The cache is a small painted lock'n'lock container that can hold small TBs, Geocoins, or other small items.
Remember to jot down the hint for the bonus cache on the container lid!
As this cache is located in an arboretum your task is finding three trees and their information plaques that lead you to the location of the final container. The difficulty may rise in winter when the plaques are buried under snow. Also, the area around the final can be quite slippery, especially after rain falls.
The first tree is right next to the Ecology Center. On your way to the second tree you go past the Pine Knoll. Tree 2 is located close to the Bird Sanctuary which is my favorite place in the arboretum. Before you get to the third tree, you will pass the Oak Grove and the Maple Knoll. The legume and nut trees are located in this part of the arboretum as well.
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TREE 1: N42°03.403 W087°42.057
This tree is an extremely important species to the ecology of many forests in North America. Pure stands are common, and it is a major component of many forest types. It often forms associations with the American Beech, the Yellow Birch, American Basswood, the White Ash and the Ironwood-Red Oak.
The species engage in hydraulic lift, drawing water from lower soil layers and exuding that water into upper, drier soil layers. This not only benefits the tree itself but also many other plants growing around it.
The wood is used for manufacturing bowling alleys and bowling pins. It is also used for basketball courts, including the floors used by the NBA, and it is a popular wood for baseball bats, along with White Ash. It is also widely used in the manufacture of musical instruments, such as the members of the violin family (sides and back) guitars (neck) and drum shells.
Number of letters in the first line on the plaque next to the tree = A
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TREE 2: N42°03.460 W087°41.942
This tree is a shade-tolerant species, favoring shade more than other trees.
The wood is heavy, hard, tough and strong, and, until the advent of the modern chainsaw, during lumbering the trees were often left uncut to grow. As a result, many areas today still have extensive groves of old trees that would not otherwise occur. Today, the wood is harvested for uses such as flooring, containers, furniture, handles and woodenware.
The bark often is an attraction for vandals who carve names, dates, and other material into it. One such tree in Louisville, Kentucky, in what is now the southern part of Iroquois Park, bore the legend "D. Boone kilt a bar" and the year in the late 1700s. This carving was authenticated as early as the mid-1800s, and the tree trunk section is now in the possession of The Filson Historical Society in Louisville.
Number of letters of the last word in the first line on the plaque next to the tree = B
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TREE 3: N42°03.552 W087°41.747
This is a small tree with small pome fruit and (usually) thorny branches. It provides food and shelter for many species of birds and mammals, and the flowers are important for many nectar-feeding insects.
The tree has been regarded as the emblem of hope, and its branches are stated to have been carried by the ancient Greeks in wedding processions.
Serbian and Croatian folklore notes the tree is particularly deadly to vampires, and stakes used for their slaying must be made from the wood of the thorn tree.
In Celtic lore, the plant was used commonly for rune inscriptions.
In Gaelic folklore it marks the entrance to the "otherworld" and is strongly associated with the fairies. Lore has it that it is very unlucky to cut the tree at any time other than when it is in bloom.
Number of letters of the last word in the second line on the plaque next to the tree = C
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Calculation of the final coordinates:
(A*B) + (C*A/B) + A = x
Add x to the north coordinate of the start point.
(A * (B+C)) + (A*C) + (A-C) = y
Substract y from the west coordinate of the start point.
Check your numbers:
(B*C) - A = { (C-B)*A } - B
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This cache / cache series was mentioned in the Chicago Geocacher Podcast - a great show that I highly recommend! Very funny!!