Bat Cave LbNA #2661 (ARCHIVED)

Planted by Webfoot on 8/31/02
Replaced by Webfoot on 9/2/2006

Nearest city: Columbia, Boone County
Difficulty: Approximately 1.5 miles, some uphill and some stairs.

Location:
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is right in the middle of Missouri, located approximately 130 miles from both St. Louis and Kansas City. It should take 2 to 2-1/2 hours, depending on traffic. From I-70, take Providence Road (Exit 126) south through Columbia, about 6 miles. At the first traffic light *after* the road narrows to two lanes, turn left staying on Highway 163. After about 1 mile, the park office and main park entrance will be on your right. This is *not* the one you want. Travel about another mile and the park entrance with the Rock Bridge and Devil's Icebox will also be on your right. This is where the trail you want starts. A map of the park can be found at:
http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge/map.htm.

Please be discreet in finding and replacing the box -- the park is very popular and you will often encounter other hikers.

Before you start out from the parking lot, there is a brass memorial plaque on large boulder. The first name of the person in whose memory the park was given is your key word for the encrypted parts of the clue below.

Here's how the encryption works.

First, find the letter in the word that comes first in the alphabet, and assign that letter the value of 1. Then, find the letter that comes second in the alphabet and assign it the value of 2. Once all the letters are assigned numbers according to their order in the alphabet, you can use the sequence of numbers to decode the encrypted parts of the clue.

For example, the word CLUE would have the number sequence 1342 because C is first in the alphabet, E is second, L is third and U is fourth.

Now, try decoding the phrase below with the number sequence for CLUE, ignoring the spaces as you assign numbers to each encrypted letter.

1 3 4 2 1 3 4
I D Z G G X R

Count backwards from the encrypted letter by the number above it to find the correct letter for the clue. So,

I - count back 1 = H
D - count back 3 = A
Z - count back 4 = V
G - count back 2 =E
G - count back 1 =F
X - count back 3 = U
R - count back 4 = N

If you find that you have to count past the ends of the alphabet to find a letter, just loop back to the other end. For example, if you have to count back 6 from B, count A, then Z and back so that the letter you stop at is V.

Have fun learning about bats, caves, seeing a couple of interesting geological formations and some lovely scenery.

Clues:
Spring up on the Spring Brook Trail - climb up the hill
When you meet with the boardwalk, follow it uphill, still.
It will lead you to info it's good that you know
All about bats and the caves down below.
Go left on the boardwalk, continue to climb
VJQP D IBU MQ VIJ VDKM DSX JBUTHP UTJLPE!
Turn right and encounter a choice you must ponder -
Not down, not ahead, right again, up and yonder!

You'll pass a ISFC JJPXX RH B XMOQ still standing
Go on up the trail, this is not where you're landing.
And still, go on straight when a right fork befuddles
What then? Four way crossing!
You're Left with a puzzle!

The path winds around
To the left,
And the right,
'Till a green arrow on an orange stake comes in sight

Right again! 'Till you see yet another sharp right,
Where a shallow depression should bring you delight!
For, stepping across to the opposite side,
There's a little, downed tree where a bat doth abide.

Finished your logging? Please rehide with care,
So the next boxer hunting will find it still there!
Go back to the trail, it will lead you around
To where you began and familiar ground!