MistMix 1 Musicross
The cache is not at the posted
coordinates. Solve the following puzzle to learn the true cache location.
This is the first cache in a series of two. The cache contains items for a
field puzzle which can be solved at the site:
MistMix 2 Hometown OR
MistMix 1 Musicross is a photo-based online crossword puzzle using the
CrossCache utility, authored by computer science professor
lesdubois and written specifically for geocaching puzzles.
Bonus! The puzzle has an identical Salt Lake City counterpart:
Intermountain Musicross. The solutions are the same, so for travelers it
could be a two-for-one! To solve the SLC edition, click on the preceding listing
link then the puzzle link in the listing. If you have completed the Oregon
puzzle, the popup and Checker link should
be displayed.
Rather than words for clues, the puzzle uses photographs. Each photo is
intended to bring a song title, or in a few cases, an album title, to mind. The ideas and
photos are (mostly) original. That means you should expect some
groan-inducers!
The songs are largely classic rock and pop from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Most
were major hits and are well known. Thus, the puzzle is likely to be
easier for those with a long involvement with the music of these periods.
If you know such a person, now is the time to bake them a big, beautiful cake!
Don't include any punctuation in your answers. Expect word tricks such as
anagrams, rhyming words, etc to be used.
Begin the crossword by using the link below.
When you have correctly answered all the questions, you will be given a solution phrase
and a direct link to automatically pass the phrase to the Checker. Simply
click the link and paste (Ctrl-V) the phrase which will then provide the coordinates of the geocache. You can also click this
Checker link to see how many of your friends have beaten you to the solve!
MistMix 1 Musicross
No registration is required.
No personal information is required.
I was involved with the utility programming and can ensure its integrity.
The puzzle utility should be fairly intuitive and also includes a Help button.
Following are notes which should be useful as well:
-
Start by clicking New and entering a keyword to identify you to the
application. DO NOT use your name or geocaching name and be sure the
keyword is unusual and not likely to be used by anyone else. The
keyword can be the same one you may have used for other Seawind crossword
puzzles.
-
The utility automatically saves your progress as you work, allowing
continuation at a later time and even on a different device. Just be sure
to remember your keyword!
-
You can tailor the appearance of the puzzle to your liking. Click Options and change the colors and
sizes of the screen features. I found it useful to adjust "Text scale"
and "Cell scale" to a comfortable size and then drag the slider bar between
the puzzle and clue panels right and left until the scroll bar under the
puzzle panel just disappears. Your settings are saved automatically
and will be applied every time you run the puzzle or any future puzzles
saved under the same keyword.
-
If the "Check" box is selected, your answers will be verified each time you
complete a word. If the word turns red, it is not correct. If it
does not change color, you've got it right.
-
Click the Across and Down buttons and the associated word in the puzzle will
be highlighted and ready for your answer. Press "Enter" to scroll
through the clues.
Hints:
-
Many of the questions,
but not all, have associated hints. Those that do not are labeled, "No
hint available" in the button for the clue.
-
To keep things fun, hints must be earned! For every four
correct answers you enter, you will earn one hint credit which can be used for any
question that has a hint available.
-
If you have earned one or more hint credits, clues with available hints are
labeled, "Right click for hint".
-
If you don't have any hint credits, clues with hints indicate the number of
correct answers you need to enter to earn a credit.
-
To reveal a hint,
right-click the button and the hint is displayed in the button.
-
Once a hint has been displayed, it will
remain visible even when the puzzle is reloaded later.
-
Clicking the "Hint Status" button in the main toolbar will display the
current status of hints for the puzzle.
The
hints include numbers that indicate both the number of words and the number of
letters in each word. A clue of "5/2" indicates a five-letter word
and a two-letter word. This is followed by the year the song or album was
released.
The
hints should help, but don't hesitate to ask me if you get stuck!
Enjoy the puzzle and the beautiful, short hike!