National Park Mystery Spot 33: Hitting a Quail on the Fly

By Bob Janiskee - January 12th, 2012

Mystery spot 33 is a natural feature located in a national park. Using the clues below, identify this feature and the National Park System unit in which it is located. The first five readers to correctly identify the mystery spot will be eligible for our monthly prize drawing.

Don't let the door slam you on your ass on your way out.

The long, narrow channels that longships once plied
Are framed by cliffs that soar on each side.

If you hope to hit a quail on the fly,
You'll need steady nerves and a keen eye.

Bonus clue, no extra charge: Upon reaching the end of this engineered incline, you'll typically find a stoplight or stop sign.

No cheating! If we catch you Googling or engaged in other sneakery, we'll make you write on the whiteboard 100 times: "Unlike triskaidekaphobia, which is fear of the number 13, paraskevidekatriaphobia (aka friggatriskaidekaphobia) is a specific fear of Friday the 13th."

We'll reveal the answer and explain the clues in tomorrow's Traveler. In the meantime we'll embargo the answer and let everybody take a crack at this puzzle.

national park mystery spot

Comments

Submitted by admin on January 12, 2012 - 7:49am.

I'll through a dart....
Goodheart Lock on Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP?

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 12, 2012 - 8:04am.

Kudos to Lee Dalton, who is the first to nail this one.

Lee, your interpretation(s) of the bonus clue are not in the ballpark. You might want to try thinking a bit outside the box. For example, you might try considering that "this incline" might not refer to the mystery spot, nor to any physical characteristic of it. And if that still leaves you flummoxed, don't worry about it. As you've shown, one can entirely ignore the bonus clue and still solve this puzzle.

BTW, Lee, before you take me to task for bonus clue mischief, you might want to re-read the very first line of this puzzler, which specifies that: "Mystery spot 33 is a natural feature located in a national park. [Italics, boldface, and underlining added for emphasis; I have resisted the temptation to include an exclamation point.] :o) Why should you assume that "this engineered incline" refers to the mystery spot itself?

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 12, 2012 - 8:05am.

Sorry, Eric, it's not Goodheart Lock in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Submitted by admin on January 12, 2012 - 9:22am.

My first thought was Lookout Mountain and the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Nat'l Military Park. The Moccasin Bend of the Tennessee River winds at the base and the nearby incline railway creeps up the mountain's steep slopes.

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 12, 2012 - 9:30am.

I'm afraid you are wandering in the wilderness, volknitter. The mystery spot has nothing to do with Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park.

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 12, 2012 - 10:03am.

Eric Nelson has nailed it too. Good job. That makes two so far.

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 12, 2012 - 10:42am.

And Aron makes three. Good job, Aron.

The cyberhandles in the winners circle look mighty familiar. Isn't there any new blood out there? :o)

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