The cache container is not at the posted coordinates! Solve the puzzle in advance to obtain the solution coords. The container is a regular-sized ammo can. Please relock the lid using the carabiner.
This puzzle is a tribute to those whose caching names reflect their PINEY PRIDE! "Piney" was not always the beloved term that it is today, Years ago, "Piney" originated as a derogatory term for people of the Pinelands, viewing them as poor & isolated nitwits, often linked to outlaws or moonshiners. But that view has changed and many geocachers embrace Piney pride.
3 STEPS TO SOLVE PUZZLE:
STEP #1 - Solve the Crossword Puzzle [2 options]:
Option 1: Print Puzzle from this cache page, OR
Option 2: Solve Puzzle Online: Right-click to Open Link in New Tab
*** Ignore spaces in cacher names!
*** Option 2 is intended for desktops, laptops & tablets. It probably won't work right on smartphones.
*** If you solve via Option 2, keep the solved crossword open or take a screenshot to use for next step.
STEP #2 - Unscramble a Word Using the 9 Circled Letters
*** Circles only appear on the crossword grid above [Option 1].
*** The online crossword grid [Option 2] does not show Circles.
*** Circled letters needed to unscramble:
- 5th letter in 3 Across
- 5th letter in 7 Across
- 5th letter in 8 Across
- 7th letter in 10 Across
- 2nd letter in 1 Down
- 8th letter in 2 Down
- 4th letter in 5 Down
- 12th letter in 6 Down
- 5th letter in 7 Down
STEP # 3 - Enter the Unscrambled Word in Certitude
*** Solution coordinates will be revealed on Certitude when you enter the correct unscrambled 9-letter word:
You can validate your puzzle solution with
certitude.
IMPORTANT:
- For the crossword puzzle, ignore spaces in cacher names!
- If you solve the crossword puzzle online [Option 2], take a screenshot of the solved crossword or keep its webpage open until you gather the 9 circled letters for Step 2.
About Jakes Branch County Park
Jakes Branch is part of the Ocean County Parks system. Located on the western side of Beachwood, NJ, this park serves as a northeast GATEWAY TO THE PINELANDS, also known as the NJ Pine Barrens or just simply "The Pines". The Jersey Devil has been known to lurk in Pinelands for over a hundred years, so keep one eye open as you walk the trails to the cache!
About the NJ Pinelands
The Pinelands is made up of 1.1 million acres of woodlands, waterways, meadows and farmlands, roughly 22% of NJ's area. The soil of the Pinelands is considered infertile for most crops compared to soils west and north, since the soil here is sandy, porous, and acidic. Cranberry and blueberry farming, however, has long thrived in the Pinelands, because they are native plants which have adapted to the conditions. In 1978, the NJ Pinelands was designated as the first ever United States National Reserve.