Lightning Strike! Mystery Cache
KingwoodGeo: I no longer live near enough to maintain this cache.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Thanks to G&N Geocachers for offering to adopt this cache when I moved from the area.
Sincerely, KingwoodGeo
The posted location is a convenient parking spot. You will need to solve a puzzle to find the coordinates of this cache.
Twenty years ago I was on the telephone with a friend during a thunderstorm. There was a brilliant flash that both of us saw from our windows. We waited for the thunderclap and were amazed that the sound reached both of our houses at exactly the same time.
Since the light from the thunderbolt cast a crisp shadow of the vertical window pane support directly on the bedroom door's knob, I was able to determine that the lightning struck EXACTLY due west of my house. My friend could only say that it struck generally north-northwest of his house.
My house is located at N 30 3.681 W 95 11.253
My friend's house is at N 30 2.818 W 95 12.167
The cache is a small camoflaged plastic tube hidden inside a hollow tree about 15 feet from the rotting (but still standing) remnants of the tree that was hit by lightning 20 years ago. You will have to use a primitive pulley system to lower the cache into view in the hole at the base of the tree. A photo of the cache tree is posted here.
There is no room in the cache container for trinkets.
Approach the cache location from the NORTH side unless you're fond of wading across water moccasin-infested creeks.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fbhaq geniryf guebhtu nve ng gur fnzr fcrrq va nyy qverpgvbaf. Gur funcr bs gur fbhaq jnir sebag vf na rkcnaqvat pvepyr ba gur rnegu'f fhesnpr.
Gur guhaqrepync ernpurq obgu ubhfrf ng gur fnzr gvzr.
Fgevxr jnf qhr jrfg bs zl ubhfr = Fnzr Yngvghqr.
Va Xvatjbbq n zvahgr bs yngvghqr vf ybatre ba gur tebhaq guna n zvahgr bs Ybatvghqr.
Qb gur zngu va HGZ zrgref. Erzrzore gung gur HGZ onfryvar nkvf qbrf abg eha rknpgyl Rnfg-Jrfg be Abegu-Fbhgu. Hfr uggc://jjj.wrrrc.pbz/qrgnvyf/pbbeq/ gb genafsbez pbbeqvangrf orgjrra YngYba naq HGZ zrgref. (Vs gung qbrf abg jbex, gel hfvat lbhe TCF nf n pnyphyngbe ol fjvgpuvat lbhe TCF orgjrra qrpvzny zvahgrf naq HGZ. Perngr n jnlcbvag va bar flfgrz, gura punatr gur flfgrz naq ivrj gur jnlcbvag qrgnvyf va gur bgure flfgrz. Irel pyhaxl, ohg vg qbrf gur wbo.)
Treasures
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