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Best Multi-Cache?


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What was your favorite multi-cache (share a link)? Why?

 

What made it so enjoyable? Was it just a set of puzzles or was there a theme linking them that attracted you?

 

If you could imagine the best multi-cache, what would it look like?

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...e0-804c0b936c02

 

Favourite - Strathcona's Folly - Why? - I liked the park, and it goes along with my philosophy of 'Winter Unfriendly is no reason to not try'

 

I just had a fun time in the deep snow with this one - I think it was one of my first 10 (maybe 20) caches, so I guess I just have warm (haha) memories of it

 

Imagine the best multi...

 

Hmm... It would involve a 10+ mile walk, involve urban micros, historical plaques, waypoint projections, leading up to an ammo box hidden in a rock wall in the middle of a forest - Maybe requiring a boat to get a redirect on a tiny little island in the river

Edited by Taoiseach
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The Holy Grail --- My brother and I (both in college) actually spent a day not fighting and figuring this one out. When It was published, we had to go to stage 1 and pick up a card with a pigpen cipher encrypted on the front. Decrypting that gave us a message: "You didnt think it would be this easy did you?" We eventually figured out that we needed to use a blacklight to see some writing on the back. Which was another cipher. Once we solved it, my dad came home, the three of us left and, after doing no work on the puzzle, my dad scores the find. We spent the entire day doing this and ended with a FTF.

 

Forgotten Field in Duluth, MN was a great multi high up on a hill overlooking Lake Superior. For this one, the location was the ticket...an abandoned park that was still there. The baseball field had grass 5 feet high and there was a 3 foot diameter tree growing out of the middle of the basketball court.

Edited by Bunganator
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Ummm... Bunganator, do you realize you just posted the "trick" to a puzzle on the forums, potentially spoiling the fun for other finders and the owner?

 

I should have clarified. The owner has since removed the need for a blacklight and supplied the necessary cipher information. There is nothing in my original post that isnt on the cache page now.

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Ummm... Bunganator, do you realize you just posted the "trick" to a puzzle on the forums, potentially spoiling the fun for other finders and the owner?

 

I should have clarified. The owner has since removed the need for a blacklight and supplied the necessary cipher information. There is nothing in my original post that isnt on the cache page now.

 

Anyone brave enough to be reading these forums would have already found it anyhow. No problems here.

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That's cool. But my favorite type of puzzle are the ones that I can pre-solve from home before a trip. One that you have to visit the site before obtaining the puzzle is really only good for locals, or for people who can solve puzzles in the field (not me, I'm more of a slow ponderer).

 

I love multies, but my main problem with them is time... If I have unlimited time at a location then I'll definitely go for the challenging multi or puzzle before the horde of park-n-grabs, but that's almost never the case.

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My all time favorite multi-cache is Adirondack Murder Mystery - GCP8MW. Including the final cache, there are 22 stages. All the stages are in the Adirondack Park of New York - one is at the top of a mountain, two are hydro-caches, two others are night caches, some require the use of watercraft (canoe or kayak), several require hikes into extremely difficult terrain. What made this multi special was the planning that went into creating it, with a theme of a murder scene, possible victims, weapons, locations and perpetrators. One must be in good physical condition to complete all the stages. Since the cache was placed in July, 2005, only 10 persons have completed it. Check it out and the pictures that folks have posted to document their travails. The scenery alone is worth the effort.

 

The cache was created by cacher NFA and has recently been adopted by members of Northern New York Geocachers.

Edited by Gringo871
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Two great ones on the Chicago North Shore:

 

-- Aux Plaines Crossing (GCXE77): A four-part series. All of the caches in the series are two-part multi's centered around 19th Century bridges that are now abandoned, but whose piers remain. Part 1 is a micro somewhere on the bridge remains that gives the coordinates of Part 2, an ammo box with a log and historical info on the bridge. Each of the first three caches also contains a puzzle piece. When they are put together, they present another puzzle. The solution to that puzzle shows the location of Part 1 of the fourth cache, which has the coordinates to the final ammo box. The ammo box contains multiple copies of a CD-ROM that ties the whole series together thematically. A caching tour de force.

 

-- The Yerkes Fountain series (GC14J2V), a series of three fiendishly clever hides by Genius Loci, a well-known cacher in these parts. The first two caches are cammoed minis, hidden on the faces of two large concrete watering troughs from the 19th Century. Each has a puzzle piece that leads to the location of the third cache, with the application of some geo-math. You can read my DNF on the third cache here. Call me the Swamp Thing.

 

If you live in Chicagoland, head up to the North Shore to do these caches. They are a blast!

Edited by imajeep
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My favorite is a members-only series - the first one is Titan - SAC 533-1 (GC10APA). There are 17 abandoned missle bases with a cache hidden at each one, with cache #18 being a puzzle requiring information from the first 17. I am enjoying the historical element, as well as the beautiful views! I still have 3 or 4 to go before I can go after the final one.

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Music Legend + Rock and Roll in Shreveport is one of my favorites---and one of the few exceptions I've ever made to doing a multi while traveling.

 

Usually I just won't do a multi if I am on a trip. I'm afraid I'll run into a lost or missing stage and not be able to finish. Now mind you, I can DNF regular caches from one side of the country to the other and not bat an eye, but I really despise getting hung up in the middle of a cache through no fault of my own. Don't ask me why --maybe I'm just neurotic-- but it irks me no end to not get "closure" on a cache.

 

This one looked interesting, and most importantly, it said right up front on the cache page how many stages there were and about how far apart they were.

 

Just looking at the map, it was obvious what kind of place you would start the hunt, and what you would have to do to get the next set of coords. Not being from around there, I had no idea where the final would take me, and I was very pleased when I got there. It was definitely worth the trip!

 

So for me it's up front info, everything in place and working, and a cool final that makes a decent multi.

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Polly Takes the Plunge - Probably my favorite cache, period. Awesome hike, awesome story, awesome hiding places, awesome virtual final stage. Archived, but still huntable.

 

Not Tellin' VII - listed as a puzzle but a multi stage one. Stage one was a magnet on trail sign 16 with coordinates. Stage two was a magnet on trail sign 21 that read "Cache is 500' northeast of 16 under the brown pine". I went back to the marker 16, projected the waypoint, and headed into the bush. I searched a long time, but came up empty. In fact, I didn't even notice any pines. Here's the park map, see if you can figure out where to look (by the way, the geocache trailway wasn't designated at the time).

 

It was pretty tame by today's standards, but at the time, it and the whole Not Tellin' series was dreaded by most, among the first "evil" hides. Few even attempted them. But once you found them, you'd almost always think "Of course, why didn't I look there in the first place?" But with this one, I thought the misleading use of trail signs was a stroke of genius.

 

Bill & Gary's Excellent Adventure and its three sequels - The first is listed as a traditional, but it was a multi. Placed by rangers with the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, Bill and Gary gave themselves some leeway with the guidelines, particularly the pointy objects one, which resulted in some great hides. Each was anywhere from four to ten stages, and every stage was at least a half-mile hike one way. B&G pioneered the fake bird house and the irrigation cover in our area. The final stage of the first one led to the park's boat rental, where showing the cards from the other stages got you free passage to the lake's island for the last container (I did it in the fall after the rental was closed. For latecomers like me, they left a canoe -- license number GC -- chained to the dock and a key at the ranger station). Later years included complex pulley systems, some of them fake, and lots of wading. Either Bill or Gary eventually got a promotion -- his gain was our loss, as that ended the series. HCMP remain very involved in caching, though.

 

These are the most outstanding ones, but almost every multi I've done (31, plus eight Not Tellin' mysteries and B&G) really has been excellent.

Edited by Dinoprophet
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What was your favorite multi-cache (share a link)? Why?

 

What made it so enjoyable? Was it just a set of puzzles or was there a theme linking them that attracted you?

 

If you could imagine the best multi-cache, what would it look like?

 

Without question: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCRZBD

 

The hikes were awesome, the views incredible. Each stage was a challange of both mind and body.

The trails take you thru some amazingly beautiful area of Northern CA. But most importantly to me, Nemesis showed me that being disabled (bad knees and a fused ankle) does not mean that I have to sit on my rear getting fat and angry with the world. Instead, I now can hike again. Sure it's painful but the pain is getting more tolerable and my endurance is increasing. The Nemesis Multi is like a geocachers boot camp.

It will change your whole outlook on caching, hiking, puzzle solving, and physical abilities.

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Though technically listed as a mystery,

 

GC11CFT - Chinook FWA Cache

 

is my favorite because:

 

1. Each stage is a challenging and loggable find in and of itself.

2. The scenery/terrain is great for each stage.

3. Once you've collected the clues from each cache, it becomes apparent that there are multiple solutions, and that finding the final will involve some deduction and legwork ... so it's not just a trail of coordinates.

 

It took me four trips to complete. :)

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My all time favorite multi is 3jaze's "NOVA AUSTRALIS CALGARIUS (slightly revised)". There are several reasons:

 

1) It is a historic cache, having been placed in 2002.

 

2) It is hidden by a local legend who is known for his puzzles and multis.

 

3) It was a difficult cache to complete -- involved six waypoints, multiple projections, 4.5 hours and around 70km of driving.

 

4) It took us to interesting locations.

 

5) You need the information you gather from it to find a second cache: NOVA C of A - An Enigma.

 

---------

 

As a honorable mention, I'll add Red90's "Old School" for his creative use of old GPSr technology.

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My all time favorite multi-cache is Adirondack Murder Mystery - GCP8MW. Including the final cache, there are 22 stages.

 

Excellent ... this was the motivation for my question. I'm actually planning one very similar. I currently have about 20 stages planned. The downside is there is no way (that I know of) to hide a cache on geocaching.com since many of the puzzles will be take-home.

 

Do you know if there is a way to hide caches until a password or decrypt code is given? Otherwise, I guess I'll have to simply supply the start and let them work it all out from there.

 

Very cool ... thanks for the pointer!

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The multi-cache I find myself visiting . . over and over again . . is Kubota Garden. Kubota is a tucked-away gem in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood that offers those lucky enough to visit the opportunity to immerse themselves in a spectacular blend of native Northwest plants and Japanese garden design. Regardless of season, Kubota offers a restful and relaxing refuge set amongst streams, waterfalls, bridges, hills and valleys.

 

WeightMan gave careful consideration to his placement of the six waypoints; the result is a spectacular tour of the Garden that leaves visitors looking forward to experiencing the changes that winter, spring, summer and fall bring to this meticulously maintained Historic Landmark. I've been to Kubota three times in the past few years; I've joined fellow cachers on their visits and will be returning shortly with my sister in tow! When it's your time to visit, I'll look forward to meeting you on the Red Bridge! :)

 

p.s. If I could imagine the *best* multi-cache it would be very much like this one - a blend of beauty, historical significance and a desire to perpetuate the experience!

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Let me preface this by saying that I hate multis for the most part but quite probably three of my favorite caches are multis. I agree with my wife, Neos2, on Music Legend & Rock and Roll because I'm a musician and the stages took me to a couple of places that I found well... one is iconic in rock history and the other was kind of like meeting an old friend. But far and away my favorite multi and quite possibly the most unique cache I have ever done is called Making The Connection GCHNF5. It's a mystery multi and I don't remember how many stages there were (at least five) but there are two physical caches involved, several puzzles and multiple phone calls. I highly recommend this cache to any and everyone. You go to a location, solve a puzzle, make a phone call to a voice prompt system, and get the coords for the next stage. It involves driving around Elizabethtown, Kentucky and solving fairly easy puzzles. If you do this one, you will need a vehicle. I would also recommend a cell phone and an assistant. We managed to do the whole thing in about an hour but your actual time may vary.

Edited by Neos 1
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What was your favorite multi-cache (share a link)? Why?

 

What made it so enjoyable? Was it just a set of puzzles or was there a theme linking them that attracted you?

 

If you could imagine the best multi-cache, what would it look like?

 

Without a doubt, it would be "Outdoor Plumbing 2: Pipe Dreams" hidden by ThePropers.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...4d-51769d53391e

 

It has recently been archived, but I believe it was regarded by many here in central PA as one of the best caches ever.

 

This 8 stage multi had physical puzzles at each stage which were so clever and creative I was astonished and amused over and over at each stage. Each puzzle was unique and required clear thinking yet was not so difficult to fully stump anyone. At stage one, you would collect a "kit" which you would carry with you and use to complete each of the other stages, but without real clear instructions of how to use the multitude of items in the box. Hands down the best multi I have done.

 

A second place would definitely be "GC: Nocturnal" by DocDitto and Lux.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...98-019609d71aa5

 

This night only cache uses a combination of reflector tags and physical puzzles and covers a 4 mile round trip through the woods. Very very fun to do as a group with good flashlights at night.

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