Watershed #5 - Fernwood Forest

Important to Note: There can be quite a difference in accuracy between Cell Phone Apps and a dedicated GPS – the GPS being more accurate. The coords for this hide were logged with a Garmin. Please bear this in mind if your working coords seem to be “off.”

This is the fourth in the series of Watershed caches. In order to find this cache, you will need the Story Teller’s names from Watersheds #1-3.

There is no cache at the virtual coords. This is available parking only.

INTRO:

Although not Classical Literature like our other hides, The Heartwood Hotel is a charming series that takes place in an enormous majestic tree deep in the dark Fernwood Forest. Its giant branches fan out around the top like a crown and its large roots form quiet pools in the side of a rushing river. In between roots, moss grows so neatly it looks as though someone has tucked it in and trimmed it to fit. Carved on the front is a heart with the initials H.H. carved in its center. When the carving is pressed inward, a secret door in the trunk swings open. Another carved sign hangs above the hearth that says, WE LIVE BY ‘PROTECT AND RESPECT’ NOT BY ‘TOOTH AND CLAW.’ Their moto was, “Sleep in safety, eat in earnest and be happy at Heartwood.”

There was no place like the Heartwood Hotel. It was the biggest tree in the whole of Fernwood Forest. At one end lay the Foothills, at the other the village with The Inn Between - only the best hotel for mice and small creatures in the village, and in the very center grew the grand hotel, with the stream winding its way around it like a long curly whisker. Everyone loved the Heartwood with its grand staircase that circled the center of the tree, from the star-gazing balcony at the tip-top to the hibernation suites in the deep dirt. The majestic old oak could accommodate all types of guests, from feathered to furred.

Mr. Heartwood, a compassionate badger, together with Mrs. Higgins, the hedgehog housekeeper and Ms. Prickles, the porcupine cook, have turned this semi hollow tree into the most grandiferous hotel in any Forest around, where animals come from far and wide for safety, luxury, and comfort, and carried away tales of friendship, courage, and delicious meals of acorn soufflé, toasted and buttery seedcakes, elderberry pudding, cheese crumble with blueberry sauce, lemongrass tee, ginger cakes, honey wine, beechnut biscuits, and more.

Many came for the elaborate seasonal celebrations, like the First Acorn Festival, the Strawberry Festival, Blackberry Festival, The squirrel convention, the First Snow Festival, St. Slumber’s Supper, the Heartwood Hop and Spring Splash, the Cutest Egg Competition, the Tiniest Talent Show, won by the Fernwood Flares troupe of fireflies, the Best Blossom Contest,

When Mona the Mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes they'll let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need. But the Heartwood Hotel is not all acorn soufflé and soft moss-lined beds. Danger lurks, and as it approaches, Mona finds that this hotel is more than a warm place to spend the night. It might also be a home. Here.

But sadly, one night in ages past during a frightful storm, The Heartwood Hotel was struck by lightning and has gone the way of all such trees in the forest. Thankfully, none of the Fernwood community lost feather or paw. They eventually retrofitted another forest sentry and their love and compassion continued to be passed down through time.

In its memory, this geocache has adopted another hollow remnant that now safeguards another small community of Orphaned Wee Ones, offspring of the many and varied visitors and residents of the original grand Hotel. As you search for them in the quiet, you may hear their welcoming whispers.

Geocache Instructions for beginning coords:

1] Put all the Story Teller’s first and second names in one alphabetical order.

2] Then take each beginning letter and assign its numerical placement in the alphabet: [Example: Frank would be 7. Kate would be 12. Paul would be 16 etc. . .]

3] Then solve the following math and fill in the coords below. This will take you to the entrance of the Fernwood Foothills of the Great Forest.

AA Take the numerical placement of name #6, add the numerical placement of name #3, then add 1

xx What is the numerical placement of name #1: Double that number & subtract 2

X Take the numerical placement of name #3 divide that by ½, then add 2

Q Take the numerical placement of name #6 and subtract that by the numerical placement of name #6

yy Add together the number of letters in names #5,4 & 3 then add 1

Z How many letters are in name #7

z Take the numerical placement of the longest name and divide it by 3

z What is the numerical placement of the seventh name

Plug in the numbers for this formula: N 39 AA.xxXQ W 105 yy.Zzz

N39 __.___ W105 __.___

Geochecker for answer

FIELD INSTRUCTIONS:

This is a 4 Stage Multi cache adventure created in the spirit of the Fernwood Forest community that surrounds the present remnants of miniature version of a Heartwood Hotel. Each stage involves several steps of meeting the community members and deciphering their wisdom until you uncover the final reward.

This journey takes place in an undeveloped section of Cub Creek Park so there are no trails. But most of it is easily traversed meadow and creek bank. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO stomp on all thistles before they take over the world – and this meadow.

STARTING CLUE: At Stage #1, you will meet the Esteemed Sir Reginald Higgins III - Forest Greeter - stationed on a small remnant of a hollow "Heartland Hotel" Tree. He will direct you to the map vault where you can study the general layout of the other stages of the Heartwood community. From there you will be directed to the “V” Tree which is the waypoint guardian of this small portion of the forest. Sir Jasper Lollihops’ home will offer up the directions to discover the other stages.

Please Take Care: We love creating mystery multis that give cachers a fun adventure, but they require lots of time, energy and money. We have had considerable vandalism across our hides so camouflage efforts have increased. To keep the stages safe, please re-close containers and dry bags thghtly so they remain water proof, re-set all locks by spinning the numbers, and re-hide well within their cammo and original site. And Thank you for caring.

GC TRADING guidelines: When trading swag, take ONE leave ONE and Trade UP. Otherwise the caches dry up and die very quickly.

If you enjoyed the cache then please consider awarding it a Favorite Point. The more Favorite Points it has, the more others may be attracted to share your experience.

Additional Waypoints