BEE Careful When Hearing FORE!
Brogan (on the right, cooking) was a Charter Member (joined first year) of 3 things - Geocaching, Bee Hive group, and NYGO (New York Geocaching Organiztion). He was also an attendee at first Letchworth Fall Gathering. He taught himself how to weld in order to create the grill for the Osage Campfire area that Butterfly Guy then laid stonework around. We still use that fire pit grill and probably will for many years to come.
The first Letchworth Fall Gathering was in 2002, GC62D5. This annual event has been held consecutively for 23 years, even during COVID (although that event didn't get published, due to NY limiting events to only 25 masked people, the event was still held). That's quite an accomplishment!
Brogan also created a special cache, Brogan's Caching Karma Stick. When I bought my first Garmin about 12 years ago, it came already configured with a handful of caches. One of them was Brogan's Caching Karma Stick, because it was so unique - it was a travelling cache. Sadly, it has now been archived and is only a TB.
So, his roots run deep and when deciding where to place a cache in memory of him, it was either going to be Osage or Letchworth. Osage won, as I was able to come up with a cache that was as devious as he was. Cache has the full support of Jeff (landowner), and I didn't have to worry about permits.
Sadly, I only found a few Brogan caches, mostly event caches. However, I heard many stories and those in part have inspired me to hide this cache in his honor.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED: BINOCULARS. For however long they last, Jeff suggested we place a pair in the barn, which we have done. Go to the back of the barn where you see baskets of golf balls, look on left just inside entryway for a padlocked ammo can with Brogan in red letters on it. The combination is locker style and the numbers are: 23, 33, 03. Turn to left 3 times, stopping at 23. Go past 33 to the right once, stopping at 33 the second time, then back to the left stopping at 3. IF YOU BORROW THE BINOCULARS, PLEASE RETURN THEM. They are NOT swag.
Now, for the cache. Follow the walking path down to Brogan's Tree, otherwise known as the listing coordinates. From this vantage point, you should be able to see all 4 targets. We suggest you start with C below, but you may start looking in any order that you wish. Please be careful if you choose to move about the area to try to find your targets, as the walking path is a limited area. On one side is the driving range and the other is one of the golf holes. Further down, a field or two borders the path, depending upon where you are on the path.
This is where the teamwork comes into play. It might be easiest to have one person check your degree heading while the other looks through the binoculars. The second person could then also record the number found by the person with the binoculars.
C 68 degrees
H 130 degrees
I 192 degrees
P 249 degrees
Once you have the required informtion, perform the following calculations to get the location of the final and the combination. Please use the walking paths provided. As already mentioned, if your calculations take you to the edge of a field, please walk along the edge of the field after the fields have been planted, not plow through the middle.
Now, for some KillerB math! HEE! HEE! HEE!
FINAL: N 42 40.BRO, W 77 53.GAN
B = I - P
R = I + (H / 2)
O = I - (H * 3)
G = C
A = I + P - H
N = C * 2
Combination CHIP.
As Brogan would probably not have had a checker, there isn't one.
Because Brogan was a Charter member of Geocaching, this cache has been published as it would have been 'old school style'. Besides the few people who helped to place this cache, NO ONE else has been given advanced notice.
So, after publication, read description carefully about special equipment, bring your own binoculars if you have them, pack the rest of your gear for the day, and GOOD LUCK! FTF is completely up for grabs!
First cacher or cacher pair (as I know some local cachers that share their caching name and others that regularly cache together) will earn a lottery ticket AND the bragging rights! Jeff was also quite excited by both the setup of this cache AND the reason for the cache itself and heartily approved - as long as it was tricky and difficult, the way Brogan might have placed it!
NOTE: You MAY encounter some wire left behind from when these lands were used for cattle. Please be careful.