Cold Cache Crew 2026 presents...
Frozen Waterfalls - Niagra Falls
Niagara Falls is a massive cataract waterfall system, comprising three falls (Horseshoe, American, Bridal Veil) on the Niagara River, formed by glacial meltwater eroding the Niagara Escarpment. It's known for its immense flow and non-extreme height (167 feet), yet categorized as a large, powerful cataract. Niagara Falls doesn't freeze solid due to the immense volume and power of the water, but during extreme cold snaps, mist and spray freeze onto rocks and railings, creating a stunning "frozen" illusion with vast ice formations. The most famous complete freeze was in 1848, when the falls essentially stopped flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam upstream in Lake Erie.
The Cache
The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Instead, solve this kid-friendly Mystery puzzle! You can click on any of the images to see a more zoomed in version of it.
Crossword
First up is a classic crossword! Can you figure out which words the clues are talking about, and place them in the grid? Once the puzzle is complete, look at which letters overlap the shapes. Then get the number equivalent of the letter (for example, A=1, B=2, etc), to see which numbers blue CIRCLE, yellow STAR, green TRIANGLE, and red SQUARE are equal to.
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Across
(2) Created by stacking three balls of snow ontop of each other
(3) Wear on your head to keep warm
(4) Santa's helper, they make toys
(5) Santa's favorite treat (paired with the drink)
(6) Objects wrapped up underneath the tree
(11) Things you hang on a tree
(12) What Santa climbs down to enter a house
(15) Stand underneath it for a kiss!
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Down
(1) Provides a cozy light when lit
(2) Hangs above the fireplace; Santa could put coal in it if you're naughty
(7) The animals that pull Santa's sleigh
(8) A tree topper that can also be found in the night sky
(9) Where Santa lives
(10) A red and white holiday treat
(13) What falls from the sky instead of rain when it's cold
(14) Santa's favorite drink
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Maze
Your next challenge is to complete the maze. Start at the top (blue dot), and find your way to the center. Once you find the correct (shortest) path, count how many presents you picked up along the way. That quantity is what PRESENT is equal to.
Click on the image to see a more zoomed-in version.
Matching
Your last task is to match the number to the character. Follow the lines to see which numbers SNOWMAN, REINDEER, ELF, and SANTA are equal to.
If the image is confusing, here is a text version of the final coordinates:
N 42° 5 SQUARE . ELF TRIANGLE REINDEER
W 85° 3 CIRCLE . SANTA PRESENT STAR
Good luck!
This cache was inspired by GCA20QK and GCBFTH1
You can validate your puzzle solution with
certitude.
About CCC 2026
The Cold Cache Crew theme this year is
Frozen Waterfalls, highlighting beautiful falls from across Michigan and the nation. These caches will be available from January 1 to March 31.
Click here to be redirected to a list of all caches in this year's series.
The caches this year are published as a tribute to
AddHam, who passed away on June 23rd, 2025. He was an original member of Cold Cache Crew when it began in 2012, and was an avid Geocacher who made very creative caches for the love of the game.