This is a cache designed to introduce children to puzzle caches. The cache is not located at the posted coordinates but it is a good place to park. To obtain the final cache coordinates, read the story below and then match each of the roles to the characters found in the story. Solve for A through F by adding together the two numbers found next to the character and roles names.
Twinkie the Kid: Legend of the Golden Plains
“In a land where sugar ran thicker than blood, and shelf life was short for those without courage, one cake rode alone… a sponge-fingered outlaw turned lawman… Twinkie the Kid.”
The sun burned low over the Golden Plains, casting long shadows over the town of Crumb Gulch. The wind carried the scent of molasses and old legends. Folk whispered of a time when snacks were free—when cream flowed and pastries prospered. But now, things were different.
The Dry Age had come.
Packages were going stale overnight. The once-sweet lands had soured under the cruel reign of Hardtack Boone, a crusty, preservative-pumped renegade who’d outlawed all soft centers and creamy middles. Cupcakes, snowballs, and fruit pies had gone underground. The last hope of the snack world was a name spoken in reverent hush: Twinkie the Kid.
He’d ridden off years ago, after the Battle of Buttermilk Ridge—scarred, quiet, and tired of watching good snacks crumble. But when the call came, he answered.
The saloon doors of the Sticky Spoon creaked open. Dust swirled. A golden figure stepped in—hat low, holster gleaming, belt lined with candy canes and frosted bullets.
A hush fell over the room.
"That you, Twinkie?" asked old Donut Joe, polishing a shot glass filled with milk.
“Reckon it is,” came the reply. His voice was soft, but it carried weight.
"We got trouble. Boone's boys dried up the jelly fields yesterday. No more filling, no more future."
Twinkie turned to the door. "Then I ride at dawn."
The trail was long, winding through the Cracker Dunes and the sticky swamps of Caramel Hollow. Along the way, Twinkie gathered old allies—Honey Bun Belle, Little Debbie the Sharpshooter, and a reprogrammed snack-droid named DingDong-7.
Together, they rode to Fillmore Gap, the choke point between Boone’s empire and what remained of the free snack lands.
But Boone was waiting—with an army of freezer-burned mercenaries and his right-hand goon, Scone Malone.
The battle was brutal. Frosting flew like gunfire. Eclairs exploded. Sugar glazed the ground in sheets. Twinkie fought like a legend, his licorice whip cracking with holy vengeance, his creamy courage never faltering.
Boone confronted him atop Cream Ridge, the two giants silhouetted against a blazing sunset.
"You’re past your expiration date, Kid,” Boone growled.
“Maybe,” Twinkie said, holstering his whip. “But legends don’t go stale.”
With one final move—a secret recipe passed down by the Old Bakers of Hostess Hollow—Twinkie unleashed the Filling Burst, a creamy shockwave that purged Boone’s preservatives and restored moisture to the land.
Epilogue: A New Dawn
Crumb Gulch flourished. The jelly fields bloomed. Snack children played in chocolate streams once more. And Twinkie?
He rode off into the west, never staying long. Just a golden hat on the horizon.
Some say he’s still out there, watching over the land, ready to ride when the next dryness comes.
“In a world of brittle edges and hardened hearts… only one spongecake dares to stay soft.”
Twinkie the Kid.
|
|
Characters
|
Role
|
|
A
|
DingDong-7 (2)
|
Cruel leader of Crumb Gulch (0)
|
|
B
|
Donut Joe (0)
|
Drinks shots of milk (1)
|
|
C
|
Little Debbie (1)
|
Right hand goon (1)
|
|
D
|
Hardtack Boone (0)
|
Sharpshooter (1)
|
|
E
|
Honey Bun (1)
|
Snack robot (2)
|
|
F
|
Scone Malone (0)
|
Sweet belle (0)
|
Final coordinates: N 43 32.ABC W 070 24.DEF
Click on the button below to validate your puzzle solution and to receive a hint on the cache hide.