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## 3. How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles? Start at End

A cache by charliewhiskey Message this owner
Hidden : 12/15/2014
Difficulty:
Terrain:

Size:  (small)

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### Geocache Description:

The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Park is open daylight hours only.

This is the third of a series of "How Do I Solve..." caches. I tried to make these easy to understand, but if you have any questions about them, please ask.

Start at the End

As I said in the first cache in this series, these are intended to help BEGINNER puzzlers by covering some of the techniques I talked about in my "Puzzles 101" classes. The first one was an introduction, and talked a bit about why I think puzzle caches can be a fun addition to one's caching experience. The second talked a bit about where to start.

With this third cache, I'd like you to think about approaching puzzle caches as you would approach traditional caches.

Well, it's true that puzzles don't work quite like that. (... and they are much easier if you already know the solution.) But it truly helps to start your thought process with what you expect to end up with. Here's what I mean by that.

Think of how you would approach a search for a traditional cache in an area like this:

There are a lot of places you can search, and you can waste a LOT of time if you try to search them all. But if you start with the end in mind, you can narrow down your search options and hopefully save some time and effort.

With a traditional cache, what is the end result you're looking for? It's a container holding a log sheet. What size of container? The cache size makes a big difference in where you search. If the cache is a micro, you might start out searching in the hole in the tree, or the birdhouse. If it's something larger, it might be a waste of time to start in those spots - you might instead start searching the log or the stump.

Same with puzzles: start with the end in mind. With puzzles, the end result is a set of coordinate numbers.

Coordinates in the Portland metro area follow a distinct pattern. They are a set of 15 numbers: 7 numbers for North which almost always start with 45 degrees, and 8 numbers for West which almost always start with 122 degrees. As you go south towards Salem they change to North 44 degrees, and as you go west towards Forest Grove they change to West 123 degrees, but for most of our metro area you want coordinates that start N 45 and W 122.

According to geocaching guidelines, puzzle caches USUALLY must be within two miles of their posted coordinates. (This might not be true with some of the older puzzles.) This can help you figure out what are the next two numbers of the north and west coordinates (the "minutes"). They will USUALLY be within one or two numbers, up or down, from the posted minutes. For example:

So now with an idea of some of the numbers you should be looking for, you can look for patterns that will give you the 4 5 and 1 2 2 that you need to start your coordinates, and maybe also the numbers for the minutes.

What can be used to generate numbers? There are any number of things. Some that I've seen include:

Using letters for numbers (A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, ... J = 10 or 0, K = 11 or 1, ... Z = 26 or 6)
Counting the letters in words
Counting the words in sentences
Symbols above numbers on a keyboard
Track numbers on music CDs
Numbers in movie titles
Birth years of celebrities
Highway numbers
Numbers in the periodic table of elements
... and on and on.

If the solution isn't obvious, look for hints. Later in the series I'll cover some of the many places you can look for hints, but here are a couple places to start:

How many THINGS do you have? If there are 15 THINGS (words, sentences, images, critters, items, whatever), they might represent the 15 numbers you need for your coordinates.

Look for awkward or unusual wording, spelling, fonts, spacings, and the like. Puzzle authors seldom make mistakes - if you see something that looks curious or out of place, there may be a reason for it.

Look at the cache title. Is it an acronym? Anagram? Something you can search for in an internet search?

And, of course, see if there is anything in the "Additional hints" section at the bottom of the cache description.

With all that in mind, here's the puzzle you must solve to get the coordinates for this cache. Hopefully this will help you start looking for patterns.

Bull Mountain Arboretum

Two neighbors on Bull Mountain loved trees so much that they each planted an arboretum.

Mr. North planted these trees:

Dogwood
Elm
Buckeye
Elder
Birch
Basswood
Cedar

Mr. West planted these trees:

Alder
Basswood
Buckthorn
Douglas Fir
Incense Cedar
Hawthorn
Apple
Aspen

With that info, now you can go visit their arboretums and maybe find a surprise!

You can park at the posted coordinates. Cache location is open daylight hours only.

Click on the box below to check your solution.

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As I said, this is one of a series of "How Do I Solve..." caches. They are spread out in different neighborhoods. It might help to solve them in order, but you don't need to. I tried to make these easy to understand, but if you have any questions about them, please ask.

Here are all the caches in the series. They are also posted in a "How Do I Solve These #@&%$Puzzle Caches?!!" bookmark list. ### This series of #@&%$ Puzzles contains the following caches:

 Cache Techniques 1. GC5HFTZ - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Intro Intro. Puzzles can be fun. No - really! 2. GC5EQV9 - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Start Easy Where do you start? Start with easy puzzles! 3. GC5HJ70 - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Start at End How do you start? Start with the end in mind. 4. GC7AEJA - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Coord Formats Different coordinate formats 5. GC5DQ9M - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Patterns Look for patterns, and anything that's awkward, unusual, or out of place. 6. GC78KAK - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Subst Ciphers Solving substitution ciphers. 7. GC7AM55 - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Old Codes Other codes and ciphers. (Oldies are goodies.) 8. GC7AF6Y - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Number Bases Different number systems and bases. 9. GC5J529 - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Web Searches Search the internet for information and images. 10. GC5J53Y - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Hidden Info Two ways to hide info on a cache page - White Font and Source Code. 11. GC5JGNC - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Pictures Five ways to hide information in images. 12. GC5HYEF - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles? Cache Page Tips There are many ways to hide hints, and even the puzzle itself, in places other than the cache description. 13. GC7F6PH - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Map Tricks Tips on using maps and coordinate checkers when solving puzzles. 14. GC5JA76 - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Use Tools Start building your puzzle-solving tool kit. 15. GC5J5PP - How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?! Still Stumped? If you've tried all these tips and tricks, and you're still stumped, here are a few more things you can try. 16. GC5J52X - These #@&% Puzzles - Graduation Bonus Cache Congratulations! You've done it! Here's your bonus graduation cache!

Important Note: Be sure to get the bonus numbers from each cache in this series. You will need those to get the coordinates for the These #@&% Puzzles - Graduation Bonus Cache .

Once you've become an enthusiastic fan of puzzles and are ready to place your own, I recommend you first take a look at these tips from Geocachers of the Bay Area: Advice For Making A Good Puzzle and respected Florida cacher ePeterso2: Geocache Puzzle Construction Tips

### Have fun solving puzzle caches! And remember ...

[Puzzle] Guvf hfrf bar bs gur rknzcyrf gung V zragvba nobir gung V unir frra.

[Cache] Ubzr Gjrrg Ubzr. Bcra obggbz. Vs ubzryrff pnzc vf ng TM, tb gb nyg. svany pnpur ng guvf bssfrg: A - 0.010, J + 0.042

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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