Parking on campus during the day during the week can be a challenge, but much of the parking on campus is free after 6pm and on weekends. Accessing campus via bicycle or bus are also good options.
This final cache area is hazardous at times. Some approaches to the final cache location are easier than others. The cache is Terrain 3 due to the terrain at the final cache site. The initial stages are not high terrain, but neither are they all wheelchair accessible.
To find this cache, just follow the instructions below. Enjoy the campus and Good Luck!
Stage 1: Grow Green!
At the posted coordinates, which are within the WJ Beal Botanical Garden, is a monument with a plaque on the top. A, B, C, and D, are determined respectively:
A = the second digit in the number of grasses and clovers that started the garden
B = the first two digits of the year that Professor Beal started the garden
C = the first two digits of the number of species in the garden when Professor Beal retired
D = the last two digits of the year Professor Beal retired plus 3
Coordinates for Stage 2 are calculated as follows:
The minutes of the North coordinates = 43.940 - ((B + D + 6.5)/500.)
The minutes of the West coordinates = 29.093 + [(242 – (A*C))/1000.]
Your coordinates for Stage 2: N 42° ____.______ W 084° ____.______
Stage 2: Invading Army
How many black slabs cap the pillars? ___ Record this value as E.
How many bricks tall is the shortest slab? ___ Record this value as F.
How many bricks tall is the tallest slab? ___ Record this value as G.
How many trees are arranged behind the back brick wall? ___ Record this value as H.
Coordinates for Stage 3 are calculated as follows:
To the minutes of the North coordinates of Stage 2, add [[((F * G) + 4) – 12]/1000]
Replace the minutes of the West coordinates of Stage 2 with the following: [((C * H)^2 + (A * F)^2 + (A * B * C * E) + 855)/1000]
Your coordinates for Stage 3: N 42° ____.______ W 084° ____.______
Stage 3: The Reading Group
How many girls are in the reading group? ___ Record this value as I.
How many toes are visible on the reader? ___ Record this value as J.
Coordinates for Stage 4 are calculated as follows:
N 42° 43.xxx, where xxx is the three-digit result of this calculation: ((304 * I) – 3)
W 084° 28.yyy, where yyy is the three-digit result of this calculation: [[((2891 * I) – 13)/J] – 6]
Your coordinates for Stage 4: N 42° 43.______ W 084° 28.______
Stage 4: Neglected Items
What class donated this piece? ______ Record this value as K.
Coordinates for Stage 5 are calculated as follows:
N 42° 4x.xxx, where x.xxx is the four-digit result of this calculation: [((J * K)/5) – 114]
W 084° 28.yyy, where yyy is the three-digit result of this calculation: [((A * K)/J) – 108]
Your coordinates for Stage 5: N 42° 4__.______ W 084° 28.______
Stage 5: Free Advertising
How many are there? ___ Record this value as L. (Hint: You get ONE chance to count it.)
Also, write down what it says today, and post this (encrypted ROT-13) in your log.
Coordinates for Stage 6 are calculated as follows:
N 42° 4x.xxx, where x.xxx is the four-digit result of this calculation: (5806 – (K * L))
W 084° 2y.yyy, where yyyy is the four-digit result of this calculation: (6767 + (K * L * L))
Your coordinates for Stage 6: N 42° 4__.______ W 084° 2__.______
Stage 6: Thank You!
The coordinates from Stage 5 take you to the middle of a row of 15 things. The middle thing has signage indicating what they are. How many words are in the first sentence on the east side of the middle thing? ___ Record this value as P.
How many punctuation marks (commas, periods, etc.) are in the first sentence on the west side of the middle thing? ___ Record this value as Q.
Counting the most southerly thing as #1 and increasing to counting the most northerly as #15, which thing commemorates donations from the year this cache was placed? ___ Record this value as R.
Coordinates for the Final Stage are calculated as follows:
N 42° 43.xxx, where xxx is the three-digit result of this calculation: [((2292 * Q)/(P - 6)) + 203]
W 084° yy.yyy, where yyyyy is the five-digit result of this calculation: [(I * J * (K + L)) – [(A * B * C * D) + (E * F * G * H) + (P * Q * Q * R) + (C * H - L) + 9]]
Your coordinates for the Final Stage: N 42° 43.______ W 084° ____.______
Check your solution
Thanks to maldar for putting together this great tour of MSU's north campus back in 6/2002, to Homebru for maintaining the cache from 8/2006 to 6/2014, and to 3escapees for helping to keep this old cache going with some long needed changes to the Stage 6 calculations for the final cache location in 3/2013.
NOTE: The final cache was moved slightly on 5/5/2017. If you have final coordinates from before that time, you will need to add 0.002 to the north and subtract 0.009 from the west to get a geocheck now.
Voted one of the Lansing Area's Top Caches for 2010.