12 Gates of Christmas (12 GoC) Final Mystery Cache

There is no cache at the posted coordinates, although this is not too far from the statistical center of all 12 points of the Twelve Gates of Christmas series of geocaches. The actual cache is located somewhere in state game lands within a two-mile radius of these coordinates. Continue reading for instructions on solving for the final location of this cache.

To find the final cache, be sure you have located the laminated code cards in at least half of the Twelve Gates of Christmas series. When visiting each of the needed caches, note the codes you see on the card, and please leave the laminated code card in each cache for the next finder. (If you logged these caches before 1/24/2018, please see the note below on code retrieval after the puzzle text.)

VISIT

	Day 1	GC7GBA0	____________________________________________________________
	Day 3	GC7GA0T	____________________________________________________________
	Day 6	GC7GBAY	____________________________________________________________
	Day 8	GC7GD5N	____________________________________________________________
	Day 9	GC7GJ7M	____________________________________________________________
	Day 11	GC7GE49	____________________________________________________________

If you are keeping track of codes by hand, the above table could be printed out to assist you

With those previous six codes, locate the final at the coordinates:

N 40 degrees "partridge in a pear tree" dot "maids a milking" "pipers piping"
W 78 degrees "french hens" dot "ladies dancing" "geese a laying"

OR

	Day 2	GC7GA0X	____________________________________________________________
	Day 4	GC7GBAV	____________________________________________________________
	Day 5	GC7GET4	____________________________________________________________
	Day 7	GC7GE3X	____________________________________________________________
	Day 10	GC7GE44	____________________________________________________________
	Day 12	GC7GD5R	____________________________________________________________

If you are keeping track of codes by hand, the above table could be printed out to assist you

With those alternate previous six codes, locate the final at the coordinates:

N 40 degrees "turtle doves" dot "swans a swimming" "calling birds"
W 78 degrees "golden rings" dot "drummers drumming" "lords a leaping"

It is up to you which set of six codes you want to use to solve the puzzle. Either way, you will find the same final cache location from the puzzle.

Sing some carols for Christmas while you consider the location of this final Twelve Gates of Christmas cache. Here is a songsheet for you to use.

1  We Three Kings of Orient Are
2  Of the Father's Love Begotten
3  Away in a Manger
4  Bright and Best of the Sons of the Morning
5  I Wonder as I Wander
6  Born in Bethlehem
7  What Child is This
8  Ding Dong Merrily On High
9  It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
10 Ave Maria
13 The Seven Joys of Mary
15 Carol of the Bells
19 Go, Tell It on the Mountain
23 I Saw Three Ships
25 All My Heart This Night Rejoices
27 Good Christian Friends Rejoice
28 Still, Still, Still
31 O Holy Night
35 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
37 Silent Night
39 In the Bleak Midwinter
40 The Cherry-Tree Carol
44 Thou Who Wast Rich beyond All Splendor
47 Mary, Did You Know
51 The Holly and The Ivy
57 See, amid the Winter Snow
63 Shepherds Arise
75 Boar's Head Carol
84 Angels We Have Heard on High
93 Good King Wenceslas
97 The Twelve Days of Christmas

It looks like there were two versions of this songbook issued. You will likely need to decide which is relevant to the codes that you chose to use to solve this puzzle.

1  Once in Royal David's City
2  Star of the East
3  Joy to the World
4  Here We Come a-wassailing
5  Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
6  Within a Crib My Savior Lay
7  Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
8  O Come, All Ye Faithful
9  Children, Go Where I Send Thee
10 As with Gladness Men of Old
13 Joseph Dear, O Joseph Mine
15 Sussex Carol
19 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
23 Lovely Child, Holy Child
25 Saw You Never, in the Twilight
27 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
28 The Little Drummer Boy
31 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
35 While by the Sheep We Watched at Night
37 Angels from the Realms of Glory
39 O Little Town of Bethlehem
40 The First Noel
44 Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
47 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
51 Coventry Carol
57 Do You Hear What I Hear
63 The Rocking Carol
75 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
84 Candlelight Carol
93 Mary's Boy Child
97 O Christmas Tree

Use the geo-checker to be sure that your answer will lead you to the correct location. The checker will also reveal a hint about the hiding location and suggested parking coordinates.

Code Retrieval Tool: For those geocachers who have located one or more of the twelve traditional caches that make up the Twelve Gates of Christmas series prior to the publishing of this puzzle final, an online tool is available to retrieve the codes for the caches that you have logged under your geocaching user name without revisiting the caches that you have already logged. Visit 12 GoC Codes Retrieval. Previous finders will have been sent messages by geo-messenger and/or email with the required password to access the tool for their account.

Twelve Gates FTF Hall of Fame

Congratulations to MrBee&WillowTree for the most FTFs (3 FTFs) during the Twelve Gates series. That makes MrBee&WillowTree the "Grand Champion FTF Winners" of the series

Congratulations to jdm438 and dsimcisko for being the first to find and log the final cache pre-publication as part of the series extra FTF prize activity.

Congratulations to r.e.s.t.seekers and ted28285 for being the first to log the final cache after official publication. They held off on finding their additional gifts from the series to make this post-publication FTF find fair and square.

FTF Leader Board during the series, Dec 24, 2017 to Jan 4, 2018

1			MrBee&WillowTree	3 FTFs
2			KB3PPR and KB3PPS	2 FTFs
2			ted28285 and r.e.s.t.seekers	2 FTFs
2			jdm438 and dsimcisko	2 FTFs
3			74vwBusFamily	1 FTF
3			carels	1 FTF
3			beans&franks	1 FTF

The final coordinates will take you to state game lands, so PLEASE observe all state game land rules and wear orange during hunting seasons. During the primary hunting season, finding this cache is recommended on Sunday only.

This is a Green-Hippo cache