TBAS #16 of 15 - BONUS Puzzle cache Mystery Cache

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Nomex: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this geocache, so I must regretfully archive it.

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Hidden : 9/2/2009
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This is the SUPER B-O-N-U-S puzzler cache for the TBAS series, and is #16 of 15 in the series that spans around the lower half of the bay. The entire series (bonus cache and all) was conceived and executed as a surprise birthday present for kobidge in Fall 2009, and we both recently revisited the series (on 2/23/2011) to make it publishable for all of you!

I hope you have fun retracing our adventure, and have a little adventure of your own!

Feel free to look at the first logs of the cache page to see kobidge's account of the caching experience. This will open a version of this cache page with all the logs showing, so scroll to the bottom to read more!

Cache Series Background
I came up with the idea for doing a cache series that spans the lower half of the bay a few years back, and decided to create this behemoth series as a surprise birthday present for kobidge in Fall 2009. I set up all 15 caches (and the BONUS puzzler cache) and joined her as a chauffer and mostly useless accomplice that played along. We made it through the full series in about 3 hours then spent a good 30 minutes solving the puzzle to find the secret bonus cache.

Naturally, this lead to "extra secret" caches within kobidge's abode, and those ultimately lead to the physical gift. A year and a half later, we revisited the caches to make sure they were all in place and had dry logs, and indeed they were all there!

You will note that kobidge is still listed as the FTF on all the cache logs, so consider "Second To Find" the prestige worth aiming for.


B-O-N-U-S Cache Final Location
The cache is not at the listed coordinates!

******************
UPDATE - July 31, 2014

The physical area surrounding the original cache location has CHANGED.

To remedy this, I replaced the cache in a new location nearby, and added one final piece to this puzzle.

Don't worry though! Once you get to the correct coordinates, you are 99.999% there!

Here is the final riddle:
When you reach your destination, let Polaris guide you.
Flip a coin 100 times.
Every time it is supposed to be Heads, turn clockwise toward the Maine land.
Scan your surroundings.
Your geosenses will guide you to familiar territory so you can claim your victory!

I will find a better location for this BONUS cache eventually, and hopefully come up with a cache that will rival the sneakiness of the original.

UPDATE COMPLETE
******************


B-O-N-U-S Cache Info

In order to solve the puzzle to find this cache, you have two options:

1) Find the previous 15 caches in the series that give you hints to solve this cache
--> You will need to write down all 15 sentences from the caches

OR

2) Solve the following extra horrifying looking equation:

(TBAS + ((Tr (log Ho)) (sin Et) (tan Br) (|Ak|) (Yk^2) (e^((Ar) (ln Rt)) ) ) ) ^ ((Ee) (Ae) (rem ((Sk) / (sqrt |((Me) x ((Ia) ((cos Ln) - El) ) )| ) ) ) )^SABT = 40286316477.23789


For Method One:
Once you have written down all 15 sentences from the full series, do the following:

Step 1) Look at each key sentence you wrote down and make a list of the following 3 item trios from each sentence:

AnimalName–Number–FirstWordFromSentence

and write these out for every sentence.

Step 2) Rearrange the list of animal names (abbreviated) in alphabetical order while keeping your trio intact, and write down a new sentence of the FirstWords then read up from the bottom of this list. This will create the question that will lead you to the final cache location.

Step 3) To solve for the location, write down all the first letters of the animal names and unscramble them to make an anagram that answers the question asked in Step 2. Once answered, replace the letters with their number value counterparts from the trio. Keep in mind that there are multiples of some of the letters, so use your current location and the cache page to guide your puzzle solving.



For Method Two:
Best of luck :)

** This Puzzle Cache was really intended to be found via Method One, but I wanted to add in another possibility that was actually solvable, though ill advised for finding the cache. It's worth noting that I intentionally made Method Two so unpleasant to deal with that the average adventurous cacher would get more enjoyment out of finding 15 relatively simple to find caches that lead to a bonus 16th cache. **

The final coordinates can be derived from solving for the two-character variables such as "Br", and by determining the value of the four-character variables "TBAS" and "SABT". These four-character variables do not contribute to the cache's final location, but are still an integral part of the equation to solve for them.

Note: "rem" is used for the remainder function, and refers to the digits following the decimal point within the context of this cache equation. Also, the Absolute Value brackets were added around the part of the equation within the square root so we don't have to deal with imaginary numbers.



General Suggestions:
There are clues in all kinds of places with this series. There may be additional information in the sentences at each cache that will help solve the puzzle, or additional information in the cache pages themselves. Be vigilant!


Please put the cache back as you found it!


Note: The entire series can be done in 2-3 hours at the fastest, and while you can grab them in any order, it is advantageous to find the caches in order. Don't forget to write down the full cache sentences! The Puzzle cache page can also be solved through other means, but I added many layers of obfuscation to insure that sane geocachers would have an easier (and more enjoyable) time finding 15 other caches that lead to a bonus 16th cache.

Links To The Full TBAS Series
TBAS #1 of 15
TBAS #2 of 15
TBAS #3 of 15
TBAS #4 of 15
TBAS #5 of 15
TBAS #6 of 15
TBAS #7 of 15
TBAS #8 of 15
TBAS #9 of 15
TBAS #10 of 15
TBAS #11 of 15
TBAS #12 of 15
TBAS #13 of 15
TBAS #14 of 15
TBAS #15 of 15
TBAS #16 of 15: B-O-N-U-S puzzle cache!



The Reward/Winners!
MAJOR Congratulations to oaknest for being the first cacher to complete the regular series AND solve the bonus cache!! He put the FTF prize to good use by creating I've Cached With Alamogul down in Santa Clara. I just found the cache with kobidge in typical kobatron fashion on 3/13/11 and it is a doozy! I highly recommend it :)

I can't believe someone found it in a few hours the morning it was published, and am happy to see other cachers out there have the same addiction to caching that I do :)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

"QBA'G TRG JRG!" Guvf nccyvrf gb gur pbbeqvangrf qrevirq sebz fbyivat gur chmmyr, ohg abg gur npghny pnpur ybpngvba. Svaqvat gur pnpur erdhverf fbyivat gur fvzcyr evqqyr yvfgrq va gur qrfpevcgvba sbe guvf pnpur cntr bapr lbh fbyir gur pnpur pbbeqvangrf.

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)


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