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The Trouble with Truffles Mystery Cache

Hidden : 11/1/2006
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE LISTED COORDINATES. You must decrypt the puzzle below to find the true coordinates to the kids cache. The camouflaged cache container is a camouflaged Tupperware container. Minimal bushwhacking is required to retrieve the final cache. Please use stealth when retrieving the cache. It is in the middle of a neighborhood.

Since the early days of Greek and Roman Empires, Truffles have been prized in Europe as a delicacy, an aphrodisiac and as a form of medicine. They rank among the most expensive natural foods found in the world, often commanding as much as $500 to $2,000 per pound. Truffles are round, warty, and irregular in shape and vary from the size of a walnut to that of a man’s fist. The flavor of the truffle is directly related to its aroma. When the spores of the truffle are properly matured, a chemical odor is released indicating that the mushroom is ready for harvesting. If the truffles are collected too soon, they will have little taste to them. That is why animals have proven to be the best means of assuring that the truffle collected will be flavorful.

Snout, Inc. is the leader in commercial truffle harvesting. The pig workforce numbers in the thousands. The earliest known records of the company indicate that they harvested 2,200 tons of truffles in 1890. However, over the years, their monopolistic hold over the marketplace has dwindled down to a present output level of only 25 to 150 tons. Their resulting loss in market share has come from the influx of competition in the form of truffle-trained dogs, squirrels and chipmunks. The competition’s workforce appears to be cheaper and better trained.

Trevor Tusk (Vice President of Marketing and Sales) is in the CEO’s office for the third time this week. The CEO is livid and is demanding answers to their current situation. He has put Trevor on notice to correct the situation or look for another job. Back in his office, Trevor finds himself pacing the floor and unable to think. In a attempt to clear his head, Trevor pulls out his latest issue of "Swine of Fortune". Trevor scans the cover of this month's issue; it features an article on the Truffle Wars of the 70's, one of his favorites. As Trevor begins to read he find himself relaxing more and more. After reading the article, Trevor moves on to the classifieds in search of an exercise bike for himself. Scannning the pages, he doesn't find the exercise bike he wants but does find the answer to his problems in the form of The Rootinator.

A discrete phone call and the exchange of cash in a remote location; the Rootinator becomes a hired gun for Snout, Inc.

Your mission, as the Rootinator, is to use your paintball gun and drive the competition from the forest. In this section of the forest you have to find the six opponents that are hidden. Move your cursor over the picture until it changes to a hand indicating you have zeroed in on a target. Click on that spot and a question will be revealed to which the answer will provide a missing number in the final coordinates of the cache. Good luck and happy hunting!







The cache coordinates are in the standard format:

Cache coordinates: N 39° A.BC W 077° D.EF

Congratulations to First Noel and Chris on FTF!

Congratulations to Team VA Bulldog on FTF Family!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gurer ner gjb qbtf, gjb puvczhaxf naq gjb fdhveeryf va guvf frpgvba bs gur sberfg.

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)