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The Prime Cache Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

kiwimonster: We took the opportunity to pick this one up today. Thanks to everyone who found it! We've learned a lot about the art of hiding a cache. Don't be suprised to see this style of cache make a comeback... I'm sure we'll come up with something!

Spritridge 7 - Jazzy Beads was still in the cache when we retrieved it... We'll move it along soon.

Took cache, left memories. Thanks again all!

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Hidden : 10/23/2002
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The above coordinates are not the cache. It IS a nice fountain that makes a pretty bulls-eye for a starting point, but there is no reason to go there at all. You will modify these coordinates to obtain the real coordinates.
This is our first cache, so we'll try to keep it simple.

This cache is all about prime numbers. One of us has been playing with finding prime numbers recently, and we decided that we could use one of them for a cache. For those who slept through math, a prime number is a positive whole number that can only be evenly divided by itself and the number one. The number one is not considered a prime number. The numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, etc. are.

To find the cache, you need to do a little bit of math before setting out. Now don't run screaming into the night just yet, it really isn't that hard. There's some subtraction, some addition, an exponentiation, and a single factoring. Aside from maybe the factoring, you learned all of this in grade school, right? Right!

To start off, there is a prime number at this web page: http://www.kiwimonster.net/primecache.html

Subtract that number from 2 65536 (that is two raised to the 65536th power).

The resulting number is not prime, which just seems wrong somehow, but it does have just two prime factors. You will need to determine those prime factors.

Take the larger prime factor, and add it to the decimal part of the minutes of the longitude (the 458 part). Then, take the smaller prime factor, and add it to the decimal part of the minutes of the latitude (the 267 part).

Go to that location, and you will find the Prime Cache!

The cache is a tennis ball canister - not a lot of space. Things in the cache should have a prime number on them, or have at least something remotely to do with prime numbers. Be creative!

Cache is started with five items:

  • Compass with built-in number two pencil
  • A pink ruler with scales in two units
  • Three inflating needles
  • A sports car with a number 11
  • A fabulous calculator ($3 value)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[math hint] <BR> Juvyr lbhe fgnaqneq unaq-uryq pnyphyngbe jvyy unir gebhoyr qbvat guvf, gurer ner rnfl gb svaq gbbyf ba gur Vagrearg gb qb gur uneqre cnegf bs gur nobir. Frnepu sbe guvatf yvxr "ovt ahzore", "cevzr snpgbe", naq "pnyphyngbe". Gur cevzr ahzore vf ynetryl sbe fpner inyhr fb qba'g qrfcnve; gur fhogenpgvba erfhyg jvyy or yrff guna n zvyyvba, fb lbh'yy bayl arrq gb . . . <BR> Rnpu cevzr snpgbe vf yrff guna n gubhfnaq. <P> [general location hint] <BR> Gur pnpur vf jvguva frireny uhaqerq srrg bs cbjre gbjre ahzore gjb. Frrzf nccebcevngr, nf gur nobir cevzr vf nyfb pybfr gb n gbjrevat cbjre bs gjb. <P> [search hint] <BR> Ybbx oruvaq fbzr fznyy zbffl fghzcf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)