November 2008 Cache of the Month
geocaching.com Cache of the Week, May 2010
http://blog.geocaching.com/2010/05/geocache-of-the-week-may-27th-2010/
This is a puzzle cache, and the coordinates are for the parking
location. NOTE: The cache area is open to bow deer hunting during
the "early" season (Sept-November), and the the area is reported to
be CLOSED to hiking during the two weeks of gun deer season (late
November). Check park and Wisconsin DNR hunting schedules before
you head out.
This is a puzzle designed to be solved by families and a cache
to be enjoyed by any child who is a pirate fanatic. Although
designed with families in mind, the total walk is about 2 miles
out-and-back. Almost all of it is groomed trails except for about
300 feet at the end of your search where some light bushwhacking is
required. It is recommended that you follow established trails
until you get near the final cache. You should need only a little
patience and proper clothing for what you might encounter in the
woods—no machetes, hip waders, or rappelling gear required.
You are encouraged to post photos, and your photos may include
pictures of the cache location and cache itself.
The Story of Pirate Pete
Once upon a time, there was a pirate named Pete. Now Pete
wasn’t really a mean, nasty pirate; in fact, he was rather a
pleasant guy, once you got to know him. Like most pirates, Pete had
amassed a bit of treasure in his years on the high seas, and had
hidden that treasure for safekeeping at one of his favorite ports
of call. Of course, Pete had drawn himself a map to help him find
the treasure when he finally retired from his day job of
plundering.
Pete was a bit more paranoid than your average pirate. He was
afraid to put a simple “X marks the spot” on his map
for fear that his shipmates would find the map and pilfer his
fortune. So, he devised a better plan.
First, he decided to use two maps to safeguard the secret
location of his treasure. On the first map, he would place an X,
but that was just to tell him where to park his PT Cruiser. He also
wrote a set of coordinates on that first map that would lead him to
the second map. On the second map would be coordinates to his
treasure chest. And of course, he would securely lock his treasure
chest so that even if it were somehow uncovered, the finder would
have to have the right code to unlock it.
But Pete’s paranoia led him to complicate his plan even
further. Rather than simply write the coordinates on the map, he
would encode them and create a code wheel so that he could decode
them when the time came to reclaim his treasure. And he would use
pirate trivia to hide the secret lock code.
Now, we’re not saying how we came across Pete’s
maps, clues, and code wheel, but we figure that everyone should
have a chance at finding his treasure chest and sharing in some of
his ill-gotten booty. The “X” on the map below marks
the location of the listed coordinates, which is the place to park
to begin this adventure. Pete's ENCODED coordinates are under the
map.
Finding the Treasure!
In order to get to Pirate Pete’s Plunder, cut out the two
discs of the code wheel. If you want, you can also cut out a small
piece of cardboard about the size of either wheel to use for a
base. Then cut out the two notches of the second wheel. Place the
second wheel on top the first wheel, and the first wheel on top of
the cardboard, then attach all through the center point, such as by
pushing a flat thumbtack through the top wheel into the cardboard
or by punching a hole and using a brass fastener. Now give this
wheel to your young pirate fanatic and have him or her
“decode” the coordinates. If you want, you can record
the decoded coordinates in the "Waypoint 1" line on the clue sheet
below. MAKE SURE TO BRING THE WHEEL WITH YOU on your search,
as you will need it to decode the coordinates on the second
map!!!
It might also be interesting to print off the trail map with the
latitude and longitude lines on it. When your kid-cachers decode
WP1 and the final cache location, they can try to plot the
approximate locations of both on the map and help choose a route to
get there.
(Note: if you don’t want to print the wheel, the code is a
simple 5-off number rotation: 0=5, 1=6, etc., and we’ve noted
this on the clue sheet at WP1 as well.)
Unlocking the Treasure Chest
When you find the treasure chest, you will see that it is
securely locked. It is a standard tumbler lock that uses a
three-number combination. Turn the dial clockwise three turns to
clear the tumbler, then stop at the first number. Turn the dial
counterclockwise, PAST the first number, stopping at the second
number. Then turn the dial clockwise, stopping at the third number.
Don't worry, the instructions are also on the outside of the
chest.
Answer the following trivia questions to learn the lock
combination. (NOTE: You will be able to find all this information
through Internet or other research. Try www.wikipedia.org. Don't worry,
there will be a way for you to confirm your lock code at WP1).
First number: In the year 171X, Blackbeard was killed by Robert
Maynard. What is the last digit (X) of that year?
Second number: In one of his most notable captures, Sir Francis
Drake seized the ship The Cacafuego. How many tons of silver did
The Cacafuego carry?
Third number: Before she became a pirate, Anne Bonny was
married. At what age did she marry James Bonny?
About the Treasure Itself
When we first found Pirate Pete’s Plunder, it was filled
with all manner of kid-friendly, pirate-themed treasure. We think
Pete would like it if you kept only pirate treasure in his cache
and, since you are not a pirate yourself, we know you will not
steal the swag in the cache without fair trade. However, there are
doubloons in the cache and you are welcome to one as a souvenir of
your find without a trade. How cool is that! Please email us
through geocaching.com if the supply of doubloons runs low.
Here's a sheet for the young pirates to use to record their
decoded clues (right-click and print, or print from the image
gallery). You should have BOTH Waypoint #1 AND the lock code
decoded BEFORE you head into the field. You will find the location
for Pete's cache when you find Waypoint #1 in the field. DON'T
FORGET THE LOCK CODE!
Print (right-click the image and choose 'print') and cut out
both wheels and a piece of cardboard about the same size. Cut out
the two notches in the second wheel. Pin the second wheel on top of
the first into the cardboard. Give it to your kids. Get solving,
and BRING THE WHEEL WITH YOU!
For a higher-resolution map to print, click the image or
HERE.
The First ENCODED Waypoint is N99 84.357 W533 59.406. Use the wheel
to find the true coordinates!
Main trail map to use for reference.
Did we mention DON'T FORGET THE LOCK CODE! Good luck, and have
fun!