Uncle Murphy's Gone Missing Mystery Cache

Note: Most of the people who have wanted to find this cache have already done so. It's seldom found these days, so I plan to archive it July 1 to make room for new caches.

If you want to find it but are not able to get it by July 1, let me know and I'll consider leaving it up a bit longer.

My Uncle Murphy went missing exactly one year ago yesterday. I met him just twice in all of my years. He seemed to me, a quiet, kind and intelligent man, but mother always said he was down right crazy, and a criminal to boot! I don't know if she was right or not, but evidently Uncle Murphy left a valuable treasure for me, somewhere in the forest.

I knew very little about Uncle Murphy, and have spent the past year trying to understand his life, and, more importantly, the clues he left for me before his disappearance. The details are thin, but apparently Uncle Murphy worked in some kind of product acquisition and re-distribution enterprise. Anecdotal evidence suggests that he was an exceptional thief, though some said he just ran against the grain. Whatever the case, Uncle Murphy had a strong dislike for the IRS, I can tell you that. He lived and worked on the East coast and occasionally in Europe, then, unexpectedly, he sold all of his belongings, moved to the northwest, and bought a modest lakeside cottage near Saltzman.

He left his home infrequently, with the exception of his early morning canoe trips out onto the lake. At first, his neighbors were very curious about their new neighbor, but, after seeing nothing of him for many months, his presence was lost in their busy lives. The people of Saltzman, while curious, respected his privacy, and decided that he was just a kind old man who was a bit of a hermit. So, they did not force themselves on him. In the two years and two months Uncle Murphy lived in Saltzman, not one person ever spoke with him. Many people saw him on his daily canoe trips out on the lake, and now, it seems to me, that this daily routine was all part of his plan.

On the day Uncle Murphy went missing, one of his neighbors saw him climbing into his canoe just before dawn. It was not unusual to see him in this manner, so she thought nothing of it, but a few hours later, Uncle Murphy's canoe came floating out of the mist upside down. The Sheriff conducted an exhaustive search for Uncle Murphy, even dragging the lake twice. They questioned all of the other neighbors around the lake, but no one could recall seeing him that day. Indeed, upon further reflection, the citizens all admitted that they were so used to not seeing him, that they weren't sure if they saw him or not.

When the Sheriff arrived at Uncle Murphy's Cottage, they found nothing. The cottage was entirely empty, with the exception of my phone number on a note by his phone. They called me immediately, jarring me out of a late morning nap. I have to say I was quite shocked to hear the news, but even more shocked to hear that mine was the only contact information in his whole house. I didn't know where he was. I had never been to Saltzman, and hadn't spoken to Uncle Murphy in nine years, when I was seventeen.

Upon arriving at the cottage, I was surprized to see how stark it really was. There was one chair next to a small table with the phone, and with the exception of a coat rack near the back door, this was the only furniture in the whole cottage. The Sheriff assured me that they had not touched anything, and I wondered what he thought they had disturbed. I wandered around the room and didn't know what I was doing. I started opening drawers and cabinets, all were empty, but then, I discovered the door to the last cupboard was jammed. I pried it open with my fingers. It too was empty, however, stuck to the inside of the door, I discovered thirteen post-it notes arranged in a small circle. The Sheriff hadn't mentioned them, and I wonder if somehow they were over-looked. Each note seemed to be a cryptic message from my Uncle to me, written in his tiny, meticulous hand. They were startling and exciting, all at once. I had many questions, and still don't understand what Uncle Murphy was trying to tell me. In my year of studying them, I have been unable to penetrate their purpose. I have transcribed the notes below, in clockwise order, starting at twelve o'clock, as I found them. I would gladly share the fortune with anyone that can uncover the mystery of Uncle Murphy's notes. Good luck, and good hunting.

• Note 1: Nephew! My plan is set. Exit will be soon. Look closely. Every question has an answer. Every answer a question. No guessing. Nothing left to chance. Just be patient. Much effort likely. Laziness is a trait I abhor.
• Note 2: Along this plaza, you will find a joint mark from my quill. Blind faith is vain. I command your maximum industry!
• Note 3: Nephew! Be ever alert! Once you let your guard down, once you stop questioning, you will be vexed with doubt, and you will tumble into dizzy despair, joining the ranks of the hopeless.
• Note 4: Battle against your better judgment. Make no excuses for yourself. All you need is present and accounted for. If you believe in emptiness, if you believe in zero, zero is all you will receive. Acquaint yourself carefully to my words.
• Note 5: Nephew! Awaken! Break the chains that bind you. You have a job to do! Booze is evil, remember this always. The moment you relax in this quest, all is lost! Be ever vigilant. Prepare to join the wealthy, enlightened, ranks!
• Note 6: All is well, Nephew. Fear not! Acquiesce to my bidding, and you shall never need again. It is only the lazy man that gains nothing, and I know that if I ask you to jump, you will say "how high?"
• Note 7: Nephew: Are you there? Are you concentrating? I do not make mistakes. Be sure of this. It is no accident. Questions are good, but don't stop there. When you think everything is past hope, it is then you must be most exigent. I am a good judge of character. As sure as the azure sky, you can determine my meaning.
• Note 8: I tend to repeat myself. Did I tell you? Did I mentioned my propensity to be redundant? If I could just fuze my passion for exactitude and my more quixotic ideals, I could very well make my own ... well...I digress.
• Note 9: Think of all you can accomplish this very day, Nephew! A world of opportunity awaits for you to conquer. An index can be a useful tool, just make sure that you are fixed on the correct zone, or you may wander too far afield.
• Note 10: Do not be anxious. Pace yourself, but do not quit. I have to repeat this. Do not quit, because when you are ready to stop, the answer will appear. Just as you drop into the depths of despair, look to the zenith and verily, the answer will smile down on you.
• Note 11: Exalt every struggle, Nephew. A prudent man will win his just rewards. Be kind. Be vigilant. Be zealous in your quest, for all you seek is here before you.
• Note 12: Nephew, examine your inner self. Ask yourself this question (make it your mantra): Just who do I think I am? Before long, you will have your answer, and you will be amazed.
• Note 13: Plans making gains. Do not quit! Do not go willingly into that dark night! Stay! Fight! You can do it! Just march on! As crazy as you may think I am, know that all of this is for you. I can trust only you. Vow your brain to this task! Fix your mind on it! Bold jumps may work!

As of January 13, 2019, the cache has been moved to comply with recently-posted "Private Property" signs. When you input your puzzle solution into the checker below, you will be given the new final coordinates, as well as parking coordinates.

If you don't want to use the checker, you can apply this offset to your solution to get to the new final cache location: Subtract 0.042 from north, and add 0.062 to west.

This cache complies with the geocaching policies for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) properties. Please respect park hours when caching, which are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.