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Needle in a Haystack Multi-cache

Hidden : 8/6/2006
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Information you need to locate the final has been glued to the top of a magnet tipped bolt that has been screwed into the lawn at WP2 (The exact location of WP2 is given below.) However finding it with only your GPS will be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Note 11/11/2018: WP1, which previously contained the instructions and tools needed to find WP2, has gone missing too many times. Therefore WP1 at the posted coordinates is not being replaced. Instead go directly to WP2. The instructions you need have been added to the listing below and searchers are now requested to bring there own tools.

Note 8/9/2019: I tried out a "Metal Detector" app for my iPhone and found it to be much better than using a compass to locate the magnet attached to bolt at WP2. Its free and also available for android phones. Amazing that when this cache was fist hidden there were no phone apps.

Note 9/15/2021: The original WP2 is under the construction of the new stage. WP2 was moved on 10/11,2021. That W2 turned out to be to close to another hide. So today W2 was moved again to N47 37.895 W122 18.829.

Following the instructions below will make the search for WP2 much easier. Bringing a compass (or better yet, a "Metal Detector" App on your phone) and several toothpicks will greatly improve your chances of success.


Go to WP2 at N47 37.895 W122 18.829, locate L1, L2, S1, S2 as described below.

L1) Facing WNW look for a white globed street lamp, the 4th such lamp on south side of East Highland Drive, counting from 15th Ave E.

L2) Facing WNW look for the bare-bulb light directly above the entrance to the men's room, a bit east of the conservatory.

S1) Facing N look for a sign that says "DOG AND OTHER PETS PROHIBITED" on the south side of the wading pool.

S2) Facing N look for a sign that says "WADING POOL HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES" on the north side of the wading pool.

Once you see each of the objects above from your position at WP2, follow the instructions below:

1) Your GPS alone will get you within 10-20 feet of the bolt. To get closer to the bolt, move your position slightly until the L1 post covers L2. Then, keeping the L1-L2 alignment, line up S1 and S2 so one white sign appears to cover the other.

2) The Alignments in step 1 (above) should get you within a foot of the bolt. To get closer, take out you compass (or metal detector app ) and pass it over the lawn at your feet. The compass should swing (or the metal detector beep) when touching the grass and passing over the magnetic. This should get you within an inch.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE THE COMPASS IN YOUR CELL PHONE AS IT WILL NOT DETECT A NEARBY MAGNET. INSTEAD USE A COMPASS WITH A MAGNETIC NEEDLE LIKE A BOY SCOUT COMPASS WHICH WILL SPIN AS YOU PASS IT OVER A STRONG MAGNET.

3) To get closer, take out a toothpick and gently probe the gently probe where you think the bolt resides.

4) To get closer, carefully pull back a small flap of grass until the bold head is exposed. There may be a thin crust of dirt that will need to be scraped off to expose in information on the bolt head.
The bolt top information is formatted as Nabc and Wdef.

DO NOT PULL OUT THE GRASS ROOTS AS THAT WILL LEAVE THE BOLT HEAD EXPOSED.

5) Use the information found on the bold head to calculate the final coordinates at:

N 47 degrees 37.123 + 0.abc minutes.
W 122 degrees 18.966 + 0.def minutes.

6) Finally, adjust the grass near the bolt so it is out of sight.

7) Now you are ready to go search for the cache at the calculated coordinates.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Svany: Xrrc pnpur pbagnvare haqre yrnirf naq fgvpxf.

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)