Master Index    Nearest Caches Swallowed by Darkness: Subterranean Cartography by Clyde Southern and Matilda (3/3) N33° 39.224  W117° 51.176 (WGS84) UTM  11S   E 420914  N 3724090 Use waypoint: GCZ0TB Size: Micro    Hidden on 10/21/2006 In California, United States Difficulty:     Terrain:

(This is the first cache in a three-part series. The second cache is GCZ0TD and the third cache is GCZ0TH.)

The cache is NOT at the listed coordinates. To find the cache's actual location you must read the description below.
This cache can be dangerous, and should not be undertaken by the weak of heart. DO NOT attempt this cache if it is raining, or is about to rain.
As always, use common sense while finding this cache and don't take any unnecessary risks.

"I suppose you're the person who's going to take over for me. Our mutual employer said I wouldn't get paid for my work until I handed over all of the information that I gathered. That's fine by me. I'll make this quick because the sooner I leave this project behind, the better."

The old man slides a manila folder across the table to you. Inside it are handwritten notes, drawings and a few color photographs. You glance over the contents.

"You can find the entrance of the tunnel at N 33° 39.218 W 117° 50.797. There's public parking at N 33° 39.036 W 117° 50.445. You can just walk to the entrance from there. I've also provided you with an incomplete map that I sketched during one of my trips to the tunnel. It's not to scale but the basic layout is correct, and I've noted some of the more interesting details that you can find in the tunnel.

"Our mutual employer seems to be interested in finding three separate items that are located inside the tunnel. Treasure, maybe? Or some tidbit of information that he wants to get his grubby paws on? He was always vague about what I was supposed to be looking for. He kept saying that I would know it when I found it... but I never found anything.

"The incomplete map points to where I found a clue for the location of the first item. It's in some sort of code. I was never good at that sort of thing, and I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

He points to a slip of paper that has a cryptic message scrawled across it:

GUR SVEFG VF YBPNGRQ NOBIRTEBHAQ JVGUVA GRA SRRG BS GUVF TENGR

"There was something suspicious about that grate, but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find anything useful. Maybe you'll have better luck.

"Here's my advice for you: When you go down into that tunnel, make sure you're wearing a nice pair of waterproof boots. It can get pretty wet down there. And don't forget to bring two or three good flashlights. Most of all, take someone with you. When I was down there alone, I swear I could hear things. It was almost like something was watching me. But every time I looked over my shoulder, there was nothing there. Only the sound of dripping water to keep me company."

Additional Hints Hints

10/14/2007 by GSAK
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We hiked will past cache two-perhaps to three- but we didn't understand how to do this one until we got home and read the logs more thoroughly.
We got wet above the ankles, but had a lot of fun.
We want to go back and get the caches.
It took us over on hour to go all the way in and back.
The kids got scared a couple of times and Jordan got completely wet when he slipped.
We'll be back!

9/15/2007 by keyesfamily
We hiked will past cache two-perhaps to three- but we didn't understand how to do this one until we got home and read the logs more thoroughly.
We got wet above the ankles, but had a lot of fun.
We want to go back and get the caches.
It took us over on hour to go all the way in and back.
The kids got scared a couple of times and Jordan got completely wet when he slipped.
We'll be back!

5/18/2007 by Mc Farland INC
This was fun except for all the bats some rats and a coyote blocking our exit!!! LOVED IT!! TFTC

5/18/2007 by SprayPaint
This Was A Blast....
Party Members:
SprayPaint's Crew (SprayPaint - Trevelyan - Miss VeeVee)
Henderson_Klan
McFarland Inc

The Journey in was rather uneventful, other than Henderson getting hit by a bat. SprayPaint Located this one and once returning to the surface McFarland found the hide.

1/31/2007 by Happy & Skippy
This might've been easier if we had done our homework and paid attention to the work of the cartographer. Forunately, although curiosity might've killed the cat, it hasn't killed Skippy yet. Slightly exhausted from our adventures, Skippy took a couple breaks on the way out to "look around." As it turns out, this helped us snag this cache. Now, it is off to enjoy the double orange chicken awaiting us in the cachemobile. TNL pencil.

Thanks for a really enjoyable series,

Skippy :)

1/31/2007 by HappyToBeFirst
We didn't have access to the sketchy map as we were venturing into the belly of the beast, but because of Skippy's bread crumbs (aka taking readings whenever he could), we miraculously nearly stumbled (not literally) upon this find. We were elated and exhausted and hungry by the time we found this cache and had one of our best caching days ever. Thanks so much for the fun! --Happy :)

12/22/2006 by Jeffster83
I've been in this tunnel before, back in 1982, when I was a student at UCI. I remember a lot of the paintings, but some of them are new to me. Back then we went on impulse, and no one had rubber boots, so we wrapped our feet with black plastic trash bags and held them with duct tape.

When I saw this cache listing last month, I immediately made plans to take SillyCutie and WavyGirl. We didn't have the opportunity until today.

We took our friend Nickelodeon with us. He had been caching a couple times last year with someone from his church, but there are no caches listed on Geocaching.com at the places he describes having gone.

We found seven regular caches along the Bikencache trail, then went back to the car to get our rubber boots and flashlights. We weren't able to find anyone at UCI who would sell us a parking permit, but school is out for winter break and the parking police don't seem to be patrolling. We parked right across the street from this cache for almost four hours and never got a ticket.

There were only a couple places along the tunnel where Nickelodeon or I had to tell the girls not to look at the walls because of bad words written there.

Great story, and great map. Nickelodeon found the first clue, but of course he couldn't retrieve the cache yet, so we continued on to the second cache in this series (GCZ0TD).

After we found that cache and returned to the outside, we had some difficulty finding the place in the surface to which the clue for this cache referred. I wish I had not turned off my GPS unit when we were in the tunnel; it would have come in handy. Fortunately, a thorough search brought us to the unique place to which the clue pointed. WavyGirl drew on her previous geocaching experience and retrieved the actual cache within seconds of arriving at the site. We all signed the log. Both girls had fallen and gotten wet, so we went home. Thanks for the fun!

12/11/2006 by tman389
The kids had a great time. Just wish I'd not left the rubber boots in the car!! Thx.

12/9/2006 by Boilermaker_82
Great puzzle set. Out this morning with TMAN389. Took the boys down into the depths of the earth and got plenty wet. This one was an interesting find that was easy once we got to GZ. SL. Thanks for the fun.

12/5/2006 by clydesouthern
I changed the cache page to work around the missing first clue. Because of that, the cache is now a little more difficult to find. Instead of the coords being handed to you on a silver platter, you'll now have to do some legwork to find it.

Happy hunting!

11/26/2006 by Pacholik
The First clue is missing.

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