On the Sixth Day of Christmas, mrGreen317 hid for me, a two-stage multi starting at half an evergreen tree! (with a nearby USGS benchmark to discover!)
Welcome to the Twelve Multi(cache)s of Christmas (12 MoC). Each cache is a simple two-stage multi leading to a small-sized latching box in one of our fine PA state game lands (SGL).
While the retailers are packing away the Christmas wares for 2019, the traditional Christmas season actually runs from December 25 through January 5, the "Twelve Days of Christmas". Here are some multi-caches hidden for the "Twelve Multis of Christmas" to grab this Christmas season or any other time of the year when geocaching is on the day's agenda.
This cache location is not far from a benchmark right along Richland Road. The marker was not located in the normal geocaching.com database, so it is a bit of a mystery. The marker clearly reads "BENCH MARK", and for those cachers who like to track these down, I added a waypoint for it to the waypoints list.
Parking might be done by an SGL gate under the power lines or at the end of an SGL road/path just a bit to the west (please to do not block any SGL roads or gates with your vehicle). If parking by the gate under the power lines, you are just across the road from the benchmark, and a "short-cut" may be bushwhacked through to where the SGL road/path/clearing runs towards GZ (but this might get overgrown with some thorns). If parking over by where the SGL road/path meets Richland Road, the road/path may be followed on foot around a curve right to GZ, but please be ready for possibly muddy conditions and/or soft ground. Good sturdy footwear is recommended.
Vegetation Note: Since these caches are hidden in SGL in the non-growing months, it is always possible that access may get more challenging during late spring and summer growth seasons. When considering hide locations, an attempt was made to minimize this potential issue as much as possible, but when searching in the late spring or summer, just keep this in mind. Good, sturdy hiking footwear and possibly long pants (not shorts) are a good suggestion. Always be on the lookout for wild animals and ticks in the game lands. With this cache, depending on the time of year, the path/road along the clearing might get high growth, and the 'short-cut' from parking by the SGL gate at the power lines (and coming in past the benchmark) may also be harder to navigate.
This cache is located in 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.
Series Information of Note
- Each of the Twelve Multi-caches should have a stage one ornament hanging on a tree or similar object at the posted coordinates. To find stage two/final, replace the decimal portion of the north and west minutes with what you see affixed to the ornament at stage one. (See below for an example with this cache.)
- Each stage one has the numbers incorporated into the ornament hanging wire. This should be all the clues you need to find the final/stage two part of the cache.
- The log book in each final stage will have a code word, something that might relate with Christmas traditions. You will want to make a note of both the ornament design at stage one and this code word in stage two to get you the needed information for a future "final" geocache.
- FTF on each series cache: There is a small ornament for FTF that either matches stage one's ornament or is somehow thematically connected to it. Since not all FTF gifts exactly match the stage one ornaments, it is suggested that FTF cachers make note of the stage one ornaments for their records if seeking the series "final" cache. FTF will also have a different code word labeled on the FTF gift bag, a code that is different from the final stages's code word. This code is unique to the FTF gift and can be used to claim other additional prizes at the conclusion of the 12-days series. More information will be forthcoming.
Example for solving to stage two: For this cache, the posted coordinates for stage one is at: N 40 35.293' W 078 27.720', so to find the stage two, you would assume N 40 35.??? and W 078 27.???. To fill in the question marks, look for some numerical information at stage one, something that would give you three numbers to go with north and three numbers to go with west to replace those '?' in the previous coordinate formula.
A congratulations on FTF goes to KB3PPR and KB3PPS . Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas from the Green-Hippo household!
(mrGreen317, Sage-Hippo, and littleEEE)