Jupiter (Night Cache) Mystery Cache

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in the solar system. The fourth brightest object in Earth’s sky, after the Sun, the Moon, and Venus, Jupiter is more than three times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star. Due to its prominence in the sky, the Romans named the planet for their chief god, Jupiter.

Jupiter orbits the Sun at an average distance of 780 million km (480 million mi), which is about five times the distance from Earth to the Sun. Jupiter’s year, or the time it takes to complete an orbit about the Sun, is 11.9 Earth years, and its day, or the time it takes to rotate on its axis, is about 9.9 hours, less than half an Earth day.

Unlike the rocky inner planets of the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), Jupiter is a ball of dense gas and has no solid surface. Jupiter may have a core composed of rock-forming minerals like those trapped in comet ices, but the core makes up less than 5 percent of the planet’s mass. The force of gravity at the level of the highest clouds in Jupiter’s atmosphere is about 2.5 times the force of gravity at Earth’s surface.

Cache Information

This is a night only cache. The clues to the final cache are obtained by finding and counting reflectors all around the greenway, you may find some of the reflectors during the day, but probably not all of them. After finding and counting all reflectors, you will use this information to determine the final coordinates for the cache. While the clues can be found in any order, they are listed in order along the path.

The path is paved and easily accessible at night. You will need a strong flashlight and your GPSr. The walk is about a mile total, most of the walk is on paved, flat trails in the Clarks Creek Greenway. The greenway is 3.6 miles of new paved greenway trail in the University City area of northeast Charlotte.

Suggested parking is available at Mallard Creek Elementary School off of Mallard Creek Road north of W.T. Harris (coordinates listed above). You can download a map of the greenway, if you would like but it is not necessary to find the cache. If parking at Mallard Creek Elementary, park at the coordinates listed above. The parking at these coordinates should be available even during non-school hours. From the parking area, cross the school access drive and follow the wide gravel path down to the greenway area.

All clue reflectors to the final cache can be seen from the paved walkway with a flashlight. You should only need to travel off the paved walkway to find the final cache. Access to the cache may be more difficult after heavy rain. There are probably several ways to get to the final cache but the easiest way should require no bushwacking.

You can do the following stages in any order. All reflectors at each stop are in close proximity and each stop has at least one reflector. Reflectors are red and blue.

Proceed to N 35° 20.088 W 080° 46.772 (middle of the bridge).
Shine your flashlight over or through the railing to the N/NE (downstream).
How many reflectors can be seen from this location? __ - 2 = A

Proceed to N 35° 20.116 W 080° 46.732.
Have a seat and shine your flashlight across the stream.
How many reflectors can be seen from this location? __ + 1 = B

Proceed to N 35° 20.190 W 080° 46.743.
Have a seat and shine your flashlight behind you.
How many reflectors can be seen from this location? __ + 4 = Y

Proceed to N 35° 20.327 W 080° 46.903 (middle of the bridge).
Shine your flashlight over or through the railing to the E (upstream).
How many reflectors can be seen from this location? __ = Z

The final cache is located at N 35° 20.AB4 W 080° 46.YZ2

Links to the other caches in this series: