Background
Firstly, you should know that The Alethiometrists love
puzzles!
So, of course, this cache is a puzzle cache from start to
finish. But their puzzles are never too difficult for the average
cacher to complete! They always give plenty of instructions....
sometimes.
And they love the esoteric aspect of the sport as well.
Sometimes you have to...
So many excellent caches over the years!
And this cache is intended to take pieces of as many of these
caches as possible and bring them together as a tribute.... and a
challenge for The Alethiometrists themselves. You see, this cache
is only one part of the series that is placed in honor of The
Alethiometrists 1000 finds!
The Cache
You should be able to find this multi-stage puzzle cache by first
determining the appropriate first stage coordinates and then simply
following the directions given here. It will certainly help if you
bring some of the tools you would have used to complete some of The
Alethiometrists other caches.
First stage:
78515324853524652545687485556248535546525253
Once you figure out how to decode the string of numbers above,
you will find a small container there with the info you need to get
to stage 2. Park nearby and begin your quest -- you will eventually
make it back to here again. Now you are inside a box where the only
thing that you need to change from here on out is the three decimal
points for both north and west.
Second stage:
(No Description is Required...)
Third stage:
Getting to the 3rd stage will take you on an Odyssey, but stay Fit
and don't get too far out of your Element. Just follow your GPS and
push past all the temptation. Here you will find the two groups of
numbers that point you to stage 3. No decoding here... just finding
the numbers will be hard enough. You could be standing right on top
of them and not know it. But when you do find them they will be
over your head. It's quite possible that they are totally invisible
until you arrive and look at them.
Now, just use the first group of 3 digits for North and the second
group of 3 digits for West.
Fourth Stage:
You should find something unique here.
Multiply the first digit of it's identity by 73 -- those are your
west coordinates for the final. Multiply the sum of the second and
fourth digits also by 73 -- use that result for north.
Final stage:
No more puzzles for the final stage. Just a nice walk in (and over)
the woods. You should be able to follow this trail most of the way
there.
Good luck!