New Type of Cache(?)

[+geospotter]

I'm working on a cache based on a Civil War officer called "The Colonel's Cipher". It will require three pieces of information located in three different caches. One contains a description of the cipher, one contains a coded message, and one contains the "keyword" info. While I have the keyword cache site picked out, I am having trouble finding suitable locations for the other caches since I want them to "fit" into the theme of the cache story. Then an idea blossomed...

 

Why not "piggyback" on existing caches by placing the info packets in them (perhaps "parasite" might be a better term). Then I thought, well, why limit those caches to my geographical location. Why not contact cachers in other parts of the country to place packets in their caches. Southern caches would certainly fit the theme. Once a packet was found, the finder would log their find on the cache page. Cachers finding the other packets could then contact each other to work as a team to decipher the location of the cache.

 

PROs --

Cachers get to work with other cachers from around the country.

It's a little more involved than the tupperware in the woods cache.

 

CONs --

Probably only one member of the team gets to find the final cache.

Who gets credit for the final cache?

 

Let's hear your thoughts -- good, bad, and ugly.

 

Thanks for any input,

 

geospotter

[+El Diablo]

I like the idea. However...instead of using existing caches, how about contacting someone in another area and have them place a cache for that paticular theme. Then let them work together with other areas to solve the final cache. There are lots of possibilities for this.

 

If I can help out, just let me know. My mind is always working on the unusual cache.

 

Jerry

[+geospotter]

Jerry,

 

I read your cache listings and we certainly think alike, and I appreciate your offer to help out. Let's get some more ideas, throw them around, and come up with a plan.

 

Anyone else?

[+Rebel]

I like it! Excellent idea.

 

I'm in Georgia, just a tad south of Atlanta. I'd be happy to take part in this.

[+Jamie Z]

There are some Civil War sites around me, as well. Some cemetaries and battle sites and parks named after confederate generals and one named after Jefferson Davis.

 

I can think of one existing cache right now at a state park not too far from here that is an old Civil War fort.

 

If you need any help, let me know.

 

Jamie

[+El Diablo]

I can see lots of competition in this.

 

Maybe the South is ready to rise again??

 

Jerry

[+El Diablo]

I can see lots of competition in this.

 

Maybe the South is ready to rise again??

 

Jerry

[Zuckerruebensirup]

I've started some groundwork on a virtual cache in the Marshall area, to take people through a tour of some of the historic sites. I recall at least one of them mentioning something about the Underground Railroad. (I'm not sure if that counts or not.) I'll have to take a closer look for more Civil War references.

[+Rebel]

Sure, the Underground Railroad qualifies as a War of Northern Aggression, err, I mean Civil War, issue. Marshall would be a good place.

 

I clipped the below from this site:

 

http://www.marshallmi.org/about/history.html

 

"Marshall was a station on the Underground Railroad and a strong anti-slavery town. In 1846 Kentucky slave chasers tried to capture escaped slave Adam Crosswhite and his family in Marshall. Leading citizens in turn arrested the Kentuckians and smuggled the Crosswhite family into Canada.

 

"The rescuers were convicted of "depriving a man of his rightful property" in Detroit federal court in 1847. They paid fines which they were to consider a badge of honor.

 

"The Crosswhite Incident is mentioned on several of the dozens of historical markers the town boasts. A few years ago the Marshall Historical Society marked Crosswhite's grave (he had returned to Marshall after the Civil War) where he rests a few hundred feet from several of his rescuers."

 

Would give a good balance.

[+Jamie Z]

Rebel,

 

CSA--heehee, I love it.

 

Jamie

[+Renegade Knight]

This sounds similar to a trans atlantic cache that has been set up. 4 caches. 1st one has the clue for the 2nd cache that is in England, and Vice Versa. So two caches have to work together to find the 2nd cache in their country.

[+geospotter]

My allegiance is torn. I was born In Kentucky and raised in New England. Perhaps this cache needs a spy!

[+Macro]

I really like the idea...a lot. Sounds like it may take some work to get it up and going, but this could be a great cache from the sound of it. Good luck getting it done. Maybe you can post something in this thread when its complete so that some of us "Yankees" can keep an eye on it.

[+RGS]

geospotter,

 

Another great idea you have. You must have a lot of free time! The Civil War was before my time (not by much), but I'm in St. Louis and we have quite a few areas here related to the War. Jefferson Barracks is a large park and cemetary (which has several caches already) and U.S. Grant was born and raised here. If you need any help with caches in this area, I'd be glad to help.

 

Rich

[+geospotter]

I appreciate everyone's offer to help! You all seem to have great locations. I see many possiblities.

 

I need more specific suggestions about exactly how to set it up. For example, there could be multiple caches (6, 8, 10) at various Civil War locales (no NPS caches, please). The number would depend on the number of clues required to complete the cache. If there were 6 clues, take all of the loot that would have gone into those 6 caches and put them into the final cache(?). Maybe have a couple of large final caches.

 

The way I have structured the hunt so far allows for additional hunts to be added easily. Perhaps a "series".

 

The end game still has me concerned. I would like everyone involved in the hunt to get some sort of reward, not just the one who goes to the final cache(s). Any ideas?

[+Rebel]

While heading up the road on a cache-hunt, I was mulling this over.

 

How about this? Travel Bugs. The Bugs would be placed in existing caches (or new ones for that matter) in areas of historical interest. When the finder logs the Bug, then the Bug's owner emails the finder with the next location. Someone who was "watching" the bugs would only know where they were going after they were only on the way to the next step.

 

This would require coordination and agreement of the Travel Bug owners, of course. All the Bugs would have an ultimate goal of a specific location. Just that all would get there in a roundabout way.

 

This wouldn't require new caches (a plus), and would take a very long time to get to the end.

 

And, of course, each person who moves a Bug on it's way getas "find" points.

 

I'm not sure of how to deal with the Bugs arriving at the final destination. And, I've noticed that some Bugs just kinda stall.

 

Just my .02.

[+Rebel]

While heading up the road on a cache-hunt, I was mulling this over.

 

How about this? Travel Bugs. The Bugs would be placed in existing caches (or new ones for that matter) in areas of historical interest. When the finder logs the Bug, then the Bug's owner emails the finder with the next location. Someone who was "watching" the bugs would only know where they were going after they were only on the way to the next step.

 

This would require coordination and agreement of the Travel Bug owners, of course. All the Bugs would have an ultimate goal of a specific location. Just that all would get there in a roundabout way.

 

This wouldn't require new caches (a plus), and would take a very long time to get to the end.

 

And, of course, each person who moves a Bug on it's way getas "find" points.

 

I'm not sure of how to deal with the Bugs arriving at the final destination. And, I've noticed that some Bugs just kinda stall.

 

Just my .02.

[+geospotter]

One of the reasons I considered piggybacking on existing or new caches was that each finder would get to log a find (that cache) and the info packet for the puzzle would be like a bonus cache. But that idea is still up in the air.

 

Three people from different parts of the country have three different parts of the puzzle. No single finder would be able to solve it themselves; they would have to work together. That's the interesting part of the idea (for me).

All 'PART -A-' puzzle pieces could be scattered around the Northeast, 'PART -B-' could be in the Southeast, etc.

 

One problem I see is if we have 10 copies of each piece then only 10 teams of people get to play. More pieces would allow for more people, but would also require more caches. Perhaps if once a team has solved it they could return the info pak to another cache (trade it back). That way more people could participate.

 

What do you think?

[DisQuoi]

I have a fairly new cache that is intended to have a Civil War theme. It's near Fredericksburg, VA. I'd love to place a packet with it.

[+El Diablo]

After giving it some thought. I came up with the following..........

 

Depending on the number of cities that want to participate will determine the number of caches....really don't want to alienate someone that wants to play. Anyway heres the basic concept....We of course have a North and a South Team. There is a General for the North and one for the South, and to keep it fair...a person to oversee both sides to prevent cheating.

 

Now.....the North will hide caches that a team member from the South must find, and the same for the South. There should be enough Yankees in the south to play for the North and enough Rebels in the north to play for the South.

 

Each side will have a Flagship Cache. Heres an example of how the caches would work. Lets say that a cache is hid in Atlanta...they only have partial coordinates to the cache. There is a cache in Richmond that must be solved in order for Atlanta to complete theirs....this continues until the Flagship Cache is solved...actually captured.

 

All caches must in some way be related to the Civil War. Give both sides a certain period of time to set the caches and then we ask Jeremy to post them at the same time. There are many different angles to go at this. So lets hear yours.

 

Jerry

[+Rebel]

Was wondering on how the mechanicis of this would work, how about . . .

 

A total of 8 skirmish caches, 2 battle caches, and 1 victory cache. Would work like this:

 

Each skirmish cache has a piece of the coords, as in:

 

In Yankeeland:

Skirmish cache A: Lat Hours of Battle cache

Shirmish cache B: Lat Mins/Secs of Battle cache

Skirmish cache C: Long Hours Battle cache

Skirmish cache D: Long Mins/Secs Battle cache

 

The same in Dixie.

 

In Yankeeland:

Battle cache A: Latitude of Victory cache

Battle cache B: Longitude of Victory cache

 

The same in Dixie.

 

At the Victory cache: First one there wins. I would ask for a picture of the finder and GPS showing coords to claim the prize.

 

But, what to have as a prize?

 

Just my .02.

[+Rebel]

Was wondering on how the mechanicis of this would work, how about . . .

 

A total of 8 skirmish caches, 2 battle caches, and 1 victory cache. Would work like this:

 

Each skirmish cache has a piece of the coords, as in:

 

In Yankeeland:

Skirmish cache A: Lat Hours of Battle cache

Shirmish cache B: Lat Mins/Secs of Battle cache

Skirmish cache C: Long Hours Battle cache

Skirmish cache D: Long Mins/Secs Battle cache

 

The same in Dixie.

 

In Yankeeland:

Battle cache A: Latitude of Victory cache

Battle cache B: Longitude of Victory cache

 

The same in Dixie.

 

At the Victory cache: First one there wins. I would ask for a picture of the finder and GPS showing coords to claim the prize.

 

But, what to have as a prize?

 

Just my .02.

[+Rebel]

OK, it's 4 Battle caches, but you get the idea.

[+brettd]

My .02: a Race to the final cache

 

If there are two armies (teams), Blue and Grey...

The Grey would follow clues on Blue caches. The Blue would follow clues on Grey caches. In this way, persons placing packets into caches could still be part of an army, and play the game.

 

The cache might start with posted clues for both initial battles (cache sites). Those caches could contain a piece of the final clue (encrypted), a piece of the cipher to decrypt the final clue, and a clue to where the next battle cache is located (rather than the coordinates of that cache). The army must then figure out what cache contains the next packet, and then either send someone out there or use the geo-draft to conscript someone from the area in question into their army. If they guess wrong, they may have to rework the clue or petition the moderator for a clue clarification.

As for logging the cache, I suggest that everyone who participates, be allowed to log the cache after the army locates it.

 

PS: I just placed a Civil War themed cache in my area. I would be honored to have it used in your theme cache.

[+brettd]

oops, I meant everyone logs the final cache, but I did not mean all the other ones the army found.

[+geospotter]

Gee...

 

I was kind of going for cooperation between different parts of the country with this cache, instead of battles.

 

Interesting ideas though. Is this similar to Minute Wars?

[+brettd]

I've never heard of minute wars, sorry. I was just thinking that in order to use a group of cache sites, someone in the area of each (the owners, probably) would have to assist in the cache setup. If the cache encompasses more than one regional area, solving the puzzle would probably have to be a team effort. If the team includes the people that assist in setting up the puzzle, there is no challenge anymore. That's why I thought that if there were two puzzles leading to the cache (North and South, for example), then those assisting in the setup of, say, the South puzzle could still participate in unravelling the North puzzle. That's where I started thinking of it as a race, of sorts. It was just a thought, though.

[+geospotter]

Having more than one final cache does solve a couple issues that I had.

 

I tell you what, I will email you so that we don't tie up the forums with this (or give away any solutions to the caches).