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Kryptos Mystery Cache

Hidden : 3/8/2017
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:



Original cache text:

Kryptos was created by Jim Sanborn and unveiled in 1990 on the grounds of CIA Headquarters in Langley, VA. It's significant not only because of its beauty, but also because it hides a secret (four of them, actually!).

The sculpture consists of a wavy, copper plate inscribed with nearly 1800 jumbled letters. Within the jumble there are four sections of encrypted text. The first three sections have since been decoded, but the fourth remains a tantalizing mystery to this day.

This cache is inspired by Kryptos, and so you should expect a significant mental workout. Depending on where you park once you solve it, you may have a significant physical workout to reach the cache. You may choose to park close to the listed coordinates, which are outside of the gates at the entrance of SGL 198. If the gates are open you might opt for somewhere beyond. Please use caution and wear appropriate amounts of orange during hunting seasons.

Like its namesake, this puzzle consists of four series of encrypted characters. I recommend solving them in order, as information learned in the first may be helpful in solving the next one, and so on. Like all puzzle creators (expect maybe Jim Sanborn), I want you to solve the puzzle, so I'm happy to hint you in the right direction if you would like. Just let me know. Good luck!

End of original cache text

 

On 11/20/2022, this geocache was transferred to mrGreen317. I'll do my best to keep one of the area's best puzzlers (this cache) alive and on the local geo-map. The original cache text mentions hinting in the right direction. You might be able to still contact the Professor of Geocaching (the original cache owner, Profbrad) for the hinting that he originally offered, but feel free to reach out to mrGreen317 if you need. Geo-messenger sometimes works better than email, as I usually see those messages in the geo-app which I use on a fairly regular basis. The email account connected to geocaching.com, on the other hand, sometimes does not always get checked on a regular basis. And if this is not enough puzzling fun, you can always try to figure out, Where's Hippo? (GC7NJ5M)

 

Original cache puzzle:

UVCSMQALBNCKMIYMWKXVHYXIRVFLGQAQXJLKVVYITKJIHVZJVMHWMSUGLJMHTHAU
MBXGUDZVLJMHUEQIMFASVKOZXYBTKHOJSXJDNDNPLZQIDHPTLWDDTJIUKJDNXTWE

.?..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..............!??................?!!?!?.!!!!!..?........
!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.......!..?......!??........?!!?!?.......!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?...!..?................!??.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!?.................!.....!.!!!!!!!!!!!
.....!..?......!??........?!!?!?...!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?................!??..................?!!?!?
...........!.............!..?......!??........?!!?!?.......!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?
..................!??....................?!!?!?.....!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.
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........!??..........?!!?!?.!!!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!..?................!??
..................?!!?!?...........!.............!..?......!??........?!!?!?.......!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?
.!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!..?........!??..........?!!?!?.!..?..........!??
.!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.........!...!..?................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??....................
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?!!?!?.!..?............!??..............?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!..?......!??........?!!?!?.!..?......!??.!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!!
.................!.!!!!!!!!!..?................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!?.....!..?
......!??........?!!?!?.!..?......!??........?!!?!?.....!.!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?..................!??
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.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.....!..?............!??..............?!!?!?...!..?............!??
..............?!!?!?.....!..?......!??........?!!?!?.......!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?
..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!!..?........!??..........?!!?!?.!!!!!!!...........!..?
..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.....!..?................!??..................?!!?!?...!..?................!?
?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!?...........!..?......!??........?!!?!?
.......!..?......!??.!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??
....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.................!..?..................!??
....................?!!?!?.....!.........!.......!..?......!??.!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.......!..?................!
??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??....................?!!?!?.....!..?......!??.!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!...!.!!!!!!!!!!!..?
..............!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.....!..?..........!??.!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!
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?.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.......!..?........!??..........?!!?!?.!!!!!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?...............!..?
..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!..?................!?
?..................?!!?!?...............!.........!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?........!??..........?!!?!?.!!!!!!!..?..................!?
?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?................!??..................?!!?!?...!..?......!??........?!!?!?...!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!..?
................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!?.................!.......!..?
..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.............!..?..................!??....................?!!?!?...............!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?
..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!..?................!??..................?!!?!?.....!..?......!??........?!!?!?.!..?
......!??........?!!?!?.....!.!!!!!!!!!!!..?................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!..?........!??.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?
.....!..?..........!??.!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.......!..?................!??..................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..............!?
?................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!.!..?......!??........?!!?!?.!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?
..................!??....................?!!?!?.........!..?......!??.!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!..?........!??..........?!!?!?.!!!!!.!!!!!!!.!!!..?
..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?......!??
........?!!?!?...!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!..?..................!??....................?!!?!
?...!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?......!??........?!!?!?.....!.!!!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!..?
..................!??....................?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?......!??........?!!?!?...!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?
!!?!?.!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!?...........!.............!..?......!??........?!!?!?.......!..?..................!?
?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!!!!!!!!!..?..................!??....................?!!?!?...........!.!!!!!!!!!!!.!..?........!?
?.!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?...!..?................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.!!!!!..?................!??..................?!!?!
?.................!.......!..?..................!??.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.?!!?!?.............!.

8 44 777 33 33 1 333 666 777 1 8 44 777 33 33 1 9 2 999 1 8 666 1 7 2 9 3 1 999 666 88 777 1 7777 8 2 8 7777 0 1 2 6 2 9999 444 66 4 1 8 44 2 8 1 999 666 88 0 888 33 1 6 2 3 33 1 444 8 1 8 44 444 7777 1 333 666 777 0 1 9 44 2 8 1 9 444 555 555 1 999 666 88 1 44 2 888 33 1 8 666 1 3 666 1 333 33 777 1 8 44 33 1 333 444 66 2 555 1 7777 8 2 4 33 0 1 666 44 0 1 8 44 2 8 1 9 2 7777 66 0 8 1 2 1 777 44 33 8 666 777 444 222 2 555 1 77 88 33 7777 8 444 666 66 0 1 444 1 9 2 7777 1 2 7777 55 444 66 1 999 666 88 0 1 999 666 88 0 888 33 1 222 666 6 33 1 8 44 444 7777 1 333 2 777 0 1 9 44 999 1 7777 8 666 7 1 44 33 777 33 0

KISVX OOJCR APPDGFC MSRVXOBHRALTCAY YGS RCQ MX. DEZ MORX’W QSWM PJ E RECC AWZE PR YB UDEH BHP. TMRFMG ZAL FHJZIRMZG ISZMR AEWSHP JPNX VMCZ QWRAY NMQ GHJJRKR LMLPG TSAKTE SBL YVUK BOME GIEL. QTMSM AOF’HY VWTLM GW OODVW DPR PSUH RPQIHDZ RFA!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

1. Gur xrl vf gb cnl nggragvba gb uvfgbel. Gb trg cnffrq lbh’yy arrq gb erzrzore jung lbh’er urer sbe. 2. Zbaxrl nebhaq n ovg. Unir n svar gvzr. 3. Jura lbh arrq uryc? 4. Svaq jurer gb ortva naq jurer gb svavfu.

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)