The cache is not at the published coordinates.
Below is a grid of 37 nodes, each of which has one or more half links coming from it, represented as two small circles. When the half links of two nodes face each other, then a full link is formed and the nodes are connected. Each node can be rotated to face any of six directions, causing all of its half links to rotate with it.
To solve the puzzle, the nodes need to be rotated such that all of the nodes are connected to each other. That is to say, it must be possible to trace an unbroken path from any node to any other node. You can imagine any one of the nodes as being a power source and the rest of them as receivers; in this analogy, you would need to allow the power to flow through the connections to reach all of the nodes.
When I playtested this puzzle on a certain relative, they solved it by arranging 37 pieces of paper into a hexagon shape, drawing line(s) from the centre of each of them to represent the connections, and rotating them.
Eight of the nodes have been assigned a letter and have one of their half links highlighted in red. You will need to work out the values (an integer from 1 to 6) of the letters a to h. This is done by working out which direction the highlighted half link is facing once the node is rotated correctly, using the reference below.
Let x = the concatenation of these numbers into a single 8-digit number
Work out the answer to:
(x + 31) / 154 + 204
The real coordinates are:
N 54° 17.*** W 000° 23.***
The maths expression above will give you a 6-digit number to fill in the blanks in the coordinates.
The area where the cache is hidden has a lot of overhead tree coverage that can play havok with a GPS. To help you identify the right tree, the one you want is a rather prominent tree with a thick trunk. It is located on flat ground at the bottom of the slope, close to the ditch. When viewed from the right angle (roughly while facing west), I think it looks a bit like a nested-U-shaped candelabra.
This puzzle was generated using an adapted maze-generation algorithm that I wrote for a video game I am writing as a hobby. It guarantees that there is exactly one solution.
As with any puzzle of mine, feel free to message me if you want help with any aspect of this puzzle.
Congratulations to marions27 for FTF.
Last cache check: 30 April 2025