Olympian 1: Aphrodite's Affair To Remember Multi-cache
Olympian 1: Aphrodite's Affair To Remember
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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General location: Bernheim Arboretum, Lake Nevin area
This cache is part of the Olympian Series based on Greek and Roman mythology. If you read the legend below and follow Aphrodite’s path, you'll complete three stages ending in a traditional cache and hike just over one mile on trails with little bushwhacking. A brochure with an arboretum map or the park’s trail map might be helpful but not necessary. Park near the Garden Pavilion next to Lake Nevin.
Background:
All is not well on Mount Olympus. The party in paradise ended long ago, but only recently did the Olympian gods notice. After nearly two thousand years of ambrosia and boasting of their accomplishments, they have little interaction with mortals other than hearing of their own ancient adventures being told as bedtime tales. They are ready for a change of venue, ready to create a second Olympus. Although Athens or Rome would be obvious choices, in recent years Pegasus, the magical winged horse of Zeus, has taken annual springtime trips to Louisville, Kentucky, USA to participate in a festival celebrating a horse race, and has then returned to Olympus to regale the gods with entertaining stories. One by one, the gods decide to seek new adventures in and near this city just south of the Ohio River.
Legend:
Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, is the first to leave Olympus. Tired of listening to her father Zeus, chief of the gods, argue with her mother Hera, she realizes that none of the romantic relationships involving the Olympians are happy for very long. Even her her own marriage to Hephaestus, god of fire, is troubled. Aphrodite desires a reminder of true love. Guided by her pet dove, Aphrodite journeys to an area she vaguely remembers having visited over a century ago, a forest south of Louisville, KY, with a shining lake surrounded by a multitude of plants and trees.
More importantly, it was here that she then witnessed the vows of love spoken by a young couple named Samuel and Mary. Unfortunately, when Aphrodite saw how handsome Samuel was, she wanted him for herself. To accomplish this, she instructed her son Eros (also known as Cupid) to shoot his arrow at Mary after Samuel went away to fight in the Civil War of the time period. The arrow hit its target and caused Mary to fall in love with another man. Although Samuel fought successfully in the war, upon returning home he fought a losing battle to win back Mary’s heart.
However, he remained devoted to Mary and never acknowledged any other love, including the love of a goddess. Two years later, upset that he still paid no attention to her, Aphrodite flew into a rage while Samuel was out for his daily ride, scaring the horse and causing Samuel to be thrown and killed. Angry and ashamed, Aphrodite left the scene only to return now, nearly 140 years later. As Aphrodite notices the beauty of the lake while walking toward the Quiet Garden (near the park’s entrance and Garden Pavilion), she ponders her guilt and wonders how she can make up for her past deeds. She decides to create a memorial in Samuel and Mary’s honor near a trail where she knows the couple used to stroll hand-in-hand through the “Sun and Shade.”
Your Mission:
Locate the memorial, a traditional cache. Aphrodite left some markers to guide you. Legend claims that couples who walk the trail near the memorial at sunset will always enjoy true and youthful love.
Stage 1 Coordinates: N 37* 55.090 W 085* 40.168
At the above coordinates, you should see Samuel and Mary's favorite flowering plant, the one they encountered on their evening walks. Find the plant's identification sign and answer the following questions:
A. How many letters are in this well-known (and paniculated) flowering plant's name? The variation planted here reflects the "endless summer" of their relationship that ironically ended all too soon. A = ____
B. How many letters are in the third word of this flowering plant's nickname, a word describing what type of bride Mary may have become if not for Aphrodite's interference? B = ____
Use the answers to fill in the missing numbers for the Stage 2 coordinates and follow Aphrodite’s path of legends and lore near the lakefront until you reach an already existing memorial to Samuel.
Stage 2 Coordinates: N 37* 54.9A6 / W 085* 39.9B9
At Stage 2...
C. How many letters are in Samuel’s last name? C = ____
D. In what decade was he born? D = ____
Use the answers to C and D to find the Stage 3 (memorial cache) coordinates, though tree cover may cause your GPS readings to vary.
Stage 3 Coordinates: N 37* 54.C0D / W 085* 39.CDD
At Stage 3, the cache container is an ammo box containing an FTF certificate and prize (no trade required), logbook, pencil, and theme-related trade items. After finding the memorial cache and signing the log, don’t forget to trade objects and obtain the bookmark clue.
Cache Themes and Connections:
Trade items might relate to…
- Emotions/ideas: love, beauty, power
- Colors: red, teal (Aphrodite was born on the sea.)
- Symbols: hearts, rings
- Animals: doves, swans
Although theme-related items are encouraged, feel free to trade even if your item doesn’t match a theme. No food or strongly scented items please.
Please remember to reseal the bags and the container, then replace the cache using the provided camouflage.
Bernheim Information: (from the Bernheim welcome brochure and Bernheim website)
This forest was a gift given to the people of Kentucky by Isaac Wolfe Bernheim. He established Bernheim in 1929. Isaac Bernheim was a German immigrant who settled in Kentucky. In 1992, the Kentucky legislature designated Bernheim as Kentucky’s official arboretum. Please remember we need to help protect Bernheim by observing park rules:
- Collection of plant or animal material is not permitted.
- Observe the 25 mph speed limit and keep vehicles on paved roads only.
- Do not feed the geese or other park animals.
- Keep pets on leashes and remove waste.
Olympian Series Description: Based on the Olympian gods of classical mythology, most of the caches in the series are two or three-stage offset multi-caches with two-star difficulty and terrain ratings. The coordinates listed on each cache page will lead you to a marker, a plaque, a sign, or a container providing you with the missing coordinate information to find the actual cache. All of the caches in the series are located in the Louisville, KY area, including bordering counties. The series started in June 2004 and will expand to fourteen caches, one for each of the Olympian gods. Each cache contains an FTF prize and signature bookmarks with clues to a final series cache, encouraging you to scale the new Mount Olympus and attain hero status.
Disclaimer: The mythology background and related tales are provided purely for entertainment and cultural appreciation purposes.
 Kid Friendly  Poison Plant Alert  Dogs Allowed
 Available year-round  Restricted hours, 7 a.m. to sunset
 Fee area $ 5 on Sat/Sun. for non-members, free on weekdays
 More than a Half-Mile Hike  Accessible in Winter
 Scenic View  Wear bug repellant! |
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 1: Yrff guna gra srrg sebz Nguraf, n pvgl anzrq sbe n sryybj Bylzcvna.
Fgntr 2: Fnzhry yvirq gb or nyzbfg gjragl-gjb.
Fgntr 3: Ncuebqvgr arire sbetrgf fur hcebbgrq gehr ybir.