8195 Whispering Pines Traditional Cache
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This trail will take you on a tour of some property with a long history. It was most recently The Timbers Girl Scout Camp and the buildings that remain here are a mix of ones built for use by the Girl Scouts and those left behind by previous owners. These can be done in any order but if you pick the right one you will be led on a tour of some of the most notable areas and returned to the parking lot in a nice loop.
Permission to place this cache was granted by GTRLC
My wife and I are former campers of The Timbers and know the terrain well, stick to the trails and you will not get lost, though some of them are less used these days they are still in tact and will lead you where you need to be.
Enjoy the land and read below for more info on it's history. For more information on The Timbers Recreation area please contact the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
The history of this land can be traced back to pre 1919 when it was then owned by Ethel S. Platt, an author, who ran a resort called The Timbers. It was a place for the wealthy to vacation in Northern Michigan and in the summer of 1919 Ms. J. Ogden Armour, wife of the well known Armour Meat Company magnate, stayed at The Timbers and fell in love. The Armours bought 250 acres of surounding land and began transforming the existing resort into a self contained homstead complete with indoor plumbing, heating system, electrical generator, and a greenhouse. The Armours owned The Timbers until 1945 when it was then sold to Gerald Oleson of Traverse City. Since that sale, the various buildings and portions of the property have changed hands many times with pieces of it still owned and lived on by members of the Oleson family.
In December of 1962 Fairwinds Girl Scout Council purchased 238 acres of the former Armour resort for the permanent use as a seasonal Girl Scout camp. They retained the name The Timbers. This land was used for that purpose until the end of the 2010 camping season. To prevent developers from gaining access to this very valuable land, and to permanently secure it as public space, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy stepped in and has, with the help of private funding temporarily secured the purchase of the land from the Girl Scouts with the intent to make it permanently available for public use.
Walking down the trail in silence
Wind blowing through the trees
The woods have fallen silent
No Children to be seen
Yet I can feel them here with me
Dancing in the wind
Leaping from tree to tree
Their spirits soaring free
All those who have assembled here
In the decades that have passed
Have left a piece of themselves behind
In the history of The Timbers
It has been forever cast
No more days of buddy lines
Hopper or dinner bells
No pack-out or gear check-ins
No more flag ceremonies or closing campfires
Will take place on this land
But the spirit of all who have assembled here
Camper and staff alike remains
So as you wander down these trails
Soaking in all that nature can give
Stop and listen once in a while
You'll hear their laughter on the wind
Their spirit surrounds you
On this magical land.
Shane 2013
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
svaq gur ubyr va gur ybt? Abcr abg gur raq bs vg ... yvggyr shegure qbja.
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