GreatOdyssey on the FTF!