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Wisakedjak's Island Traditional Cache

Hidden : 6/5/2016
Difficulty:
4.5 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Spirits abound along the shores of the Rum River - some are bashful or reclusive, while others enjoy interacting with travelers and may even play tricks on them. One such trick was played on us, which is the result of this cache.

While we were traveling along the Rum River one fine afternoon, we happened to see the silhouette of a figure standing on the shores watching us. As we drew near, we could see that it was an older man dressed in gray, earthy tones and he seemed to have a friendly demeanor about him. We waved and said hello, which he returned in kind.

"What brings you to this Watpa waḳaŋ?" he asked. When told him that we were Geocaching, he seemed to smile as if he expected such an answer. When we pressed him on the topic, he replied "Oh, yes, I have heard of it. I have seen many friendly folk making their way up and down this river searching for such things. It pleases me that they are all very respectful of the spirits here and that they are careful to not tread harshly." We smiled at the compliment and told him that we still had a few caches that we needed to find before our day was done.

He then asked if we had any "caches" with us and if so, might he be allowed examine one. We pulled one from our packs and gave it to the man. He turned it over and over with his fingers, looking at it closely as if trying to learn everything there was know about the container. "This simple object would be something you would seek?" he asked. We told him yes, and that us and many others would come to visit the river. "I do so enjoy meeting new people," he said seemingly to himself, "and I know the perfect place on a small sliver of an island." With that, he disappeared into the underbrush as quickly as a deer bounds through the forest.

Once the initial shock wore off, we started to protest and call after him as we were unsure as to what was going to happen. We were about to go after him when he suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. "It is done." he stated proudly. Before we had a chance to ask, he said "Tell your friends that Wisakedjak, friend of humankind, has found a place on the river that is sure to delight them. Tell them that they should be careful as the river can be a dangerous place, and that they might want to come as a group so as to enjoy the challenge together." We stood in stunned silence as Wisakedjak started to turn to leave, but then he looked back at us. "Oh, and you might want to tell your friends that while they may not see me, they should know that I am watching with hearty amusement." And with that, he disappeared into the brush.

We remained for a few minutes, looking rather dumbfounded and wondering what to do next. We had no idea where this cache was hidden or what we should expect other than knowing that the cache is a bit on the large side in terms of micros. Do we need scuba gear? Climbing equipment? Ultraviolet flashlights? Waders? Wisakedjak didn't seem malicious, so maybe there's something tricky? All we could figure out was that we probably needed a boat, and that we shouldn't come out here at night and disturb the spirits.

Should you choose to visit Wisakedjak's Island, please use good common sense and if you think that this hide is beyond your abilities or if the terrain appears sketchy (especially in winter), please abandon the search. All necessary precautions should be taken regardless of season - equipment in good working order, life preservers in summer, snowshoes or ice cleats in winter and so on - and be sure to be quiet. You don't want Wisakedjak to go running off with one of your caches, right?

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Bar fubhyq pbzr jryy-cercnerq naq erzrzore gung fcvevgf ner abg abeznyyl obhaq ol zbegny yvzvgngvbaf.

Decryption Key

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

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)