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Marilyn Bell Multi-Cache

Hidden : 7/21/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates, but is an offset of less than 200 m.  Only simple arithmetic is required to quickly locate the cache (projection calculated with iGCT Pro on my iPhone 5) where you will find a camouflaged container with a log. (If you aren't good at math the description below provides enough information to find the cache within less than 30 minutes of searching.) Please bring a pen.

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In the spirit of the low tech navigation aids that the team that Marilyn Bell used to be the first person to swim across Lake Ontario a compass will be handy (but not required) and some dead reckoning can be used to locate the cache from the starting position.

To reach the cache location please go to the posted coordinates and obtain information from the plaque that you will use to calculate the range (less than 200 m) and bearing (West to North quadrant) from that location. You will not need to cross Lake Shore Blvd.

1. Range: Multiply the distance in km that Marilyn swam (from the plaque at the coordinates) by 03.59. This will give you the distance in metres to the cache.

2.Bearing: Subtract 1652 from the year of this historic swim (from the plaque at the coordinates.) This will give you the bearing in degrees magnetic to the cache.

Marilyn Bell's Swimming career

She first took up swimming lessons in 1946 at Oakwood Pool, joining the Dolphinette Club coached by Alex Duff. In 1947, Bell entered her first long-distance race: a one-mile swim at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Lake Ontario. It was at that first race that Bell first met her future coach Gus Ryder, who was coach of the Lakeshore Swimming Club. Bell soon joined the Lakeshore Club and started practising at the indoor pool of Humberside Collegiate in Toronto.

1954 Lake Ontario swim

On September 8, 1954, Bell started her swim across Lake Ontario from Queens Beach Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to Toronto at virtually the same time as world famous United States long-distance swimmer, Florence Chadwick. 

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto had offered Chadwick $10,000 to swim the lake as a publicity effort for the annual exhibition. Bell, who felt the offer snubbed Canadian swimmers, took on the challenge without pay. After several hours, Chadwick was forced to give up with stomach pains and vomiting, while 16-year-old Bell completed the swim, the first person ever to swim the thirty-two-mile (52 km) distance when she arrived in Toronto the next day. A third swimmer, Torontonian Winnie Roach, also attempted the swim at this time, but failed.

Bell swam for 20 hours and 59 minutes under gruelling conditions before she finally reached a breakwater near the Boulevard Club, west of the CNE grounds. The planned route straight across the lake was 51.5 km (32 mi), but she actually had to swim much further because of strong winds and the lack of modern navigation equipment. Waves that day were almost 5 m high, (up to 15 ft), water temperature was 21 °C (65 °F) and lamprey eels were attacking her legs and arms.

Bell kept up her strength with Pablum, corn syrup, and lemon juice with water, along with heroic encouragement from her boat crew and her coach, Gus Ryder. Radio stations broadcast hourly reports of her progress and rival newspapers published “extra” editions throughout the day. When she finally arrived at about 8:15 p.m., a crowd of 300,000 people gave her an emotional welcome at the Sunnyside waterfront.

The CNE decided to give Bell the $10,000 prize, and she was later given numerous gifts, including a car, television, clothing and furniture.

From Wikipedia

 

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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Hint 1]Zntargvp [Spoiler Hint] Raq cbfg bs thneqenvy

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
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N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)