There is NO cache at the posted coordinates! I placed a bison tube on Holt Hill and then realized when I got home that I could make this more fun than an average traditional... I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Holt Hill! This place offers second-to-none views of the Boston skyline (besides Boston Hill down the trail of course!) from twenty miles away. As you're about to learn, Holt is the highest point in Andover and all of Essex County.
This is an interactive field puzzle that should be simple for anybody to solve. What do you need to get the final coordinates?
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a smartphone
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a QR Code reader app (on an iPhone scanning can be done by pointing the camera at the code and pressing down on the code as it appears on the screen)
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reliable access to the Internet (that means adequate cell data!)
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headphones wouldn't hurt
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oh, and neither would some popcorn! You'll see why...
Your first step on your quest is to travel to the posted coordinates. Once you arrive, you will be standing on the famous Solstace Stones, one of many attractions Holt Hill has to offer that you will be learning about. Face the skyline and move 90° counterclockwise. You should find a wooden picket sign with four QR codes.
Your job is to scan each code and watch the four coinciding videos. As you take a seat on the solstace stones and watch, be mindful of the questions on the cache page. They will get you coordinates for the final cache, which is a short walk away. Use geocaching.com's solution checker after you come up with your solution. If for some reason your Internet source does not work, simply take a picture of the QR codes and solve them at home. The final cache should not be a problem to find.
The final cache is located at: N AB CD.EFG W 71 H.IJK
How many feet above sea level is Holt Hill? AB0
Where does the town of Andover get its water from?
If it’s Lake Cochichewick, then C=6
Pine Hole Bog, C=9
Haggetts Pond, C=3
Merrimack River, C=2
How many feet is the current tower? Take this number and subtract 60 to get D.
When were the solstice stones erected? 19E0
How many Zodiac stones did Mrs. Ward collect? Take this number and subtract 6 to get F.
In what year was the first reservoir on Holt Hill constructed? 190? (?-2=G)
How many subsidiary benchmark markers were added to Holt Hill near the original one? (H)
In what year did the Ward family travel to Stonehenge? 191I
(Add 1 to this answer)
Which municipality were Zodiac stones B, D, H, and J taken from?
If it’s Roxbury, then J=1
Andover, UK, J=3
they weren’t taken from anywhere, they were found at Holt Hill, J=6
Dorchester, J=8
Nahant Beach, J=5
Who owns the fire lookout tower?
If it’s the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, then K=2
Trustees of Reservation: K=7
Town of Andover: K=4
Thomas Ward, grandson of Charles Ward: K=8
Hold it right there!!! If you're viewing this cache page from home, you're probably like me and want to get a head start on the puzzle before heading out. For better or worse, you cannot find the answers to the questions online. Try all you want, but the answers are unique to the recordings you'll find with the codes. You will have to visit the QR codes on Holt Hill and get your info from them.