Almost two weeks after the Last Day of Christmas, mrGreen317 hid for me, an ammo box puzzle very near an evergreen tree!
Welcome to the SERIES FINAL for the Twelve Cans of Christmas (12 CoC). Each cache is a simple puzzle that leads to the coordinates of a plastic ammo box (i.e. "Can") somewhere in SGL 108. This final series cache is a true "ammo can", with a puzzle box inside that needs to be opened to get to the log and sign it.
After finding the other twelve caches in the series (a list is provided on this cache page), go grab this final can and use all of the information gathered from your other twelve visits to 'unlock' the cache log for this final geocache in the series. Throughout the series, enjoy some "regular"-sized geocaches hidden for the "Twelve Cans of Christmas" to grab this Christmas season or any other time of the year when geocaching is on the day's agenda.
Find this cache by using the fairly simple puzzle (refer to the other cache pages as needed for the letters), then plug the solved coordinates into the built-in coordinate checker on this page.
The final series cache will be located:
N 40 38.[ Z - C ] [ D + F - X ] [ A + H ] W 078 30.[ E - B ] [ B + M - Y ] [ G + A ]
Note the simple math inside each bracket is to be solved for a single digit that makes up the decimal part of the final coordinates.
IMPORTANT: Information from the first 12 caches of this series will be required to successfully solve the field puzzle component of this cache and open it up to get to the log book. When at GZ, open the external ammo can, and you will find the locking puzzle situated inside the ammo can.
This cache location is another nice walk "beyond the gate" from last year's Day 11 Gate cache, GC7GE49 (you can park outside that gate to begin your hike). The hike from the gate is no more than 2400 feet but not less than 1400 feet, going out past "Unicorn Forest" (GC7T875). Near GZ, there is a bit of a short bushwhack to get from the grassy road past the brush to GZ. There do not seem to be a lot of thorns, but it is probably an easier grab during the late fall, winter, early spring than it will be during the full growth season. Feel free to pull the cache out of its hiding spot and work through the field puzzle part while sitting under the nice evergreen very nearby, but please be sure to re-hide the container as you found it once you are done.
This cache is located in state game lands, so PLEASE observe all state game land rules and wear orange during hunting seasons. During the primary hunting season, finding this cache is recommended on Sunday only.
The area right around GZ might have some brush growing (possibly thorns at certain times of the year), especially in late spring, summer, and early fall. Use care when approaching GZ. The distance from the path to the cache is fairly short.
Ticks have been reported at other locations in SGL 108 this winter by geocachers, so please be watchful. Recent snowfall and colder temperatures have likely mitigated this problem greatly until the spring, but please remember that ticks pose a potential health risk, so please be sure to check that any ticks are removed from one's person after seeking the geocache.
Clues for the series final cache
Each of the Twelve Cans should have an ornament affixed to the inside of the lid, attached by chain. Knowing which ornaments were with which Day's Can cache will be required to open up this cache field puzzle to get to the log book. The Twelve series caches for this 12 CoC Series are listed by Day:
A congratulations on FTF on this final cache goes to KB3PPR/S (very appropriate). Congrats on this FTF and on being the Overall Series FTF Winner ... Happy New Year 2019 to you and your family!
Twelve Cans FTF Hall of Fame
Congratulations to KB3PPR and KB3PPS for the most FTFs (7 FTFs) during the Twelve Cans series. That makes KB3PPR/S the "Grand Champion FTF Winners" of this year's series
Congratulations to rebeard and Butterhopper, along with The Cache Weasel, for getting each 2 series FTFs (rebeard with 2 and Butterhopper/The Cache Weasel with another 2).
Congratulations to beans&franks for a single series FTF.
FTF Leader Board during the series, Dec 25, 2018 to Jan 5, 2019
| 1 |
|
 |
KB3PPR and KB3PPS |
7 FTFs |
| 2 |
|
 |
rebeard |
2 FTFs |
| 2 |
|
  |
Butterhopper and The Cache Weasel |
2 FTFs |
| 3 |
|
 |
beans&franks |
1 FTF |
| 3 |
|
 |
carels |
1 FTF (shared with KB3PPR/S) |
One final "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
from the Green-Hippo household!
(mrGreen317, Sage-Hippo, and littleEEE)
Many thanks to the beat62 from the 2018 Bison Exchange event (GC7Z5HM) in December 2018 for providing the container used on the outer part of this geocache. The large metal ammo can was his "Bison Exchange" container hidden for the exchange that held the other gifts.