Bridges & Arches of Central Park - An Incredible Geocaching Adventure
Channel: Cache Canada
Date: 2018-12-21

Bridges & Arches of Central Park - GC17MX1
https://coord.info/GC17MX1
An incredible geocaching adventure with this epic 32-stage multi cache within the beautiful gem of New York City, Central Park. Get a glimpse at what this multi can show you as you travel from one end of the park to the other and discover the Bridges & Arches of Central Park.

The cache was published on May 31, 2008. When did you conceive of the idea for the cache?

The first idea worms came in the summer of 2007.  My kids and I had been geocaching for about a year, and we had been spending a lot of time in Central Park as we began to get comfortable with the idea of hiding our own caches.  At some point we learned that each Bridge or Arch is not just unique but intentionally unique, and that seemed like a great engine driver to explore the park.
 

Did you always intend it to be a multistage cache?

Yes.  I like puzzle caches and follow-the-clues experiences (ala The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, etc.).  Visiting each of the bridges to unlock a final location seemed like it would be fun.
 

How long did it take you to figure it all out?

About nine months?  First I spent some time researching the Bridges and Arches themselves.  An out-of-print book called "The Bridges of Central Park" published by the Greensward Foundation was particularly helpful.  Over the summer and fall of 2007 I scouted each of the locations, collecting information that could be turned into clues or data, and then working out the equation to get all of those numbers to point to the final.  Over the winter I started discussing the cache with Groundspeak, to make sure the cache would be compliant and that the language regarding the coins wouldn't break any rules.  Ordering the coins took a few weeks, and after they arrived I play tested the cache a few times on my own to make sure all of the variables and error checks were reliably in place, and to get a sense of how long everything would take.  By the time all of that was finished up, it was May.
 

Has the reward coin always been a part of the cache? How many coins have you given out?

Yes, it was there from the start.  I knew that it was going to take most of a day, if not multiple days for some people, so I thought it would be nice to have something to show for the effort.  I've given out about 1200 of the reward coins so far.  There are also trackable versions of the same coin that I send to cache finders if they make a small donation to the Central Park Conservancy; I've given out three or four hundred of those as well.  We've raised several thousand dollars for the the CPC that way.
 

Why did you create it?

It's the kind of cache I'd like to find myself.  Since it didn't exist yet, it felt like it was my turn to publish.
 

A short message for those who have found it.

Thank you for trusting me with your time!
 

A short message for those who have not yet tried it?

If you have the luxury of more than one day for caching, think about breaking it up into multiple trips.  Bring water.  Use the error checks!  Don't be afraid to reach out before your trip for advice, or to establish a point of contact in case you run into trouble from the field.  


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