U.P. Forest Trail

Five friends (Jaime, Becka, Craig, Amber and Bryce) took a camping trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Each person selected a hike/trail for the group, the name of which referenced their favorite kind of tree (pine, maple, hemlock, cedar and white birch). Each hike was in a different county (Alger, Chippewa, Mackinac, Luce and Menominee), of a different distance (2, 4, 5, 7 and 10 miles) and had a different trailhead location (Salt Point Road, Twelve Mile Beach, Forest Road 3114, Stables Picnic Area and a Campground). From the information provided, determine each person’s favorite type of tree, the county their hike was in, the trailhead location and the hike distance.

Once you have solved the puzzle, only one set of details accurately corresponds to an actual hike/trail in the U.P. The correct set of details will be your key to the letterbox location, and the name of the person who chose this hike will be your key to the clue.

Puzzles Clues…

1. The person whose favorite tree is a pine (who isn’t Craig) chose a 4-mile hike. Craig’s chosen hike does not begin at Forest Road 3114. The person whose hike begins at the campground is not the friend who favors maple trees.
2. The hike that begins at the campground is the next shorter in distance than the hike chosen by the friend who favors Hemlock trees, which is shorter than the Luce County hike.
3. The Mackinac County hike (which was chosen by Amber) is longer than the hike beginning at the Stables Picnic Area (which was the hike chosen by Bryce), which is longer than 2 miles.
4. The hike located in Chippewa County is the next shorter in distance than the hike chosen by the friend who favors maple trees (who isn’t Amber), which is shorter than the hike that begins at Salt Point Road (which was not on the white birch trail).
5. The hike that begins at Forest Road 3114 (which is not 5 miles long) is neither the hike in Alger County (which was not the hike chosen by the friend who favors cedar trees) nor the hike chosen by Becka (which was not in Alger County either).

Letterbox Clues…

NMG EUM IQG ITE FQT YIG DQG GSB QNL ONS TSG VGM

Giant Pine at Tahquamenon

Clues…

UOEN RUUG JTHU PTRR NLUU NSGQ LUQM ILRY QUEL UUPM LIFR NUAU UHNR NTRP RTGQ PQOL UHRD YAUN OGQR NUEO TGRJ OGUM OGQR NUDU RRUL AIXO GTNI DDIW DIE.

“The shortcut” is the key.

The Roadside Table

Find the Michigan Historical Marker depicted in the photo below. Use the text on the marker to decipher the clues and find the letterbox.

Clues…

6-10 15-2 2-21 13-9 2-2 4-2 12-18 11-26 16-10 11-2 10-19 7-5 2-10 1-7 5-23 14-8 10-11 15-10 7-1 5-18 3-19 12-12

14-1 4-14 4-12 13-24 3-5 9-19 12-9 6-3 13-15 16-1 14-12 6-24 13-1 4-6 16-6 8-20 11-1 15-23 10-16 15-7 4-26 16-5 2-27 8-4 3-17

15-21 6-5 3-24 7-4 2-18 7-11 1-16 12-11 16-4 4-9 7-22 5-5 15-13 9-7 5-20 14-15 6-2 14-13 11-7

1-12 4-14 4-13 13-4 4-8 8-22 12-23 9-9 6-7 11-6 3-25 10-5 13-2 7-10 2-14 9-14 8-3 14-27 5-1 4-18 6-26 14-2 5-12 3-14 5-13 14-7 3-7 12-5

Inspiration Point

Clues…

From the highest point along the Lake Michigan shoreline, follow the trail NORTH to YAREJCN NPMNCPRW. Turn toward the lake and in the CENTER of the CXFO-PHFKKBA LJWWK find the BOX.

Hint… Finding the name of the city is the key.

Pink Cadillac

Getting There…

Use the following encrypted text to crack the cipher. Once you have solved the apropos cryptogram, apply the same substitution to decipher the clues.

GUC ISG HZBYO B’I EUUVBLZ
EUT HZW EUUVBLZ HZBYDL B MU
GUC ISG JUYMWT ZUJ AUIW B VUPW GUC
JZWY GUC DWH UY IG YERPWL VBOW GUC MU
JWVV KSKG GUC OYUJ GUC KCD IW
HZWTW SBY’H YU LWATWH ‘KUCH HZSH
JWVVAUIW UY UPWT ZWTW SYM ZCD IW
KSKG B’VV LRBVV HZW ESAHL
JWVV ZUYWG BH SBY’H GUCT IUYWG
‘ASCLW KSKG B DUH RVWYHG UE HZSH
B VUPW GUC EUT GUCT RBYO ASMBVVSA
ATCLZWM PWVPWH LWSHL
TBMBYD BY HZW KSAO
UUNBYD MUJY HZW LHTWWH
JSPBYD HU HZW GBTVL
EWWVBYD UCH UE LBDZH
LRWYMBYD SVV IG IUYWG
UY S LSHCTMSG YBDZH
ZUYWG B FCLH JUYMWT JZSH GUC MU HZWTW BY HZW KSAO
UE GUCT RBYO ASMBVVSA

Clues…

ASMBVVSA RSHZJSG
KUUY TUSM

HTSBVL UYW HJU LWPWY UYW

ETUI HZW LSYMG LTUH KG HZW TBPWT HSOW HZW HJU-HTSAO HU HZW IWWHBYD RVSAW UE ISYG HTSBVL

UYW ZCYMTWM MWDTWWL HU EBTLH ICVHB-HTCYO ISRVW
UYW ZCYMTWM HJWYHG MWDTWWL HU LWAUYM ICVHB-HTCYO ISRVW