2007 Clues
For only the second time in hunt history, the Press created a second hunt after the first one was found after only 3 clues, and for the first time since 1988, a puck was hidden outside of Saint Paul proper. With all the resources hunters have at their disposal now, could this be the start of a new trend? Perhaps. The second puck, worth half of the original puck's $10,000 prize was found minutes before the final clue was to be released by a team of recreational volleyball players: Janel Donegan, Joyce Banken, Mary Brown and her son Dan, Amy Wilson and Ginny Jarombek received $5000 in cash, and an additional $600 in Gift Certificates from Cub Foods, one of the hunt's sponsors. Congratulations to the finders!
Clue 1
Published on January 24, 2007
Congrats to the finder, to all a reminder
To hunt hard from first to last clues
Medallion I is history. Now a new mystery
Begins -- strap on your hunting shoes
To some its demented, for all unprecedented
But hunters' thirst must be quenched
Tell sister and brother we've hidden another
In a park where a body can be benched
Our 2nd prize? Don't laugh -- 10-thou cut in half
So get out there even if it's snowy
And as a special bonus -- some might say an onus --
A meal with our own Clueless Joey
Good hunting to you, let this be the first clue
Think of a woodsy retreat
It won't be so hard if you channel the bard
You'll get warm and smell as sweet
To hunt hard from first to last clues
Medallion I is history. Now a new mystery
Begins -- strap on your hunting shoes
To some its demented, for all unprecedented
But hunters' thirst must be quenched
Tell sister and brother we've hidden another
In a park where a body can be benched
Our 2nd prize? Don't laugh -- 10-thou cut in half
So get out there even if it's snowy
And as a special bonus -- some might say an onus --
A meal with our own Clueless Joey
Good hunting to you, let this be the first clue
Think of a woodsy retreat
It won't be so hard if you channel the bard
You'll get warm and smell as sweet
Explanation: We end the first hunt and begin a second in a park with ample benches, woods and a relation to "the bard." We referred to Shakespeare, who wrote: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet." Hunters would "get warm" by heeding this clue and heading to Roseville.
Our Thoughts: Given the shortened nature of this hunt (9 clues instead of 12) because of the record-setting find of the first, this clue gets you off and running at a point where you'd normally expect a fourth clue to get you, referring to either Roseville or Rose Ave. Kudos to the clue writers on putting this together on such short notice.
Star Rating: 4 stars.
Clue 2
Published on January 25, 2007
If you're thinking big you're sure to dig
Near flora with growing pain
Winter or summer is never a bummer
A menagerie of fun wild or tame
Near flora with growing pain
Winter or summer is never a bummer
A menagerie of fun wild or tame
Explanation: We tell hunters that the medallion is in a big park that has both winter and summer activities. Flora with growing pain refers to a nearby wildlife area. A menagerie is "a diverse collection" — in this case of "fun wild and tame," referring to our park's high-intensity activities, such as volleyball and baseball, as well as the tamer stuff such as the fishing pier and cross-country skiing.
Our Thoughts: This clue, with the thinking big reference, pretty much excludes anything along Rose Ave. (although it does run into Como Park on the west end of the street and Beaver Lake park on the East), restricting hunters to Roseville. Thinking big gets you to Roseville's Central Park, although the wildlife area reference is a bit obscure, since the puck was found practically in people's back yards.
Star Rating: 3 stars.
Clue 3
Published on January 26, 2007
Success on the third clue will never do
We had to stash a second
Round you go if you seek to know
Where swatters of orbs are beckoned
We had to stash a second
Round you go if you seek to know
Where swatters of orbs are beckoned
Explanation: We lament the solving of Treasure Hunt I on the third clue and mention that we quickly hid a second medallion. It is near a path that loops from parking lot to lake and back to parking lot; also nearby are two baseball fields.
Our Thoughts: This clue is actually fairly decent, narrowing down the area of the park. Two ball field areas exist within the park. One set, containing two fields, are at the western end. The other set, six fields, is east of Victoria. The only caveat with this clue is that it doesn't exactly pinpoint which set it is, despite the path reference in the explanation.
Star Rating: 4 stars.
Clue 4
Published on January 27, 2007
A walk in the park, can be a lark,
If cell phones are left at home.
Heed the siren of your desirin'
And do not revolt against this
If cell phones are left at home.
Heed the siren of your desirin'
And do not revolt against this
Explanation: Take the first word in the first line, second word in the second line, third in the third and fourth in the fourth, and you have "a cell siren revolt" -- an anagram for "Roseville Central." The medallion was hidden in Roseville's Central Park.
Our Thoughts: A nice anagrammatic puzzle. Unfortunately there were no clues as to how to determine which words were part of the anagram. That keeps this clue from getting a 5.
Star Rating: 4 stars.
Clue 5
Published on January 28, 2007
Over hill and dale, hit the trail
With a handy locating device.
Fulfill your wishes, like loaves and fishes,
And put your victory on ice.
With a handy locating device.
Fulfill your wishes, like loaves and fishes,
And put your victory on ice.
Explanation: This refers, rather obliquely, to streets near the park: Dale, Sextant ("handy locating device"), Aladdin ("fulfill your wishes"), and Victoria ("victory").
Our Thoughts: Great street references. Unfortunately, two of them pull you to the eastern end of the park instead of the western end where the puck was hidden.
Star Rating: 3 stars.
Clue 6
Published on January 29, 2007
A famous singer and a diamond dinger
Might put you oh so close to the spot
With the whites of your eyes, you should look for the prize
Within this convenient plot
Might put you oh so close to the spot
With the whites of your eyes, you should look for the prize
Within this convenient plot
Explanation: The famous singer is Tony Bennett, a reference to Bennett Lake in Central Park. "Diamond dinger" refers to nearby baseball fields. And the "whites of your eyes" is a reference to a Revolutionary War saying, which could lead to nearby Lexington Avenue, which shares the name with a famous Revolutionary War battle site.
Our Thoughts: Fine clue, guys. Fine clue. It put hunters in the correct end of the park. For what amounts to a clue 9 in any other hunt, this one is spot on.
Star Rating: 5 stars.
Clue 7
Published on January 30, 2007
Don't turn up your noses at the city of roses
The home of the park that you seek
It's just north of town so come on down
Our hunt is not for the meek
The home of the park that you seek
It's just north of town so come on down
Our hunt is not for the meek
Explanation: We direct hunters to Roseville, north of St. Paul.
Our Thoughts: Kind of a redundant clue. It gets the last holdouts of a suburban hunt into the suburbs, but most hunters would have already been there.
Star Rating: 3 stars.
Clue 8
Published on January 31, 2007
Don't go mental, just head for Central
Lexington Avenue will show you the way
Your spirits won't sag when you see the big flag
Into the trees you want to stray
Lexington Avenue will show you the way
Your spirits won't sag when you see the big flag
Into the trees you want to stray
Explanation: We direct anguished hunters to Central Park in Roseville, and more specifically to the Lexington Avenue entrance. The clue mentions the flagpole at the entrance and refers to woods not far away.
Our Thoughts: This one clarifies the "whites of their eyes" reference made in an earlier clue, and reinforces the western end of the park. Not bad for a virtual clue 11.
Star Rating: 4 stars.
Clue 9
Roseville's Central Park is the place for our lark
Follow the path to where children run free
From their footbridge draw a line to houses through pine
From the path, 20 steps to a tree
On this all agree: do not harm the tree
In the snow at the base is your mark
If all look the same you can end the game
Near a trunk with a split in the bark
Follow the path to where children run free
From their footbridge draw a line to houses through pine
From the path, 20 steps to a tree
On this all agree: do not harm the tree
In the snow at the base is your mark
If all look the same you can end the game
Near a trunk with a split in the bark
Explanation: This directs hunters to the exact spot. From the Lexington Avenue entrance to Roseville's Central Park, take the walking path to the children's playground. Lined up with the footbridge and nearby houses, walk 20 steps from the path to the base of a tree. The medallion was hidden next to this tree, between the walking path and the houses. The tree in question has a split in the bark at its base. Hunters are encouraged to not damage trees.
Our Thoughts: Interesting in that the "x marks the spot" clue is effectively split between two different clues. Yesterday we got the Lexington bit. Today we get the final bit.
Star Rating: 4 stars.
During the 1990’s, the St Paul Pioneer Press opened online discussion forums. These forums were called Water Coolers. The forums had discussion topics related to sports, politics, news, and current events. Each year, the Pioneer Planet – the online section of the Pioneer Press – opened a discussion forum as a media for hunters to discuss the clues for the Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt.
During the earlier years, one might find a few hundred posts during the hunt. As more hunters had computers, those numbers jumped. From 1997 to 1998, the number of posts increased from the hundreds to the 5-digit thousands. It was during the 1998 hunt the Cooler Crew was born.
The community spirit and teamwork displayed in the Pioneer Press Medallion Hunt thread was inspiring. The group of hunters found themselves at the end of a hunt not wanting to let go of new friendships and the camaraderie found on the Water Cooler board. The idea emerged to do what anyone would do in the middle of winter in Minnesota. A picnic in Cherokee was planned - the first Rehash Bash!
