UPDATE 6/27/18 Lighthouse Park Hours are posted as 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Fridays 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays. Please honor them. In 2018 the Buffalo Lighthouse Preservation Society has begun to collect an entry fee of $5 per person. Additional information regarding park hours is available on the Buffalo Lighthouse Facebook Page or by calling 716 264 1707. I suggest calling before you go to insure the park is open as the hours have become somewhat variable dependent on weather and volunteer availability.
This cache was placed as part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Geotrail, located within the Buffalo/Niagara Region. Funding for the GLST Geotrail has ceased and this is now a stand alone cache.
Off limits to the public since September 11, 2001, the Buffalo Harbor Lighthouse could only be viewed from a distance since it resided on the U.S. Coast Guard Base. Long awaited plans for the Buffalo Lighthouse Park started to become reality during 2010 as the Coast Guard began to reconfigure the layout of the base so that it could be kept secure while permitting unimpeded access to the light by the general public.
Buffalo Lighthouse Park opened unceremoniously late in October 2011. It is a jewel of the harbor.
The posted coords will lead you to the pedestrian gate which will allow you to access all the information you require to complete this cache. Street parking is readily available a short distance away. Don’t forget your camera as there will be plenty of scenic photo opportunities available as you head toward the lighthouse.
Now on to the business of locating the 30 cal ammo can cache. You’ll simply need to complete a letter number substation using information you can gather as you amble down the pedestrian walkway toward the lighthouse and perhaps do a little basic math as well. It’s not meant to be too awful challenging but is intended to get you to take the walk to visit the lighthouse and take in the views. Here you go.
The cache you seek is located at N 42 52.ABC W 078 53.DEF. Solve for the missing coords using the following instructions;
(A) At N42 52.657 W078 53.360 there is a display of 3 anchors. The smallest of the 3 is stamped with a weight on the shank. A is equal to the first digit of the four digit number.
(B) Near the lighthouse at N42 52.661 W078 53.382 an old navigational buoy is on display with a wave action powered bell. B is equal to the number of strikers could have rung the bell before rust set in.
(C) At the beginning of your trek to the lighthouse near N42 52.621 W078 53.085 you will pass a large multi-trunked tree. C is equal to the number of trunks this tree has.
(D) Near N42 52.659 W078 53.418 you will see a series of concrete bollards linked by heavy lengths of chain. D is equal to the second digit in the number of individual links in the length of chain joining the western most bollards (the last two closest to Lake Erie). This might be the most crucial of numbers required. Count the links carefully and ignore the hooks at either end.
(E) At the lighthouse itself (N42 52.670 W078 53.367) there is series of stones that form a sort of protruding architectural detail to the base. To be sure you are focusing on the correct detail note that there is a benchmark attached to one of the stones forming the detail. Count the number of stones forming this detail around the entire lighthouse. E is equal to total number of stones divided by 4.
(F) After you enter the pedestrian gate off of Fuhrmann Blvd and are heading out to the lighthouse you will pass by a number of light poles adjacent to the path. F is equal to the number of poles you pass on the right side of the trail between the gate and the Buffalo River where the path turns minus the number of poles you will pass which are on the left side of the path beyond the turn. No tricks here all light poles relevant to puzzle are of the same style and are not located beyond the fence on Coast Guard property. Remember the right and left sides are dependent on your direction of travel. To solve correctly you should be approaching the lighthouse not returning from it.
I know it seems a little convoluted and complicated but it’s really a piece of cake. Your solution should take you into the nearby Times Beach Nature Preserve which can be easily accessed from Fuhrmann Blvd near the Lighthouse Park pedestrian gate. While you are in the area take the opportunity to explore more of Buffalo’s slowly recovering waterfront.
Finally, I've decided to keep the logbook fron the original cache in use so don't be surprised when you spot a half full logbook at this new cache.
A cacher with just as much historical value to the local caching community as the lighthouse has to the Buffalo Harbor suggested I add a check sum to verify your calcualtionS in the field. Here it is...
CHECK SUM FOR ABCDEF = 23