It's been an amazing 6 years of being a geocacher, and I can't believe I'm already at my 100th cache hide. When I first started playing this game, I never could have imagined how big a part of my life it would become. Geocaching is not just a hobby for me, but it is therapy. A way of life. Below is a puzzle that incorporates a non-comprehensive list of many cachers I have met over the years in this wonderful game. I have been inspired by some of your hides, frustrated by some of your brilliant puzzles, enjoyed reading your creative logs, gone on crazy road trips, climbed tall trees, paddled difficult routes, raced for FTFs in the middle of the night, run away from coyotes and killer swans, and become very close to some of you.
To celebrate this wonderful game and all the people I have met while playing it, once you complete all the twists and turns of the entire puzzle, you will have a special message from me to all of you. Input this message into the geochecker (no spaces), and you'll get your coordinates. The puzzle starts below:
Do this first:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _
Do this fourth:
BOOKNUTZ-BOUFFE-CANADAKATE-CANAOBE-CANMOOSE-CARNIGREWAL-CAROLYNCL-CATAPOCALYPSE-CLUESUH-CYLLENE-DARKFLARE-DENISZD-DOOLINS-DOUGYB-FRINKLABS-FTHIRTYTHREEAPILOT-GEOBIRDER-GMFBOB-HANGTENTEN-HENRYANDCO-IKKIPANTS-INDIGODAVE-JAYJAYCACHE-KAYAKLADY-KELLYKAYM-KPOM-LILSPARK-LUVVINBIRD-MAMMABEARNHERCUBS-MATTDEBAT-MCCABENINETYSEVEN-MISSISSAUGAMISFITS-MONKEYNEHA-NOPUNCHLINE-OCEANWAVESTWENTYTWO-PAPERCLIPSTWENTYNINE-PAULNSUSAN-PERFECTLYCENTERED-PKARIN-PUGGLENOMUGGLE-RCASEVENSEVENSEVEN-REBELTEN-RESQCAT-RESTWENTYONEHUNDRED-SCOUTAROO-SKYECAT-SOCCERTWELVE-SOULCRAVING-SPARKEL-SPARKYFIVEHUNDRED-SPIDERMONKEYOHNINE-SPLATT-STEALTHEDGE-SWEDTHIRTYONE-THEBRUCEOH-THESTERLINGONE-TIGGRRR-TWOTHOUSANDFOURTEENTRACKER-VIPONDTHIRTYTHREE-WAYWARDONE-WILLIPAN-YELLOWWARBLER
Do this third:
Ybgc ufv wmkbfo sl kip girhp? Gp'j ozr sybe wkl usgjb je go! Zu'd y yfo - l dwbf! Ymp r npms- fs l ukfg-nmj, sve y ___yfo... Gcnp Jxnkiullp Yjyr: Pyf qmqius A ej usc aee.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
There are 4 unactivated geocoins for the first four *solvers*. If going as a group, ideally take one per group, preferably for the person who did the most work on the puzzle ;-) A very special thank you to canmoose for being the beta-tester on the puzzle and helping me work out the kinks!