Puzzle Solving 101

Eric Peterson – eric@puzzlehead.org

Geocaching
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.

“The sport where

YOU are the search
engine”

“I use multi-billion-
dollar military
navigation
satellites to find
Tupperware in the
woods.”
Lag Pins
What is a Puzzle Cache?
A geocache with a puzzle you have to solve for the coordinates

1. Solve the sudoku puzzle

2. Copy the numbers in the

colored squares in the
grid to the corresponding
squares at the bottom of
the page

3. The result is the

coordinates of the
location of the geocache
OB Jets
aka “The Guy Who Doesn’t Like Puzzle Caches”
His question which
triggered the genesis of
Puzzle Solving 101:

“Where
the heck
do you
start?”
Puzzle Solving 101 Series of Geocaches

Located throughout
Broward County, Florida

Each cache in the series

teaches a different
puzzle-solving lesson

The lessons encompass

all of the major types of
puzzles used in
geocaches
Puzzle-Solving Topics

1. Strategy
2. Tactics
3. Trivia Challenges
4. Wordplay
5. Mathematics
6. Logic Problems
7. Cryptography
8. Steganography
9. Lateral Thinking
Lateral Thinking Problem

• Drawfour
straight lines,
without lifting
your pencil,
which cross all
of the dots
Lateral Thinking Problem

• Drawfour
straight lines,
without lifting
your pencil,
which cross all
of the dots
Puzzle Solving 101 #1 – Strategy
Exercise 1: No Wining
Oliver and Mae are hosting a picnic for their friends. Oliver prefers wines from as far
north as possible, while Mae likes wines that come from the westernmost vineyards.
Oliver and Mae each chose a red, white, and sparkling wine to bring to the picnic.
Based upon their choices, can you determine where the picnic will be held?

Red Wines White Wines Sparkling Wines

Hobart Muddy, 1986 Yukon Gold, 2004 Tortoise & Albatross (Galapagos), 1835
$23 $5 $173
Acqua del Piatto Merlot (Sonoma), 2003 Conch Republic Chardonnay, 1982 Stolichniya Shampanskoye (Murmansk)
$80 $38 $258
Starboard, Batch 11 (Napa), 2001 English Breakfast Chenin Blank, 2007 Don Ho Ukelele Brut (Hilo), 1966
$17 $17 $948
Nobel (Stockholm), 1968 Gewurtzraminer Crème (Bavaria), 1979 Perth Pink, 1972
$26 $21 $289
Mocha Java Zinfandel (Madag.), 2005 Samoan Sailor Sauvignon Blanc, 1991 Spasmi Dolorosi del Rene Champagne
$42 $16 (Argentina), 2003
$3
Puzzle Solving 101 #1 – Strategy
Exercise 1: No Wining N 26o 5.258’ W 80o 16.948’
Oliver and Mae are hosting a picnic for their friends. Oliver prefers wines from as far
north as possible, while Mae likes wines that come from the westernmost vineyards.
Oliver and Mae each chose a red, white, and sparkling wine to bring to the picnic.
Based upon their choices, can you determine where the picnic will be held?

Red Wines White Wines Sparkling Wines

Hobart Muddy, 1986 Yukon Gold, 2004 Tortoise & Albatross (Galapagos), 1835
$23 $5 $173
Acqua del Piatto Merlot (Sonoma), 2003 Conch Republic Chardonnay, 1982 Stolichniya Shampanskoye (Murmansk)
$80 $38 $258
Starboard, Batch 11 (Napa), 2001 English Breakfast Chenin Blank, 2007 Don Ho Ukelele Brut (Hilo), 1966
$17 $17 $948
Nobel (Stockholm), 1968 Gewurtzraminer Crème (Bavaria), 1979 Perth Pink, 1972
$26 $21 $289
Mocha Java Zinfandel (Madag.), 2005 Samoan Sailor Sauvignon Blanc, 1991 Spasmi Dolorosi del Rene Champagne
$42 $16 (Argentina), 2003
$3
A Real-World Example
A Real-World Example
See how the red/white pattern differs from the other lanes?
A Real-World Example
Red Herring – Hidden message in Morse Code!

O R R Y
S
A Real-World Example
There’s a hint in this image to the solution of the puzzle …
The Puzzle Should Match the Location
Pool Balls = Billiard Balls = N 26 35.320 W 80 05.706

0 5
26 3 2 0 6
7 0
3 5 8 0
Your PS101 Diploma

This Certificate certifiably certifies that

_______________________________
has completed the requirements of the

Puzzle Solving 101 Series

and thus having shown proficiency,
determination, and outright insanity
is hereby awarded the title of

Puzzle-Headed Weenie
Series Geocaches
GCYXZ1–GCYXZ9, GCYXN0 _________________
ePeterso2, PS101 Series Creator
skiplondon
Puzzle Solving 101 Finalist
lorriebird
Puzzle Solving 101 Finalist
antimony13
Puzzle Solving 101 Finalist
First-to-Find the PS101 Final Exam
lorriebird AND antimony13
First to Get onto the Dean’s List
skiplondon

DEAN’S LIST RULES:

1st RULE: You do not talk about DEAN’S LIST.
2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about DEAN’S LIST.
PS101 Goes Viral

• 4/17/2009
• WINSLMA creates a copy of
PS101 in Charlotte NC
• 5/20/2009
• PS101 Mentioned on the
Podcacher Podcast
• 2/20/2010 WINSLMA
• Interviewed on the Cache-A-
Maniacs podcast
• 5/20/2011
• PS101 is named Geocaching
Puzzle of the Day
Remote Solver Travel Bug
• A Travel Bug is a trackable item • Florida • Canada
• New Hampsire • Israel
• Solve the 9 PS101 puzzles plus • New York • Bulgaria
• Michigan • Scotland
the first 6 puzzles of the Final
• Texas • Britain
Exam • Ohio • Japan
• Kentucky • Australia
• Compute and enter the • Wisconsin
• North Carolina
confirmation code
• California
• Idaho
• Receive the tracking code that • Oregon
• Washington
allows you to log a find on the
Remote Solver Travel Bug
The Puzzle Solving Education Network
Copies of PS101 and caches inspired by PS101 around the world

Dorking, UK
Bratislavský kraj,
Slovakia
Victoria, BC
Redmond, WA Okinawa,
Bend, OR PS101 Japan
Red Bluff, CA
Fresno, CA
San Diego, CA
Lansing, MI
Kingston, ON
Charlotte, NC
Toledo, OH
Princeton, NJ
Middleton, NS
Feedback

• “I have learned SO much from doing them. Thank you, thank

you, thank you.”

• “Thanks for everything you went through to make this

wonderful experience for all of us involved. I can’t wait to see
what you come up with next.”
FL Pirate
lorriebird The Wench
• “Wow, that was quite a series!! I only wish we
had started it sooner. ”

• “There is only one word for this series,

BRILLANT!”
For More Information

Blog – puzzlehead.org
Email – eric@puzzlehead.org
PS101 – puzzlehead.org/ps101
or coord.info/GCYXN0
Thanks for being here today! -eP