Mystery or Puzzle Caches

[+BisonChasers]

How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?

 

Examples: GC18YCB, GCJ5ZM, GCV87P

[CoyoteRed]

How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?

That certainly is a riddle, isn't it?

[+bubo bubo!]

How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?

 

Examples: GC18YCB, GCJ5ZM, GCV87P

 

Alot of puzzles don't tell you how to complete them. Sometimes it is bothersome, for others it works well. That letter puzzle looks very interesting and I could probably solve it. Often, the clue as to what type of puzzle it is is seen in how the puzzle is made.

[+.Icarus.]

I hate doing some puzzles, Ive been working on one for over a month and still cant seem to solve it, Im sure if I keep trying evenutually I will solve it, probably in 500 years

[+Rainbow's Connections]

How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?

 

Examples: GC18YCB, GCJ5ZM, GCV87P

 

Often, a good way to get a hint on the type of puzzle is to look at the owner's profile. GC18YCB is a good example. WakeboardLanier's occupation is listed as Software Engineer. As a computer geek, I was able to get the gist right away, however, to the layman, it would appear to be gobbledygook, and I sympathize.

 

As to GCJ5ZM and GCV87P, there are clues in the hints.

 

If you need a further hint for GCV87P: sometimes words have more than one meaning. The puzzle really is quite elementary.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Elf

[+J-Way]

If you're stuck on a puzzle, then here are a few tricks to get hints:

- read the hint(s)

- look for double-meanings in the text

- view the source-code of the page (if using IE, it's menu View -> Source, then scroll waaay down to the description part of the text).

- check out the owner's profile (already stated)

- read past logs (some can contain spoilers and/or hints, intentional or accidental)

 

It just so happens that these puzzles are not too far from me, and I'd already added one to my "To solve" list. The Sherlock Holmes one just got added to my "Solved" list - that one's unique in that I've never seen one like it before, but the hint is almost a spoiler.

 

GC18YCB is one of those where the owner changes the Terrain rating from a 2.5 to a 5 depending on the season and the lake level (high water = island = 5, low water = 2.5). I'm trying to complete my D/T grid, so this cache would tantalizingly fill in one of the more rare grids just to take it away during the summer. So I'll likely never go to the trouble of searching for it.

[+rjb43nh]

"How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?"

Ah, sometimes that is part of the puzzle. I like puzzle caches and although I haven't solved all the ones I've found without hints or help from the owner, I have managed to solve quite a few, including some that have taken me close to a year to solve.

[+niraD]

I especially like this type of puzzle cache, where the hard part is to find the puzzle. Once you've found the puzzle, the solution is often straightforward.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I especially like this type of puzzle cache, where the hard part is to find the puzzle. Once you've found the puzzle, the solution is often straightforward.

 

Huh? I just took a look at the three caches listed by the OP and for all three of it was very clear where the puzzle was. In one case, it might require a little knowledge about computers to recognize the puzzle, and in each case, how to approach the puzzle might not be clear (especially the last one) but it was very clear where the puzzle was on the cache listing. I've seen quite a few others where just finding the puzzle was the hard part.

 

See how you do with this one? GC1BWWJ

 

It was published in May 3, 2008, I found it at the end of the month and was the last person to find it. Frankly, I think the difficulty is overrated. I solved another puzzle cache which used the same approach for onlly one small piece of the puzzle.

[+niraD]

Actually, I didn't study them all. But I've found some that resemble the one with the image. Sometimes, you have to figure out how the coordinates are encoded in the image. Sometimes you have to look past the image (which is a red herring) and find the puzzle elsewhere.

 

But GC1BWWJ resembles GCK1CC, which is a local puzzle multi-cache that's rather popular.

[+TheInterpreter]

I am relatively new to Geocaching, but have managed to find a few caches so far. My favorite ones are the puzzle ones, although I haven't had tough ones by any means. They usually have been "fill in the missing info" from tombstones, local historical signs, etc.

I would love to do more of these instead of the ones that take me down steep ravines or wading waist high in water!

Is there any way to search for caches that are puzzle/Mystery caches??

I am trying to do as many caches this Fall in order to get experience as to how caches are hidden/created. Then, I plan to create a puzzle cache over the Winter and publish it in the Spring.

Any help in how to do a search on the geocaching website for these types of caches would be appreciated!

Thanks,

TheInterpreter

 

How are you supposed to solve a Mystery or Puzzle Cache if there are no clues as to what type of puzzle it is?

 

Examples: GC18YCB, GCJ5ZM, GCV87P

[+DanOCan]

Is there any way to search for caches that are puzzle/Mystery caches??

 

Two quick ways:

 

Since you are a Premium Member, run a Pocket Query and only include ? caches.

 

or

 

Find a ? cache near you and click the link on the page where it says Find... ...nearby caches of this type.

[Skippermark]

GC18YCB is one of those where the owner changes the Terrain rating from a 2.5 to a 5 depending on the season and the lake level (high water = island = 5, low water = 2.5).

I've never heard of that. That would really stink for someone like you trying to fill in their grid.

 

I'm not sure why someone would do that. I think most cachers know that rain, snow or something else would make the terrain change a bit. Wouldn't it be best to rate it for "average" conditions that occur for the majority of the time.

[+team_goobie]

Another one that has me scratching my head - GC1GTRK.

 

Tried the techniques above to find the puzzle but geochecker has pnwned me big time.

[+Walts Hunting]

Two Margaritas and the Ignore List are how I handle this situation.

[+Clarkbowman]

Two Margaritas and the Ignore List are how I handle this situation.

 

depends on how much ta-kill-you in it, I tend to mix mine 50 / 50 in a large mason jar. Then I am set.

[+9Key]

I especially like this type of puzzle cache, where the hard part is to find the puzzle. Once you've found the puzzle, the solution is often straightforward.

 

Huh? I just took a look at the three caches listed by the OP and for all three of it was very clear where the puzzle was. In one case, it might require a little knowledge about computers to recognize the puzzle, and in each case, how to approach the puzzle might not be clear (especially the last one) but it was very clear where the puzzle was on the cache listing. I've seen quite a few others where just finding the puzzle was the hard part.

 

See how you do with this one? GC1BWWJ

 

It was published in May 3, 2008, I found it at the end of the month and was the last person to find it. Frankly, I think the difficulty is overrated. I solved another puzzle cache which used the same approach for onlly one small piece of the puzzle.

Did you injure yourself patting yourself on the back Paddler?

[+paleolith]

Of the very few puzzles I've done, my favorite is GC12E9E Queen of Swag. Everything you need to know is in the first two sentences of the description ... no need to solve the puzzle at all.

 

Edward

[+vw_k]

Try THIS ONE then!

 

Once you've worked out how to start the puzzle it's great fun and very addictive, even if you have no intention of visiting the final cache.

[+Isonzo Karst]

For a nice puzzle solving tutorial, check out the ePeterso2 Puzzle Solving 101 Series