Tuesday, July 26, 2016

FCP15C5: Tidal Pool? HINTS

Does this week's Mystery Monday puzzle have you swimming in circles? Here are some hints!

I will give you five hints, each getting progressively more revealing, but they will be encoded in ROT13, just like the hints on geocaching pages. You can copy and paste the hints here to decode them. HINT 5 will be nuclear level, so only look at it as a last resort!

HINT 1: Gung dhrfgvba znex va gur gvgyr vf fhttrfgvir gung n uvag vf arneol.

HINT 2: Guvegrra svfu, guvegrra qvtvgf arrqrq.

HINT 3: Gur qvssrerag pbybef ner vzcbegnag.

HINT 4: Vf gurer n qvssrerag glcr bs cbby?

HINT 5: Gur pbybef bs svfu ner gur fnzr pbybef nf cbby onyyf. Cbby onyyf unir ahzoref ba gurz.


Answers tomorrow!

Monday, July 25, 2016

FCP15C5: Tidal Pool?

It's Monday! You know what that means... It's time for a Mystery Monday Puzzle!




For more information on using puzzle stats see this post. You will be able to see the object in question on street view, but for the BEST view, when you go into streetview on Google Maps drop the little man into the orange "Photosphere" icon that is near the final coords. The photosphere is taken literally right next to the object. 

And here is a closer look at the image, in case you need it.


As always, there will be hints tomorrow, and the final answer on Wednesday. 

Hat tip to Dolores Davidson for suggesting the final location for this puzzle!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Mission GC: Mission #1

Let's talk about that Mission GC puzzle!

As you hopefully know Groundspeak is going to issue us 3 coded "Missions" that will result in caching Souvenirs if we decode the mission properly and take the actions described. (More information here.) The first mission was released to Premium members yesterday, and will be released to everyone else next weekend, but I'm sure you've all seen it by now, right?

So let's break the puzzle down.

We were given four license plates, and told that they contained an encoded message. What do we have to go go on? The four plates are from different states, Kentucky, Washington, British Columbia (in Canada) and Georgia based on the slogans, but that doesn't help much. The strange thing is the "A SIX IS G" slogan, which stands out because it doesn't match up to any state, and definitely not directly with Kentucky. 

I'll admit that it tripped me up at first because I thought it meant that the 6 represented G, as it sometimes does in "l33tspeeak." Eventually I figured out that that was not what they meant though. 

Notice that each plate has three letters followed by three numbers. If you read "A SIX IS G" a little differently it could be "A6 is G," linking the first letter and the first number in the two groups. 

Basically what you have is a variation on a Caesar Cipher, or a Rotation Cipher. Most geocachers are familiar with Rot-13 which is how hints are encoded on cache pages, this puzzle uses other rotations. 

Look at the hint again, "A SIX IS G," or said another way, "An A rotated 6 times, is G." Counting 6 letters up from A you'd find the letter G. 

Next is C2, two letters up from C (C, D, E) is E. So far we have GE. Then N1 (N, O) gives us O, so the first plate says "GEO." Seems like a great place to start for any geocaching puzzle. 

Once you know the steps, it's easy, right? The only one that is slightly tricky is on the yellow plate, W6. Six steps after W... W, X, Y, Z... oops. You run out of letters! Just loop around the alphabet again: W, X, Y, Z, A, B, C. 

Can you solve the rest on your own? Once you have the answer visit this website and enter the password (no spaces) into the box to get your "mission." 

Friday, July 22, 2016

Resource: Rot-N Encryption

For today's Resource Friday I'd like to present a resource that you might find helpful not only for general geocaching, but for today's Mission GC Puzzle (obliquely anyway).

Everyone who geocaches is familiar Rot-13, a Caesar Cipher rotated 13 spaces, but there are 24 other variations on Caesar Rotation, Rot-1 rotates just one space so that A becomes B, B becomes C etc., Rot-2 rotates two spaces A to C, B to D, etc.

This website can solve all of the Rotation variations, and it can even make a guess at which to use if you don't know!


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

FCN31LG: Endless Puzzles HINTS

If this week's Mystery Monday puzzle has left yu with endless questions, but no answers... here are some hints!

I will give you five hints, each getting progressively more revealing, but they will be encoded in ROT13, just like the hints on geocaching pages. You can copy and paste the hints here to decode them. HINT 5 will be nuclear level, so only look at it as a last resort!

HINT 1: N ercrngrq jbeq vf gur xrl gb gur chmmyr.

HINT 2: Gra qvtvgf arrqrq, gra ebjf bs jbeqf, pbairavrag!

HINT 3: "Raqyrff" pbhyq nyfb or rkcerffrq nf "jvgubhg raq."

HINT 4: Pbagvahvat gur pbaprcg sebz gur cerivbhf pyhr, juvpu jbeq va gur ebj qbrf abg pbagnva gur yrggref RAQ?

HINT 5: Vf vg gur svefg jbeq? Gur frpbaq? Cbfvgvba va gur ebj tvirf lbh gur ahzore lbh arrq.

Answers tomorrow! Good luck!


Monday, July 18, 2016

FCN31LG: Endless Puzzles

As we all know the variation of puzzles out there is just endless... which is exactly the theme of this week's Mystery Monday!

This week's puzzle was written by Jennifer Kidder of the Geocaching Puzzle Of The Day Blog.



For more information on using puzzle stats see this postAnd here is a closer look at those words, in case you need it.


Answers will be published on Wednesday, and check back tomorrow for hints if you need them!

Happy puzzling!!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Resource: Quinaplus Cruciverbal Tools

Today's Puzzle Resource is primarily concerned with variations on crossword puzzles, but it includes solvers and helpful word lists for a lot of puzzles that can be embedded within a standard crosswords, such as anagrams, and a Playfair Cipher breaker: The Quinaplus Cruciverbal Tools.




Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

FCBR3RR: My Oh My What A Wonderful Day HINTS

Does this week's Mystery Monday puzzle make you feel like there's plenty of sunshine headed your way? If not... here are some hints!

I will give you five hints, each getting progressively more revealing, but they will be encoded in ROT13, just like the hints on geocaching pages. You can copy and paste the hints here to decode them. HINT 5 will be nuclear level, so only look at it as a last resort!

HINT 1: Gur gvgyr naq vavgvny jnlcbvag ner uvagf.

HINT 2: Gur gvgyr vf cneg bs n fbat, gur cerivbhf ylevp vf gur uvag.

HINT 3: Gur chmmyr vf n zbqvsvrq obbx pvcure.

HINT 4: Gur svefg frg bs ahzoref ercerfragf na B, gur frpbaq vf na A.

HINT 5: Gur svir qvtvg fgevat vf n mvc pbqr. Gur fvatyr qvtvg ercerfragf n yrggre va gur anzr bs gur gbja. 1 jbhyq or gur svefg yrggre va gur gbja, 2 jbhyq or gur frpbaq yrggre, rgp.

Don't forget that this week's final target is low to the ground, so it might take a little maneuvering to see properly.

Answers tomorrow!

Monday, July 11, 2016

FCBR3RR: My Oh My What A Wonderful Day

Monday is here, ready to solve a puzzle? 




For more information on using puzzle stats see this post.

PLEASE NOTE: The final might be a bit difficult to see, depending on the angle you take. It is low to the ground.

As always, hints will be posted tomorrow, and answers on Wednesday.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

FCF0RT4: Elements of a Good Holiday HINTS

While you are recovering from eating too many hot dogs, and having too much beer in the summer sun, did you need a hint on this week's Mystery Monday puzzle ?

I will give you five hints, each getting progressively more revealing, but they will be encoded in ROT13, just like the hints on geocaching pages. You can copy and paste the hints here to decode them. HINT 5 will be nuclear level, so only look at it as a last resort!

HINT 1: Gur pbybe bs gur sverjbexf vf vzcbegnag.

HINT 2: Gurer vf uvag va gur gvgyr.

HINT 3: Rire jbaqre jul sverjbexf ner gur pbybe gurl ner?

HINT 4: Jung pna lbh qvfpbire nobhg gur ryrzragf gung znxr sverjbexf?

HINT 5: Gur ngbzvp ahzore sbe gur cevznel ryrzrag va rnpu pbybe bs sverjbex vf gur xrl gb gur chmmyr.

Answers tomorrow!

Monday, July 4, 2016

FCF0RT4: Elements of a Good Holiday

America is celebrating it's birthday today, and I know for MY birthday I always enjoy a good puzzle!



For more information on using puzzle stats see this post.

As always, hints will be posted tomorrow, and answers on Wednesday.

Happy Puzzling, and Happy Fourth of July!

Edited: An earlier version of this puzzle had "L+D", that was an error.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Resource: Minion Translator

It seems like these little yellow guys are everywhere these days. It couldn't be long before they made their way to geocaching as well! If you don't understand their language, you'll need a little help figuring out what they might be saying, thus the Minion Translator! Much like the Kenny Translator this only does one thing, but it's a useful thing when you need it!