How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Please note the attributes and contact me if you have questions. The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Solve the puzzle to obtain the true coordinates.

This is a tribute to 3 Willams Kidz for their two movie series that we have enjoyed. In the off-season, we watched the movies and then we would hike to the caches during our time here each summer. For the Classic Movie series, almost every cache was on a hiking trail new to us.

Classic Movie series, starting with Casablanca

Classic Monsters series, starting with Dracula (1931)

I did notice that one particular classic movie was not included in the list: The Sound of Music. At five minutes under three hours long, I can see why. In fact, it is one of a very few movies with an intermission that I have ever seen. For this reason, both acts have their own puzzle cache.

Yet, it remains for me a sentimental favorite. I remember as a child my parents taking me to see the newly-released movie at the Highland Park Village Theater in Dallas after a spaghetti dinner nearby.

The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise, and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, with Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, and Eleanor Parker. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical, composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The film's screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, adapted from the stage musical's book by Lindsay and Crouse. Based on the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp, the film is about a young Austrian postulant who, in 1938, is sent to the villa of a retired naval officer and widower to be governess to his seven children. - Wikipedia

So, to quote 3 Williams Kidz:

“If you are willing to watch one of Hollywood’s finest classic movies, get your movie source ready, fire up the TV, maybe pop some popcorn, and have a pen and paper ready to answer the below questions, which YES -- ARE IN THE ORDER they are presented in the film. The questions should be EASY to answer as in these difficult times, the idea here is to just ENJOY the movie and then have the opportunity to get out and find a cache...”

This puzzle is for Act 1 of the movie. For the Act 2 puzzle, see GCACYWD - How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Act 2.

Act 1: The cache is located at North 38 AB.CDE West 105 VW.XYZ

Latitude:

A: In the opening scene Maria sings “The Hills Are Alive” and then hears the clock strike. As she runs back to the convent, the steeple clock shows a quarter past what hour?
If four, A=4; if five, A=5; if six, A=6
(Hint: The clock hands have golden triangles on the end.)

B: After “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria,” Maria enters to see the Reverend Mother. What does the Reverend Mother put down?
If a sheet of paper, B=4; if a pen, B=5; if a Bible, B=0; if a rosary, B=3

C: As Maria departs the abbey for the Von Trapp estate, what is written on the side of the building behind her?
If PAX, C=0; if DOMINUS, C=2; if IXRO, C=5; if GLORIA, C=8

D: As Maria enters the Von Trapp estate, the butler says “wait here, please.” How many yellow chairs are visible? Subtract 1 from that number for D.

E: The housekeeper brings fabric to Maria in her room. As Maria says her prayers, what is near the bolt of fabric?
If a guitar case, E=5; if a vase of flowers, E=9; if a lamp, E=0

Longitude:

V: When Maria takes the children to town, they go to the open market. What does Maria juggle?
If apples, V=2; if oranges, V=1; if tomatoes, V=0; if turnips, V=3

W: Captain Georg Von Trapp and Baroness Elsa von Schraeder arrive home and chat by the lake. The server offers Max Detweiler another strudel. He asks “How many have I had?” He then says, “Make it an even ____.” If two, W=9; if three, W=8; if four, W=7; if five, W=0

X: During the puppet show, three puppet couples dance. The ladies’ hats are what color?
If red, X=8; if blue, X=6; if green, X=9; if gold, X=0

Y: Georg gives a big dinner party to introduce the Baroness to Salzburg society. A man asks, “I suppose you noticed the obvious display of the Austrian flag in the hallway?” The lady seated near them is in a dress of white and what color?
If green, Y=4; if red, Y=9; if blue, Y=6; if gold, Y=7

Z: After convincing Maria to leave the estate and return to the abbey, the Baroness re-enters the party and sips champagne with Max. “I feel like celebrating.” On the wall behind her, the panel has a lady in a dress of what color?
If green, Z=4; if red, Z=9; if blue, Z=7; if gold, Z=0

Some trivia:

Charmian Carr, who played Liesl, and was twenty-two at the time, wrote in her autobiography that she was attracted to the 35-year-old Christopher Plummer, who played her father. Plummer admitted that the feeling was mutual, but insists that it didn't get beyond mere flirtation.

Christopher Plummer intensely disliked working on this movie. He was known to refer to it as "The Sound of Mucus" or "S&M" and likened working with Dame Julie Andrews to "being hit over the head with a big Valentine's Day card, every day." Nonetheless, he and Andrews remained close friends until his death. Andrews claimed that Plummer's cynicism probably helped his performance and this movie, keeping it from being too sentimental.

Julie Andrews sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" to the children in the cast to entertain them between shooting. Since Mary Poppins (1964) hadn't yet been released, they just thought she'd made up the song for them.

Christopher Plummer accidentally said the word "Captain" to Julie Andrews during the argument scene. Despite the error, producer and director Robert Wise thought it was that amusing, and liked it so much, he kept it in the movie.

When Maria is running through the courtyard to the Von Trapp house in "I Have Confidence", she trips. This was an accident. However, producer and director Robert Wise liked this so much that he kept it in the movie. He felt it added to the nervousness of the song and of the character.

Cameo by Maria von Trapp: Portraying the elder of the two women in Austrian peasant garb who are in the background as Maria (Dame Julie Andrews) walks through a brick archway during "I Have Confidence."

Personal trivia: I was introduced to geocaching by bassmondo in Salzburg during the summer of 2006 while on a church choir tour. Sadly, I didn’t have a geocaching account at the time and didn’t have the presence of mind to sign the log anyway. I visited the Salzburg gardens, Cathedral & cemetery, and the gazebo used in the film.

The Sound of Music (film) Wikipedia page has information about the locations and sets used in the film.

The cache is hidden in an area that reminds me of the opening sequence of the movie, when Maria sings, “The Hills Are Alive.” I hope you enjoy it. Please note the attributes and terrain rating.

Additional Waypoints

01ACYTX - Virtual stage
N 38° 54.325 W 105° 08.909
Head up the draw or else follow the power lines up.
P0ACYTX - Parking
N 38° 54.328 W 105° 08.891
Parking area under trees, just off of the road