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Dial 'S' for Sun Multi-cache

Hidden : 3/19/2005
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Believe it or not the sun really does shine in Vancouver. Years ago our ancestors were very creative when it came to tracking the sun across the sky. Unfortunately their wonderful time machines mysteriously lost all the hours between sunset and sunrise.

To find the hidden treasure you'll need to search Vancouver to find those missing hours. The waypoint on this cache page is the entrance to the UBC Botanical Gardens. This is not your starting point. The spoiler picture below, of the sundial deep within the these beautiful gardens, illustrates the missing hours to be added for 'A'. Gather clues from the remaining sundials in any order you wish.

Total of missing hours 9 PM to 4AM inclusive: A = (9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4) = 52

N49° 14.895 W122° 58.595 B = 48 (Danish Church spoiler pic below. Missing hours: 9PM to 3AM inclusive)
N49° 16.833 W123° 08.008 C = 60 (West End Manor spoiler pic. Missing hours: 8PM to 4AM inclusive)
N49° 14.650 W122° 56.132 D = ___
N49° 17.239 W123° 08.560 E = ___
N49° 18.715 W123° 05.208 F = Number of letters in the word at 'N' (North) ___

Calibrate your time machine to coordinates N49° (D-E+(B/6)).(A+B+E+717) W123° (B+D-C-45).((E*F)-5)

Check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

Updates 2007
1. Due to devastating wind storms this past winter, the trail is closed indefinitely. Replaced the cache in a new area.
2. Sadly sundial B was stolen in late 2007. It was made by blacksmith Emil Pedersen in 1998. Spoiler hours disclosed above and spoiler pic below.
3. Sundial C has mysteriously disappeared. Spoiler hours disclosed above and spoiler pic below.
4. Finders prior to April 2007 are welcome to recalculate, find and log again.

PS. Thanks to Plein Jeu, here's another example sundial near Vanier Park - N49 16.394 W123 08.770.


Update 2010

The original cache has been found unharmed in Stanley Park. The wind storm in late 2006 failed to destroy it, and we've removed it from the park. The 2007 replacement remains the 'active' cache, and is nowhere near Stanley Park.

PPS. Thanks to beauLarry for a real mystery sundial. Any ideas where this is?

Update Nov/2012
Mystery solved. A big thanks to gottagonow, this sundial is right in the heart of Vancouver! How could we have missed that? Google Earth to the rescue... https://maps.google.com/?ll=49.280289,-123.106439&spn=0.00084,0.002411&t=h&z=19

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qba'g pyvzo qbja. 4 gehax gerr, ab arrq gb fgbbc.

Decryption Key

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

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)