THERE IS NO CACHE AT THE POSTED COORDINATES! REPEAT - NO
CACHE AT THE POSTED COORDINATES.
It looks like a Sudoku puzzle, but it is, in fact, a Geoduku
puzzle. You solve it just like a Sudoku puzzle (the numbers 1
thought 9 must appear once in each row, each column, and each large
square of 9 cells), but unlike most other Sudoku caches you’ve
seen, the coordinates can be read straight off the grid!
In the puzzle below, the North coordinate is entirely found in
the third row (letters A through G). The West coordinate is in the
seventh row (Letters H through N). Transfer the numbers you place
in those cells into the coordinate template, below. There are no
tricks, no formulas, and no missing values. The digits that make up
the coordinates are not scattered all through the puzzle for you to
decipher. You solve the puzzle and the coordinates are right there.
Here are the three steps to doing this cache safely:
Solve the puzzle. This cache is located within New Haven
County, CT. That is important. Because this is a Geodoku puzzle,
all the rules for latitude and longitude coordinates in degrees and
decimal minutes apply. Therefore, some digits are not going to be
allowed in some locations in the puzzle. Try solving this puzzle as
a regular Sudoku puzzle, and you will find it is very hard. Solve
it as a Geodoku puzzle and you will find that it is much easier.
The puzzle will give the coordinates to the first stage of the
cache. Enter your coordinates into the following template:
AB° CD.EFG North, 0HI° JK.LMN West
You can check your answers for this puzzle on
Geochecker.com.
Do your homework! Where is this place? Are there trails
there? Are there maps? Where are you going to park? Don’t just head
out once you have the coordinates! Do some checking first.
Find the cache. DO NOT TRY THIS CACHE AT NIGHT! Do not
try this in snowy / icy conditions. Also, if it has rained
recently, the trek could be very slick. Some paths to either the
first or second stage could become impassable in very wet
conditions. The micro is a small container that holds the
coordinates to the final. If you did your homework, you should be
able to determine the best method for you to get to the final. Each
person’s method may be different. Choose a route that will work for
you! For example, on the route I took to place the cache, I would
never bring my dog or my two year old. My six year old, however,
thought it was a blast! Your mileage may vary. All cache hides are
off the trail – some bushwhacking will be involved, but if you
choose good routes, the bushwhacking is not difficult. The final is
a large, formerly white jar that holds a variety of goodies,
including a disposable camera to take a picture of yourself. The
FTF prize is a book of Sudoku puzzles and a cotton-Lycra book cover
hand-dyed in a shibori style.