Wordplay

 

 

 

 
LOCATION:  Southeastern PA

CHALLENGE:  4 stars

DATE/NUMBER:  31-Aug-2002/46

MAP: 

Our cause is a secret within a secret, a secret that only another secret can explain; it is a secret about a secret that is veiled by a secret. -- Ja 'far as-Sadiq (aqb Umberto Eco)

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. -- Anonymous

I became interested in clues that reveal themselves over time, and the related phenomena of distributed clues. Some interesting stuff has already been done in these areas, so I felt like doing some more experimentation.

Anyway, what we have here is a clue, but all the letters are hidden, sort of like on Wheel of Fortune. If you find a letter, you can turn over all occurrences of that letter in the clue, if you want to. The letters, of course, are hidden in letterboxes.

To turn over a letter, note its password and verification number, and use this form. In any case, if you find one of these things, please either leave it in that box or put it in another, as it may be useful to someone else.

***

A: Dated maps trump modern maps. Find t-e intersection of Baptist and Camp Roads. Find t-e statue at fifty degrees. Find t-e last name of t-e sculptor.

B: Don't be a lazy slot-. Find t-e park related to clue -otel. -ike t-e trail t-at connects t-e t-o most important parks in t-is game t-ree quarters of a mile to an intersection. Find t-e tree -it- t-o blazes to t-e sout-east. Find t-e -ig-est -ord and re-erse it. You may -is- to continue -it- clue --iskey.

C: X marks t-e spot. Re-erse again t-e ans-er from clue Bra-o. Find t-e letter to make t-is -ord a medie-al Frenc- capital.

D: -ope you're in s-ape. Triangulate to t-e circle: forty one degrees from clue Tango, se-enty se-en degrees from clue No-ember, one -undred ten degrees from clue Alp-a, and one -undred forty se-en degrees from clue Lima. Find t-e state. (-int: clue No-ember's -ord is lost -ere in t-e -oods. Look t-irty paces sout- of t-e -esternmost ruin).

E: Don't forget --ere you'-e parked. From clue Tango, find t-e monument at one -undred sixty fi-e degrees. From t-ere, find t-e monument at t-ree -undred fifty eig-t degrees. Find t-e fourt- -ord.

F: Time to -ike for miles. Find t-e trail -ead at t-o -undred and t-irty eig-t degrees. Follo- t-e trail to t-e pond. Find t-e track to your left, and follo- it e-entually along t-e ri-er t-en e-entually to a cul de sac. Find --en Mr. Arnold completed -is project. You may -is- to continue -it- clue Golf.

G: Tired of running in triangles? Find t-e road at t-ree -undred and t-enty degrees and follo- it to a four -ay junction. Follo- t-e nort- -est road to a triangular junction. Find t-e name of t-e country on t-e rock at t-o -undred and fifty eig-t degrees.

-: Good luck, Columbo. Find --ere t-e dark couple -ere born. Find t-e sign t-ere. Find t-e last -ord on t-e second line. You may -is- to continue -it- clue India.

I: T-at one -as -ard enoug- for t-o clues. Simply re-erse clue -otel's -ord.

J: Time to get born again. Find --at group founded t-e c-urc- of clue Quebec.

K: Completion back-ards principle? A creek runs near clues Bra-o and --iskey. It also runs under a co-ered bridge by a sc-ool. Find t-e last -ord on t-e sign in t-e bridge.

L: T-ink outside t-e box. Find t-e big bell under American skies. Find t-e Texas patriot at t-ree -undred t-irty degrees.

M: Its deja -u all o-er again. -alk t-o -undred ten paces at t-ree -undred se-en degrees, t-en fifty eig-t paces at one -undred fifty six degrees, t-en one -undred fifty nine paces at sixty fi-e degrees. From t-e monument to t-e sout-, name t-e dark couple to t-e east.

N: Time to teac- you a lesson. -alk sout- on a road from clue Alp-a to t-e sc-ool-ouse. Find t-e se-enteent- -ord on t-e plaque.

O: -istory al-ays repeats. Find t-e site of t-e e-ent nine days after -as-ington lost at clue Romeo. (-int: t-e subject of clue Tango -as t-ere). Find t-e longest -ord on t-e nort-ern face of t-e tallest monument. You may -is- to continue -it- clue Papa.

P: Don't be t-ro-n for a loop. -alk forty eig-t paces at t-o -undred eig-ty eig-t degrees, t-en one -undred ten paces at t-enty nine degrees, t-en eig-ty six paces at one -undred sixty t-o degrees, t-en forty four paces at t-o -undred t-enty se-en degrees. Find t-e top -ord on t-is monument and spell it back-ards. You may -is- to continue -it- clue Mike.

Q: Time for di-ine inspiration. Find t-e t-ree -undred year old c-urc- in nort--est Tredyffrin. Find --ic- building -as built t-e year Lyndon Jo-nson -as first inaugurated.

R: Don't get lost in a fog. Find t-e battle of September ele-ent-, se-enteen se-enty se-en. Find -as-ington's quarters. Find t-e first name on t-e sign in front. --ile -ere, you may -is- to continue -it- clues Zulu and -ictor.

S: Time for a gimme. Simply xerox your ans-er from clue C-arlie.

T: Don't be an equine posterior. From General -ayne's statue, find t-e -ord in t-e -oods at t-o -undred ninety fi-e degrees. --en done, you may -is- to go else--ere in t-e park and find clues Alp-a, Delta, Ec-o, Lima, No-ember, and Uniform.

U: Keep your eye on t-e needle. Take a fe- steps back from clue Lima. Dial one -undred fifty six into your compass. If you're lucky, you'll spy somet-ing grey -it- -riting on it. From t-ere, -isit t-e state to your left and find its nort-ernmost -ord.

-: Don't be lead do-n t-e garden pat-. Find t-e Marquis' quarters. Find t-e pat- leading sout- to-ards t-e rock. Find t-e first -ord on t-e rock.

-: T-e pat- less tra-eled? Continue to a significant tree at at significant junction. Find t-e first name of -e --o -as -ere t-irty eig-t years ago.

X: Time for some ne- digs. Find t-e mansion t-ree -undred nineteen degrees from clue Romeo, t-o -undred se-enty t-ree degrees from clue Quebec, t-o -undred eig-ty t-o degrees from clue Oscar, and t-o -undred fifty four degrees from t-e clue Kilo. From bet-een t-e urns, find t-e plaque on an easterly bearing. Find t-e nint- -ord. You may -is- to continue -it- clue Yankee.

Y: Good luck, Superman. Find t-e cedar at t-ree -undred ten degrees. From t-ere, find t-e rock at t-o -undred t-enty fi-e degrees. Find Tom's last name. You may -is- to continue -it- clue Foxtrot.

Z: Don't miss t-e tree for t-e forest. Find t-e tree t-at is older t-an t-e country. Find t-e -ord t-at appears before t-e Centennial State's abbr.

 
 
NOTE 1:  This box is (was) part of Ladybug and Jolly G-Man's National Mystery Letterbox Project. [link broken]

NOTE 2:  Off-trail walking is involved.

NOTE 3:  Be wary of snakes and other wildlife when reaching into dark places. No need to dig for this box. All bearings magnetic unless otherwise noted. A pace is a long stride counted on a footfall of either foot, i.e. two paces are counted each time the right foot hits the ground. Be aware of if or when there is game hunting in the area.

NOTE 4:  Please re-hide the thing well just as you found it

DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT:  PERSONS USING THIS CLUE OR HUNTING THIS LETTERBOX DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK. Do not hunt this letterbox without reading and agreeing to the waiver first. Children, do not hunt this letterbox without the supervision of an adult who has read and agreed to the waiver. Possession of this clue does not imply rights of access to particular lands and route choices, or the safety thereof, including the location of the box itself. Always observe current local regulations, signs, property rights, and customs; you are responsible for your actions. Clue not indended to be taken literally or to suggest route choices; route choices (and the choice to proceed at all), are your choice.
This clue and associated stamp art are copyright © 2002, by Randy Hall. Permission to reproduce for personal use granted; all other rights reserved.

 
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