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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The coordinates listed are your starting point. You must follow the story and find the clues mentioned to get the final coordinates.
The difficulty of this cache is due to the many stages. The terrain difficulty is based the difficulty involved in 2 of the stages. The hazards are noted in the story and both of these stages do have alternative approaches. Stage 5&6 sometimes have limited access or are completely inaccessible at very high tides. The puzzle is doable without visiting them, but it may be harder since it relies on following the path of the story. Therefore, I recommend checking tide tables before you head out for this cache, I went out when the tide was about 5.3 and needed my water shoes.
There was once a brave treasure hunter living in San Francisco. Standing on the shore one day, she spied a man on a raft who took her breath away. They made eye contact across the distance, making her whole body tingle. Suddenly, she realized that he was from the infamous colony of freaks on the other side of the water! Yes, this was a creature of The Bulb whose genetics had been altered by the industrial waste of humanity. Legend had it that these mutants did not, as might have been expected, have lives of woe, but rather joyous lives filled with art, community and love.
His eyes were warm and his arms rippled with strength (and was marked with a tattoo of a canine paw, indicative of the great affinity of the Bulb creatures for dogs) as he paddled over to her and said, “Hello, your face is one of mythology in our land, for your treasure hunting skills have made your great city rich with wealth. My people are not rich, but we do have a secret treasure and she who finds that treasure is to be my bride.” Gracefully, he took her hand with a brief caress, and left her with a sassy wink. Opening her hand, she saw a piece of paper with numbers on it, and knew that it was now her destiny to find him.
The Bulb was built out of the debris of civilization, so the territory was uncharted and appeared on no maps that she had seen. But as a seasoned treasure hunter should, she promptly stuffed her pack with water, pen and paper, sunglasses, and her trusty compass, and headed for the Bulb.
When she arrived, she was struck by a beautiful statue of seabirds, confirming that the Bulb Creatures are nature loving and appreciate art. She kept walking ahead (to the west), past a small community amphitheater. Glancing to her left, she saw a beach where dogs, the Bulb Creatures’ best friends, played noisily in the waves. Walking on, she came upon a message board on which appeared mostly notes about these community dogs. And here, she finds her first clue! She hoped that further clues might be hidden in a similar manner, and jotted down the clue.
She was all too happy to choose the path by the water where her fair homeland was still in view. She ambled along for what seemed about 1/4 mile and a sparkle caught her eye on the right. Indeed, these people do build altars out of the destruction of the modern world. They seem to celebrate it! In this shrine, she found her second clue.
She continued along her path and eventually saw an area that reminded her of a tropical paradise of fairy tales. Since night was beginning to fall and her journey to the Bulb had taken longer than she thought, she decided to find a place to sleep there. She came to a fork in her trail and chose the path to the left and near that turn found a steep rocky slope that she clambered up. Near the top, one one of those pieces of concrete, she found her next clue. Although her belly was empty and grumbling, she was content, knowing that she was close to uncovering the secret treasure of the Creatures.
Next, she came down from the small ridge, remaining along the waters edge. The path became rocky and difficult at times, but eventually she was rewarded by one of the great wonders of the Bulb, the Enchanted Castle. She had heard of this castle, built for the King and Queen of the Creatures, long ages ago. As one of the sacred sites of the Bulb, she knew that her next clue was not far to be found from the castle itself, and her keen insight proved correct.
From the Castle, she spotted the most distant southwesterly part of the Bulb and knew that her next journey would have to be here. So out on the rocky shores of the bay within the bay, she went. Out near the far end of this peninsula on the peninsula, to her left about 40 feet before an odd shrine, she found her fifth clue.
She continued around to the north-westernmost point of the bay within the bay, noticing that the crossing could be quite difficult during high tides. The green rocks were terribly slippery, but the barnacles proved her friends and provided sure footing. From afar she saw what looked like a chimney of an underground dwelling, and as she approached it she saw, yet again, what she was looking for.
She hurried East, leaving the bay within the bay and was soon confronted with two choices. What seemed to be the main path turned sharply to the north and a smaller path ran uphill to the east. Compelled to seek out the heart of the Bulb, she left the water’s edge and climbed the steep slope to the east. Immediately ahead, she saw the haunts of the skater-kind. She quickly scrambled up to her right to avoid these testy spirits whom she suspected would heist any treasure found in the area. Here, she entered a great circle, which was clearly a place of ancient and complex rituals for the Creatures: a graveyard for machinery, most everything sparkled with decoration. She entered the grand workshop and wandered around the edge of the larger circle until she noted her clue, now the seventh, located at an easterly exit from the ritual space, from which she proceeded to emerge.
As she arrived back at a larger path, she knew that there was yet one side of the bulb that needed to be scavenged for clues, so she turned north. As she approached the water, she was startled by the Great God of the Creatures himself, greeting her with outstretched arms. With Him, she found her next clue and headed out for what she hoped was the last leg of her journey for the treasure.
After nearly a whole day without food, she was grateful to see a whole hillside of berries, on which she feasted as she walked along the murky north shores of the bulb. She passed the dark, prolific artwork of “Sniff” and his mystical wheel of life. She noted that the brave, yet depraved treasure hunter “Jef” had left his signature here, too. Finally, the path turned southward and climbed steeply upward. She scrambled up the path (being glad that it was dry, since it could be quite difficult and slippery when wet). When she arrived at the top, she saw a most magnificent tree just off to her right, which she sensed was very near a Creature’s dwelling. She approached quietly and respectfully, and was lucky enough to meet the Creature’s canine companion, who proved to be very friendly. Under the shade of the beautiful tree, she found the last piece of the puzzle that she was working on. After a short nap, she headed off to find the treasure that would bring her to win the heart of the beautiful Creature who had led her on the quest in the first place.
She headed south for a short way, until she came upon a main path. Here, she got her bearings, and brought her clues together. She knew, now, that the spot that she was looking for was about 1/2 of a mile east and was able to navigate herself from there.
Big congrats to Randy4Fun and SnoWake for your nocturnal FTF! That is impressive. If it wasn't a true 4* before, it certainly is at night!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)