The Abscacher Code REVEALED!!
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size:
 (large)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Step two and ten clues are now given in the step. Watch kids and pets. The Terrain really is a 5. The listed coordinates are not the actual cache coordinates. This is a multi cache and you will have to decipher the clues to find the final coordinates. The final location is a 5
step 12 take trail to right about 30 paces from entry. Look for trail name.
The Abscacher Code
This is Abscacher’s tribute to “The DaVinci Code” the novel by Dan Brown. While reading this book and the novel “Angels and Demons” by the same author, I couldn’t help thinking it seemed like an elaborate cache hunt. Abscacher has placed a large treasure chest full of goodies, including specially made Abscacher Code tokens in an obscure location near San Angelo, Texas. The mesquite tokens are numbered in sequence with which the cache is found. So be sure and take the token showing your numerical place as a finder. In order to find the treasure, you will have to solve riddles and decipher codes. The quest will take you all over town. Some locations will have actual containers holding the next clue(NOT anymore the clue is with the steps), others will require you to break the code, using a “key” that will be revealed in the clue, to find the location of the next clue. This will be an extreme multi-cache hunt, and will require some time to complete. Feel free to log notes on your progress, if you are unable to complete the quest in a single outing. These are the instructions you will need to help you decipher the clues.
The first type of code used is a Caesar’s box. This code was used by Julius Caesar to send messages to his troops. It is a string of seemingly random letters. To be a Caesar’s Box ,the number of letters has to be a square. Such as 9,16,25,36 etc., to enable you to form a box from the letters. As an example the string of letters STDEHOEEG, is nine letters. This will form a box three across and three down. The letters are written as follows.................... .S T D
................................. E H O
................................. E E G and the message is read top to bottom by column, or SEE THE DOG. A string of 64 letters would produce a box 8 letters by 8 letters. When you are given a string of letters count to see if the number of letters is a square, and if so decipher using the Caesar’s Box.
The next type of code is the letter for letter substitution. This is the type of code Geocaching uses to encode the clues on caches. Each letter is assigned a numeric value, A=1, B=2, C=3, etc. Then using a “key” number you are given, you will substitute the given number, for the real number. Example if the code is 5, then A=E, B=F, C=G, D=H, E=I, F=J, G=K, H=L, I=M, J=N, K=O, L=P, M=Q, N=R, O=S, P=T, Q=U, R=V, S=W, T=X, U=Y,V=Z, W=A, X=B, Y=C, Z=D.
Set up for Code 5 like this:
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
E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D
So in code 5, the string of letters WII XLI HSK = SEE THE DOG. These two codes can be combined. If the letter string is a square, but does not make sense in the Caesar’s box, then you will need the code to substitute the letters into the box.
The next code is a simple letter for number code. This code works great for coordinates. The code requires a word or phrase containing at least 10 letters. Each letter in the phrase equals a number. In the phrase BIG RED CATS, numbers 1 thru 0 are assigned to each letter in sequence. B=1, I=2 G=3,etc. (Always start with 1 and end at 0). So BSS IE.GCE = 100 25.375. This works great if you can find a word or phrase containing 10 non-repeating letters. If you have a phrase of 10 letters with repeating letters, then the first letter will be written as X1, the next as X2. Example: SEE RED CATS gives us S1=1, E1=2, E2=3, R=4, E3=5, D=6, C=7, A=8, T=9, S2=0. So S1S2S2 E1E3.DCA = 100 25.678. If the phrase has more than 10 letters, use each letter only once till you get to zero. Example .................... .SEE THE BIG RED DOG
...... ....................... 1 2 .34 .. 567 8 9 0
SOO EB.TDG = 100 25.397
The last type of code is taking letters out of the context of a written page, or in our case plaques placed in public places. Each letter in the coded message will be written as 1-2, 3-1, 4-2,etc where the first number is the number of the word in the text and the second number is the number of the letter in the word. Example: The text is “Located in San Angelo Texas”. The code is 3-1, 1-6, 5-2, 3-2, 1-3, 5-4, 5-1. 3-1 is the third word first letter or S, 1-6 is first word sixth letter or E, etc. (SEE A CAT). Once you decipher the code you may have to solve a riddle to get to the next clue. Example: Black ,white and read all over building is the key. The old joke you know is newspaper, and the building is the key. Go to the newspaper building and look for a word or phrase on the building. In this case it would be The Standard Times, and T=1 H=2 E=3 S=4 (skip the duplicate letters since there are more than 10) A=5 N=6 D=7 R=8 T=9 M=0.
The Quest Begins with this strange gibberish.
Good Hunting!!!
Step One.
W T F H E R D M F H E O L E T S O O E E U E T H O U R R N
R T L R V N T E T T T O E E T H T H E E O E R A E H A E R K B T I K I N N S F I H N E R D T M O R E S Y
Step Two. N: E1L A1E2.NA1N W: LZZ A1P.SNR
( container here see step 3 for code)
Step Three. This is the clue found at the above coordinates.
D M S G E H M A I A I R S I N S A I T E C A S T G N O A O N S H O R R T C T E N E Y T I O A K A P O O N L N E L O F M T U D Y
Step Four. R K K Y V T F I E V I C F F B E F I K Y K F K Y V R I K U V T F S L Z C U Z E X K Y V B V P Z J K Y V G I F U L T K F W K Y V R I T Y V U N Z E U F N J K Z D V J K Y V M V I K Z T R C T F C L D E J
Step Five. H S P C P N Z Y N S Z L Y O N S L O M Z F C Y P X P P E T D L X F C L W H T E S L G P S T N W P A T N E F C P O H S T N S T Y D A T C P O E S T D C Z Z Q W T Y P Y P L C H S P C P J Z F H T W W Q T Y O L D E L C F Y O P C D L Y L Y R P W Z
(look for vehicle settlers lived in to migrate west) (this iconic building takes it design from this vehicle)
Step Six. 2-3, 10-2, 1,1 12-2, 2-5, 5-5, 3-1, 4-1, 13-2, 4-3, 10-2, 1-1, 9-1, 12-2. 4-2, 7-2, 3-1, 2-2, 18-1, 7-4, 4-5, 9-8, 15-3, 9-1, 1-1, 9-3, 1-1, 9-3, 9-6, 2-4, 9-1, 12-4, 4-3, 7-3, 8-1, 10-2, 1-1, 1-2, 5-1, 6-1, 8-1, 4-3, 19-2, 9-3, 22-1, 2-4, 18-2, 7-6, 11-1, 12-1, 10-2, 1-1, 2-3, 16-1, 19-2, 1-2, 2-1, 12-1, 2-5, 9-1, 10-4, 3-1, 2-4, 4-2, 8-1, 10,2 , 4-4, 10-2, 1-1, 7-2, 12-2, 11-2, 5-2, 10-3, 18-2, 8-1, 12-2, 2-5, 6-1, 8-2, 10-3, 11-1, 7-2, 12-4, 4-3, 1-1, 2-4, 1-2, 7-4, 13-1, 3-2, 14-2
( Look for plague with a star above the words San Angelo)
Step Seven. 5-1, 2-3, 4-4, 8-2, 1-2, 42-1, 10-2, 11-4, 1-8, 4-1, 6-2, 10-4, 3-2, 11-3, 9-1, 8-1, 8-2, 9-2, 6-2, 7-1, 5-2, 43-1, 3-2, 8-2, 1-6, 5-2, 3-3, 11-6, 15-2, 14-4, 8-1, 2-2, 17-1, 13-2, 16-1, 1-6, 4-1, 8-1, 8-2, 8-5, 41-4, 1-2, 6-6,
(go stand there)
Step Eight. X W L Q J M K X D A W N X W N K U X L T Y J B C K A R M P N O R W M C Q N W D V K N A X O C Q N K J W M X A A U J B C X W N T N H
( think monopoly not music)
Step Nine. P U A D V O B U K Y L K I S V J R U V Y A O J O H K I V B Y U L M P U K A O L R L F
(Address)
Step Ten. N PXD IK.IOE W DPP IO.IXO
(the code follows in the next step) Don't look for container.
Step Eleven. These are directions to next step and encoded coordinates to the final cache, found at above coordinates
H H I N E G E O G E O S D R E A O O A S H S T E T K L D E H J H N E F D P S I U E T N O E A C G S B E A R N S O H T R R N T K T T L O I A D H E T T A V D R L E Y
(THINK subdivision where streets have Scottish sounding names)
Step Twelve. Coordinates to treasure deciphered using key found at this step.
(look for yellow lettered sign for West Potts Creek Trail) N ASW ER.PPP W WAA SE.STS (FINAL COORIDINATES)
Step Thirteen. Decipher the combination to lock using clues on the lid of the treasure chest. Be Sure you bring your notes. The combination is in the hint if not legible on the box. Log your find!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ghea evtug 3 gvzrf. Fgbc ng gur zvqqyr qvtvg bs gur O&0 EE
Ghea yrsg bar shyy ghea cnffvat svefg ahzore gb fgbc ng gur ynfg qvtvg bs gur crney negvfgf qrngu
Ghea evtug naq fgbc ng ahzore bs pbevaguvna pbyhzaf YRFF bar
Chyy gb bcra