Official Stuff
Cache is NOT at the posted coordinates. Don't go there. You won't find a cache there. Please use stealth when retrieving the cache! Cache was placed with permission. Do I really have to tell you not to go past the fence????
This Cache
To find this cache, use the clues below to complete the coordinates:
Final Location: N 34 10.ABC W 083 33.XYZ
A: 33.990213, -84.062939 (Second digit of number)
B: 51.464749, -0.481229
C: 33.646791, -84.437312
X: 33.968266, -84.094495 (White and black, first digit)
Y: 32°51'21.1"N 96°51'18.3"W
Z: 32°50'33.6"N 96°50'23.8"W
Using Maps to Solve Puzzles
Sometimes Cache Owners (CO’s will use real world things to “hide” coordinates from a user! Fortunately, these can bee easy to find if you know what you are looking for!!
Coordinate Formats
The first step In recognizing a map will be useful is knowing that you are looking at coordinates!!
You might be saying, “Well, Duh, GMT!!! Certainly I know coordinates when I see them, right?”. Well, that may be tricky.
Coordinates can be expressed in several different format. The most common use some variant of degrees (DD), minutes (MM) and seconds (SS).
Original coordinates were most often expressed in the Degrees. Minutes, Seconds format (DD MM SS). Minutes and seconds work just like they do on a clock. If you are at 15 minutes and 59 seconds and add one second, you are now at 16 minutes and 0 seconds. If you are at 47 degrees. 59 minutes and 59 seconds and add one second, you are now at 48 degrees, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.
Note that while this format is common, it is NOT the standard Geocaching format. Part of this has to do with precision. Without going into decimal places, you can not break any minute down below 60 parts. This would make geocaching tough as each second could cover over 100 feet!!!
Another popular format, the one that most Geocachers see Is the Degrees/Minutes format (DD MM.MMM). Instead of expressing the seconds, it is expressed as a decimal portion of the minute. To convert the Minutes and Seconds (MM SS) to a decimal minutes format (MM.MMM) is simple. Just divide the seconds by 60 (since there are 60 seconds in a minute). You should get a number between 0 and 1. Take that to as many decimals as you wish for precision (The standard in Geocaching is three decimal places.
So if you have 47 minutes and 38 seconds, you can convert the MM.MMM format as follows:
Divide 38 seconds by 60 (the number of seconds in a minute). Rounded to 3 decimals you get .633
Add this to the minutes. So you get 47.633
47 minutes and 38 seconds converts to 38 47.633 minutes!
The final format you may see is the degrees only (DD.DDDDD) format. Once again, conversion is fairly straightforward!
First of all, convert to MM.MMM format
Divide the MM.MMM format by 60 (The number of minutes in a degree)
Add that number to the degrees!! (DD)
In our example, 47.633 minutes divided by 60 is .79388. So the DD.DDDDD format of 38.79388 degrees!
North, South, East, and West
The world has been broken into varius positions to help with the use of coordinates. Lattitude is expressed as either North or South. Longitude is expressed as either East or West. Know also that if you don’t see a N, S, E, or W that a positive number is assumed to be in the Northern or Eastern hemispheres. Negative numbers are in the Southern or Western hemispheres. Most geocachers in this area will see N or positive for latitude and W or negative for Longitude.
Using the Maps (Satellite)
Now when you see coordinates, you can use maps to help you solve some puzzles!!
Most map programs have a “satellite view”. The way to access this will vary depending on your map program, so check your individual map.
Let’s try one!! Use your favorite map program and look at this spot in satellite view:
34.182034, -83.563892
Do you see a number? If not, zoom down!!! You should see that the spot is a runway and you can see the number 17. If you zoom further, you may see your map pin is actually on the 7. It may be the CO is trying to give you the number 7 here!!
Additionally, the CO may have you look at a map for information! For example, they may give you the following coordinates, 29.978927, 31.134129, and ask “How Many Triangles do you see that are above the ground? The answer would be “8” and that may be the clue!!
Be sure to look at potential spots in various levels of zoom to see multiple possibilities for answers!!
Using the Maps (Street View)
Some maps will go beyond satellite view and let you drill down to a “street” view! This can give you even more information!!
Accessing “Street View” will vary by application, so check your application for more details.
As another example, if you were to see the coordiantes 34.169341, -83.564918 and look in street view, you would see a yellow “Curve ahead” sign with “45 MPH” below. The CO might give you those coordinates with a note, “The total of the two digits” and you would get 9 for the answer!
Going Back in Time
We won’t do an example here, but keep in mind, some mapping programs will also you choose a specific point in time to view the area!! Some puzzlers may hide things that are only visible by looking in the past!! Whoa!! Fortunately, this puzzle will not do that!!
We hope you’ve learned a bit more about searching for clues using maps!! Have fun solving this puzzle!