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Who the Heck is Helen Blazes? Traditional Cache

Hidden : 10/8/2020
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


That's a great question!

Helen was the only child of a Cajun alligator wrangler, and an Amish exotic dancer, so, needless to say, she had an interesting childhood, bouncing around the more wooded, swampy areas of Florida, in the mid 1800's. Helen's parents were, shall we say, eccentric, and she would oft go on walkabout, through the woods, just to clear her head.

Unfortunately, her sense of direction was pretty awful, so it was not uncommon for her to get lost. After a dozen or so times, her father came up with what he believed was a brilliant idea! He bought Helen a big can of orange paint, and told her to mark trees, as she wandered, so she could find her way back home. As outdoor recreation became a thing, folks started calling these paint marks "blazes", after Helen. If you have ever wandered the Florida Trail, you've undoubtedly seen these "blazes" that she left. The more popular trails actually have people who go out and repaint the original "blazes" which Helen Blazes left.

In 1856, a prominent Floridian sunk his paddlewheel ship, in a large lake along the St Johns River, and when he swam to shore, he was able to find his way out of the surrounding swamp, because of the "blazes" that Helen had left, and in her honor, named the lake after her. Because his spelling was no better than his vessel handling skills, the actual name of this body of water is Lake Hell'n Blazes, or Lake Hellen Blazes, depending on what map you use.

This ammo can is hidden at the last known location that Helen lived, along a canal, just a bit south of the lake named after her. Over the years, the "blazes" she left in this area have all faded into history, so, don't get lost.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ab arrq gb trg bhg bs lbhe obng ohg vg urycf naq vs gur jngre vf uvtu rabhtu vg fubhyq or sybngvat ol gur grgure.

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)