Olympian 5: Athena's Aid Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Location: McNeely Park
This cache is part of the Olympian Series based on Greek and Roman mythology. Read the legend and prove you’re deserving of Athena’s assistance on other Olympian caches. The coordinates at the top of the page are for the first stage; four stages are needed to complete the cache. If you succeed, you’ll obtain the cache (an ammo box), walking close to a mile on moderate terrain.
Note: If you hike on a trail where horses are allowed, please yield the right of way and try not to scare them with sudden movements or noises. Trails are multi-use (open to hikers/cachers), but some trails are used primarily for horseback riding. This should only be a brief possibility on one stage of Olympian 5.
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 thousands years of ambrosia and boasting of their accomplishments, they have little interaction with mortals other than hearing of their 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 are obvious choices, in recent decades Pegasus, the magical winged horse of Zeus, has taken annual springtime trips to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, to participate in a festival revolving around 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 of Olympian 5: Athena’s Aid
Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, and handcrafts, leaves Olympus after growing tired of the pettiness of her fellow Olympians. She longs for the days of heroes to return, recalling her adventures with Odysseus in the days of the Trojan War and how she helped Perseus conquer Medusa. Although she admires those skilled in warfare, she honors those who display loyalty and cleverness. She is drawn to McNeely Lake Park, a site that memorializes the brave who died fighting for their country (Korean War Memorial) and encourages the development of skills to tame horses using an item she is credited with inventing, the bridle.
Your Mission:
Stage 1 coordinates: N 38* 05.152 / W 085* 38.286
Stage 1: Numbers
Pay homage to the history of local education and Athena's love of knowledge/numbers by answering the questions below to obtain the missing coordinates for Stage 2. You may also get to glimpse the riding of horses, a process made easier by Athena’s creation of the bridle.
A. What number is the sum of the lowest and highest grades taught at this former schoolhouse? Answer: A = ___
B. What number is the third digit (the decade indicator) in the year the schoolhouse was closed? Answer: B = ___
C. How many rooms were there in the former schoolhouse? Answer: C = ___
D. How many words are there in the name of the school's first teacher to whom the memorial sign is dedicated? Answer: D = ___
Stage 2 coordinates: N 38* 05.3AB / W 085* 38.3CD
Stage 2: Wisdom
Patience is a virtue as you'll have to wait for your GPSr readings to settle. Athena’s wise bird will greet you and provide you with two sets of coordinates for Stage 3. Only one set will lead you to Stage 3, so choose carefully. Project a waypoint if necessary in order to avoid ending up like Odysseus tossed about the Mediterranean.
Stage 3 coordinates: N 38* ___ ___ . ___ ___ ___ W 085* ___ ___ . ___ ___ ___
Stage 3: Warfare
Honor Athena’s accomplishments in battle. Find her gift to the hero Perseus (the Aegeis shield) that he used to slay the gorgon Medusa, placed at a memorial to the great wall of Troy where she aided the Greeks in victory over the Trojans. The shield will provide the numbers for Stage 4. The hint is generous to protect the wall.
Note: A snake was spotted at this stage, so be careful and look before sticking your hand into any holes. It is fittingly ironic since Medusa’s hair was comprised of snakes. However, the snake must not be a long-term resident because I have not seen it on other visits.
Stage 4 coordinates: N 38* ___ ___ . ___ ___ ___ W 085* ___ ___ . ___ ___ ___
Stage 4: Gifts
From woven handcrafts to the olive tree, Athena provided gifts in mythological tales to those shrewd and loyal. Find the cache, sign the logbook and Athena pledges to assist you on future Olympian cache hunts.
The cache container is a small ammo box containing an FTF prize no trade required), logbook, pencil, and theme-related trade items. After finding the cache and signing the log, don’t forget to trade objects and obtain the bookmark clue for the Olympian series. Please close the container and camouflage it appropriately to keep it a fun challenge for the next cacher.
Themes and Trade Items:
Recommended trade items for this cache could relate to the colors, animals, symbols, and settings below.
- Greek name: Athena
- Roman name: Minerva
- Domain: wisdom/justice, warfare, handcrafts, numbers
- Emotions/ideas: wit
- Colors: sky blue, gold (morning sun)
- Animals: owl
- Symbols: olive tree, bridle, shield, spiders (Arachne tale)
Note: Feel free to trade even if your item doesn’t fit one of the cache themes, but please do not leave food, scented items, or weapons. Travel bugs, signature items, and small objects are welcome in the cache as space permits.
Olympian Series Description:
Based on the Olympian gods of classical mythology, most of the caches in the series are offset multi-caches with two to three-star difficulty and terrain ratings. Coordinates 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.
This cache placed and maintained by a geocky member
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 2: Gb ubabe ure sngure Mrhf, Nguran’f pyhr vf ng gur onfr bs uvf snibevgr gerr.
Fgntr 3: Oruvaq nabgure oevpx va gur jnyy ng 1:00 ba snpr sebag
Fgntr 4: Jurer gerr tebjf bhg bs ebpx
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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