Maid in the Woods? Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Once upon a time, in a forest far away . . . okay,
so maybe it wasn't that long ago or so far way, but it is an
interesting story about a local artist and his art.
Dudley Carter was born in 1891 in
British Columbia. He was one of nine children born into a family
that ran a logging operation. By the age of 18, he was a logging
foreman and well versed in the art and science of logging. At some
point during his childhood, Dudley's father took a position as a
teacher on Cormorant Island, BC, in a small settlement of Kwakiutl
people. The Kwakiutl maintained their original native traditions,
particularly where the art of carving was concerned, longer than
any other peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Carter was able to
observe the Kwakiutl carvers practice their art and craft while
creating totem poles and other artifacts. He also witnessed their
potlatches which still continued at the turn of the century. These
experiences had a profound and lasting influence on him.
Carter became seriously interested in carving relatively late in
life -- in 1930 at the age of 39. That year, the Seattle
Times and a soap company sponsored a contest with the object of
creating a carving out of a five-pound piece of soap. Carter won
2nd prize that year, but won the contest the following year. In
1932, he carved his first major wood sculpture, "Rivalry of the
Winds" which was purchased by the Seattle Art Museum. For the next
forty years or so, he continued his dual careers as woodsman and
sculptor, and he remained an active sculptor past the age of 100,
almost until his death shortly before reaching the age of 101. It
is interesting to note that the double-bitted axe was his favorite
carving tool, although he also used the adze and the chisel.
(More about Dudley Carter and his art can be
found online. Google his name or check Wikipedia. There are also
several examples of his work easily viewable in the Seattle
area.)
About the Maid in the Woods:
Known by several similar names, the Maid in the
Woods was a 40-foot-high relief of an unclad Indian maiden carved
by Dudley Carter in 1948 on the side of a 200+ foot cedar tree. She
was to have been the main figure in a group of carvings that was to
have included animals, wood spirits and the like. When plans to
make this site into a small park fell through, the carving was left
unfinished.
Over time, the Maid saw more than her share of tribulation. As is
often the case, vandals carved their initials on various parts of
her anatomy. The tree she was carved on was struck by lightning on
at least two different occasions and burned.
Finally, sometime after 1977, the Maid and the tree she was carved
on were removed. In the late 1990s, part of the Maid's tree was
carved into a totem pole that includes figures of a bear (a symbol
of basic physical reality) and a whale, symbolizing the spiritual,
mysterious sense of things. The totem pole was shipped to Nantes,
France, a sister city of Seattle.
As for the Maid in the Woods, the rumor is that
she still exists somewhere. Somebody at the Verlot Ranger Station
thought she might be at a Boy Scouts of America camp up north
somewhere, but that was only speculation on his part and we have
not been able to confirm it. Perhaps somebody reading this has seen
her. If so, we'd love to hear from you about her.
About the Cache:
- As you drive up the Mountain Loop Hwy from Granite Falls, turn
left on the Benson Creek Road just past Verlot. Park at the
blocking gate a short way up the road and start walking. This is
not a private road. After passing a few parcels of private property
on either side of the road (as of this writing, one is for sale)
you will be on DNR property. The Verlot Ranger Station verified
that it was okay to bike and hike up here.
- The walk to the cache is about 1.5 miles on old roads. As you
walk, do not take the 1st left you come to, up a steep hill -- that
won't get you there. You will come to a few trees down across the
road, but if you find yourself on a road climbing over many downed
(sawed?) trees, you are going the wrong way.
- Bikes can be used on this road, but it is mostly uphill to the
cache. However, it makes for a quick and fun ride back to your
vehicle.
- There is a very short (less than 50') bushwhack to the cache.
There is the brushy way in and the brushier way in.
- We can't tell you for sure that this is where the Maid in the
Woods was, but based on old hiking books and maps, this is our best
guess, and we thought this huge, old fghzc seemed a likely
spot.
Finally, please let me know if there are problems with either the
cache or its coordinates. Most importantly, have fun!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
N pynffvp, abegujrfg uvqr, qbja ybj.