The Legend Of Blue Mist Road Mystery Cache
The Legend Of Blue Mist Road
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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THIS IS A NIGHT CACHE and should take at least an hour to complete. Mad props to those who do this one alone!
Just in time for Halloween comes a spooky night cache that will take you to the area of a local tale. Pittsburgh has it's share of strange tales and legends, from the Green Man to Midgetville to the phenomena of the nearby Gravity Hill. Well, this is the tale of Blue Mist (or "Myst") Road. The road, officially known as Irwin Road, is blocked at either end and is only accessible on foot. Local legend has it that a strange, rolling blue mist appears on the road at night. It was a rally site for the KKK, complete with a “hanging tree” for unfortunate African Americans. There's an old cemetery nearby and the headstones of two lovers touch in a cold kiss during the full moon. (Another version of the story says the dead paramours try to meet, but if they ever succeed, the world will end!) The foundation of an old building was once home to a witch. Another house is called “The Midget Farm” and allegedly the little folk will angrily chase away the curious. According to one tale, a man caught his wife cheating and killed her and their kids. He dumped them in a septic tank where his house stood in the mid-1900s. Their spooks frequent the road. A spectral dog and a half deer, half human, mutant both haunt Blue Myst Road. One story says a bold teen honked the horn of his car to alert the critters he was coming and later he was found dead, dripping blood, dangling from the “hanging tree.” The "Hanging Tree" has its own lore, as related by a reader that lives nearby the Park. "The story I was told was that when you park your car at one end of the road, because both ends are blocked off, you're supposed to honk your horn 3 times and 3 bodies hanging from the 'lynching tree' and human-like figures walk towards you, aka the KKK. I'm not sure how true this actually is..." In actuality, Irwin Road is an unlit, unpaved lane dotted with some scattered homes along it. It has “road closed - no access” signs posted at both ends of the five mile street. There is no written history of the KKK ever meeting there, much less lynching anyone. The ancient lovers' headstones are in reality just inches apart and leaning towards each other, and it's just a matter of time until they do meet. There are other tales and legends associated with this immediate area, but none seem to be true. Here is one link for the story on the blue mist: http://www.weirdus.com/states/pennsylvania/roadside_oddities/blue_mist_road/index.php
There are other sites out there describing the blue mist tale, just do some browsing.
Now on to the cache details...This is a night cache and not your typical "follow the shiny reflectors right to the final" cache. However, if you are afraid, you can attempt to do this one during the day, but GOOD LUCK!! This is a fairly good hike. You will proceed down Blue Mist Road to the posted coordinates. Here will place you between two signs.
Use the number on the sign to calculate the following: the sign number minus 17637200051. Just plug in the final number to N40 and W080 to get the appropriate minutes and seconds coordinates. This will be where you will find your first reflector(s). These are not your typical shiny reflectors. In fact, they are well camouflaged and very dim. This is part of the difficulty. Take your flashilight and try to follow the reflectors as they zigzag through the mist to another destination. The reflectors do not make a straight path. You may have to look around a little bit to follow them. Once there, it will be marked with 3 reflectors, but you will know it is the right place, trust me! Please don't log any spoilers in reference to this area. Take a compass reading and follow the bearing 120 degrees Magnetic North for roughly 35 paces. There will be reflectors marking the approximate final location. Please try to replace the cache as found. Please use caution in the area and be careful while attempting this cache. Whether or not this tale of the is true... we don't want any cachers to disappear into the Blue Mist!
Congrats to RICK+REESII Dog for the FTF and the first cacher to complete the challenge alone!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 1 vf ba gur bgure fvqr bs gur perrx.
Naq lbh bayl arrq 1 mreb orsber n qrpvzny.