GC13FW3 Tour de Nisene Teamwork Challenge (Multi-cache) in California, United States created by mayela mingi

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mayela mingi: To all the 35 finders of this adventure, I feel a certain brotherhood/sisterhood with you, because we have all wandered miles in this wonderful place, enjoying the beauty of it, and the exercise in the Oxygen rich redwood forests.

Several of you offered to maintain this for me, and I appreciate it, but I am going to continue to phase out my hides in Santa Cruz area, as I personally don't think its right for someone who has moved to another area to hang onto so many. I'll phase out most of them, and keep just a small handful. When I come back to visit, I hope to find some new ones in the woods.

Happy caching!

GC13FW3 ▼

A cache by mayela mingi Message this owner

Hidden : 6/8/2007

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: large (large)

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Geocache Description:

8 Stages that will take you on a grand tour of this intriguing forest. Each stage provides a coded clue, which you will have to enter into a web page (link below), to find the coordinates, description, picture, and hint for the next stage. This is intended to be a team challenge, with any number of participants. So plan your strategy, recruit a team, and plan a weekend to find this cache. You can do it solo too, and that will be a different type of challenge.

Sand Point overlook at twilight.

I got the original idea for this cache from bytemobiles teamwork cache in Sunnyvale. This one hopefully takes it to the next level. If you try this solo, I measured the distance with Google Earth, in straight lines between stages, from 1 to 8, around 20 miles. Following trails will more than double this distance, and I would guess around 45 miles. If you attempt to do this solo, and I assume some determined folks will, I will be very interested in hearing how long it takes. Teams will be able to shorten this considerably if you use a good strategy. But you won't initially know where any of the stages are. All clues and hides will be along a trail, within 10' of the trail. You will never have to bushwack to get to a location. So please don't try. Use a map and find the best route, and please obey all the guidelines for trail use. Hike when bikes aren't allowed. Leave the clues exactly as you find them.

Here are some strategy options to consider.

1. There is one camping spot, GCX4WY , West Ridge Trail Camp, but you must have advance reservations; call (408) 335-4598 By camping in the forest, you could make it a team weekend project.

2. There are 4 main access routes to the park that I'm aware of:
a. The main entrance from Aptos, at the coordinates for this multi.
b. Vienna Woods Trail Entrance GC138DW, above Cabrillo College.
c. Secret Trail Head: Olive Springs GCXA7M, off of Soquel San Jose Road.
d. Secret Trailhead #11 - Nisene Marks GCFE2C, off of Highland road and Buzzards lagoon.

3. Note: bicycles are technically only allowed on the Fire road, which extends from Secret Trailhead # 11, through the center of the park all the way to Aptos. By biking downhill, and possibly making detour hikes, you could pick up some of the stages that way. This is a wonderful, downhill ride, but watch out for pedestrians, slow down, be careful if you're not an experienced mountain biker. Bring a bike lock, ride to the trailheads, lock your bike, mark your coordinates, and hike in.

4. Phone reception. You will have to overcome the obstacle of communication and poor satelite reception in the woods. I have successfully used my tmobile phone and a boost mobile phone from Sand Point Overlook.

4b. There is a pay phone at the steel bridge. Yes, a pay phone.

5. Internet access. You will have to find a way to access the internet and get information for each next stage.
The Aptos Library has free wifi access. Check here for hours. Santa Cruz Libraries. The Aptos library is very close to the Aptos entrance to the park.

6. Water. There is no easy water source for drinking in the forest. Carry in what you need.

7. Links
Park info:

Enter a code for information about the next location. If you open this in another window or another tab, it makes it easier to get back to this page.

The code for the first stage is : TDNAPE

How it works.
Enter your first code to confirm the location of stage 1 and to find out how it works. At each successive stage, you will find a new code, enter it at the link above, and you will receive a link to a new web page for that stage. If the code is correct, the page will have the coordinates, a picture or 2, a description and a hint for the next stage. Obviously you must get to a location where you have access to the internet, or at least cell phone signal after each stage, to communicate with someone who does. Or maybe you have a device that will allow you to download everything you need.

To receive credit for your find
1. Someone on your team must find each stage,
List your team members that participated in the project, use geocaching names, and if muggles help, you can call them muggle 1, or spouse, or friend etc.
2. All members of the team must arrive at the final cache and take their picture of their team with the cache. Do not reveal the final location. This does not include the home base person who might be used for internet access.
3. Describe how you overcame the technical challenges to complete the course.
4. List the equipment you used, and how long it took from start to finish.

If you write notes about your progress, as you complete different stages (this is optional), please include the stage number that you have just visited, so I can help easier, or know which stage to check on. Mainly, I hope you enjoy this cache. I had a great time setting it up, I think I lost 10 pounds! I've pedaled, hiked, and jogged to each clue site at least twice, I saw a wild boar one day , another day I came upon some disturbed wasps (3 stings), I got poison oak twice for jogging on trails in shorts, I cornered a skunk accidentally against a tree (I bolted, with no ill effects). I became hungry and tired, and my respect for the wilderness grew. I think the highest chance of injury in this forest is falling down and hurting yourself when you are a long way from other people. Bikers travel the creek road a lot, so if something happens get to the road. Maintain communications, make sure people know where you are headed, be careful! Take this on at your own risk!

The final cache
Oh yes, the final cache is a very large container, about 1' by 1' by 3'. It has a soccer ball and other sports equipment in it. FTF can have the phone, or get a pick of the loot. After that, lets keep the theme of the cache as sports and technology. Please keep the final location as secret as possible, and try not to leave geo trails that muggles will happen upon.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ab uvagf lrg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)