The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Find the pictures and solve the puzzle to find the final cache location. Idea borrowed from the Santa Cruz Little Pictures cache, our favorite find so far.
Congratulations to yeksim and lnmagnee for FTF!
Also thanks to Kenderdink for hosting the final location
We took the original pictures for this cache in March 2020, spent a couple weeks fine-tuning the puzzle, and tragically clicked 'publish' on March 27 2020, two days after pandemic guidelines changed to prohibit new caches in residential areas. This lonely octopus has been sitting there ever since, just waiting for somebody to find it. When restrictions lifted earlier this month we re-walked the route and replaced about 1/4 of the photos, and we are so excited to finally get it out in the world!
You do not need to find all 48 picture clues to solve the puzzle. The only ones required to find the final coordinates are #s 2, 8, 14, 19, 24, 34, 36, and 48. The intermediate clues are provided to help you find the others. The 48 pictures found in order trace a route of slightly under 2 miles through the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood. Use the posted coordinates to find the first viewpoint. Each consecutive picture viewpoint is no more than 500 feet away from the previous one, so traveling the entire route in order will lead you to all the required clues, although you can probably skip around if you know the neighborhood well. The last viewpoint (#48) is within 5 blocks of the cache location.
Unlike many of the other little pictures caches, the walking route is not a loop -- the end point is about 2 miles from the start point. If you don't want to have to walk all the way back to your car afterwards, you could consider either (1) parking in the general vicinity of SE 60th & SE Knapp (approximate midpoint of the route), walking to the starting coordinates, and then you'll only have half the route to walk on the way back. OR, if you are doing this with friends and have two cars, one person could leave their car near the Apostolic Church at 56th and Duke (near the end of the route) and another can drive you to the starting coordinates.
To solve the puzzle for the cache coordinates, find the solution to the 8 problems below. Each letter A - H will give you a number 0-9. Then assemble the answers as follows for the final coordinates:
N 45° 2A.BCD’ W 122° 3E.FGH’
Note that some of the viewpoints are taken from the side or back of a building, but to find most of the answers you will need to figure out the street address, which might require looking around the corner for the number on the front. In a few cases, house numbers may be difficult or impossible to see from the sidewalk. Google Maps is a good tool to find house numbers if you get stuck. If you do turn a corner to find a house number, remember to go back to the original photo viewpoint before looking for the next clue.
The route through the picture clues is flat and almost entirely paved. If you find every clue in order and take no detours, it is just under 2 miles from start to finish, plus an additional ~5 blocks to final cache location.
Remember: you are trying to get to the viewpoints from which the photos were taken, not get to the items pictured.. We strongly discourage everyone from climbing on strangers' rooftops (especially for viewpoint #35!!) Pay attention to viewpoints from street corners and note foreground/background items in the pictures, and also note any images that contain arrows – they are often clues about when to make a turn.
You can almost always see at least a hint of the next picture from the viewpoint of the previous one. Sometimes you may need to look behind you! When in doubt, continue in the same direction you were just heading and look for the next clue.
No picture viewpoint is more than 500 feet from the previous one, and a few are less than 50 feet apart. It is not necessary to enter anybody’s front yard to see any of the viewpoints or the final cache. All viewpoints are inside the area bounded by SE Clatsop, SE 68th Ave, SE 52nd Ave, & SE Duke. The final cache location is outside these boundaries but just by a few blocks.
Accessibility: The route is entirely paved except the final cache location, which is about 50 feet off the sidewalk into an unpaved alley. I was able to push a stroller into it without trouble but YMMV. Some parts of the route have no curb cuts or sidewalks, but all of these are on low-traffic residential streets where travel in the street is safe. Retrieving the cache requires a reach to about 6 feet above the ground. Cache is doable for a wheelchair-user in a group with other searchers who can help with the final location, but probably not as a solo mission.
A: Viewpoint 2: Find the numbers on the post below the horse (this is the same as the house number). The first digit of this number = A.
B: Viewpoint 8: B = Second digit of the house number.
C: Viewpoint 14: Count the lotus-shaped fencepost caps on the South side of the property (don’t count those around the corner to the East). C = This number minus two.
D: Viewpoint 19: D = The third digit plus the last digit of the house number.
E: Viewpoint 24: E = The second digit plus the last digit of the house number.
F: Viewpoint 34: F = The last digit divided by the third digit of the house number.
G: Viewpoint 36: Find the large wooden sign with yellow letters just to the north of this viewpoint. The fifth digit of the phone number on that sign = G.
H: Viewpoint 48: On the sign just below this viewpoint, find the street number. H = the last digit minus 2.
Checksum A through H = 44.
Final cache location: The cache is located on private property with owner permission, but it is not necessary to enter the property to reach it. No digging or climbing is required. Be sure to confirm your answer with the solution checker before searching. If you have the correct coordinates, the provided hint should lead you right to it. **IMPORTANT** when you replace the cache, please loop the string back over so it rests on top of the fence in the center of the board, and ensure that it does not slip into the gap between the boards of the fence. This will keep it easier to retrieve for the next finder.
If you'd like to print out the pictures from home, full-size images are available here:
1-24: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xQwTtNLW8AZ1a8abGUQ3GWLC8ACTRWLF/view?usp=sharing
25-48: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LFgcBK2WiDPrM28CH6FCvInc0DakzvjS/view?usp=sharing
Bring your own pen and enjoy! As always, if you get completely lost please message me for a hint!
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
More Little Pictures!
