MN Treasure is a Mike Nowak treasure hunt project in Minnesota.
MN Treasure supports the active and growing treasure hunt community in Minnesota. Read more on my passion for treasure hunting to promote active lifestyle and community while enjoying the great outdoors!
MN TREASURE HUNT ARCHIVEHUNT #1 – GLADIATORS OF THE HUNT – Langton Lake Park. Roseville, MN. Found by Littlefield with Brodie and Sanftner on August 30, 2023.
HUNT #2 – FIRE & ICE – Como Regional Park. St. Paul, MN. Found by Fischer with Ellingson, Weber and Breger on January 14, 2024.
HUNT #3 – THE ANCIENT CRYPTEX – Benson Park. White Bear Township, MN. Found by Brodie with Sanftner and Littlefield on June 12, 2024.
HUNT #5
GLADIATORS OF THE HUNT II
COMING SUMMER 2025 !
RAMSEY COUNTY, MN
HUNT #4
JANUARY 4, 2025
RAMSEY COUNTY, MN
RULES
- This is a one clue hunt. A picture of the custom bonus mini treasure and hunt clue will be posted on this page at 12PM CST on Saturday January 4, 2025.
- This hunt features 9 custom mini treasure packs and a treasure medallion. The treasure medallion is valued at $300. There is no additional cash bonus for the medallion finder this hunt given the value of the medallion and mini treasures. Trust me… you want to be the hunter that finds this medallion!! The mini treasure packs are valued at $50 each and contain bonus clue(s). All of the mini packs have the same bonus clue(s).
- There is a maximum of one MN Treasure mini pack allowed per hunter. Only one mini pack is allowed per hunting family (e.g., parent and child). There is no monetary value to the packs. All other items are “finders’ keepers”. All items that go unfound during the hunt will be removed from the property after the hunt ends.
- Please contact Mike Nowak immediately when you find any of the MN treasures by texting the phone number that accompanies your find or via Facebook Messenger, MikeNowakFitness@gmail.com and the MN Treasure webpage contact form located HERE. Please send visual proof of your find.
- MN Treasure will be updating this page in real-time if possible as MN treasures are found so hunters are aware of the treasure remaining in the hunt. The lifetime MN Treasure leaderboard will be updated when the hunt ends.
- This MN Treasure hunt is free to the public with no registration required. If you would like to donate to MN Treasure to support the costs of the hunt please message me for details. Thank you for the support!
- The treasure hunt arena is PUBLIC LAND in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Please stay off private property.
- The treasure will not be hidden anywhere dangerous nor higher than 5 feet off the ground.
- Please stay away from standard golf courses, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, and BVNS.
- No tools that damage property are needed to find the treasure. No metal detectors allowed.
- Please respect zones with active restoration signs and marked restricted areas. Do not harm the property grounds or nature. Please obey property hours and rules or risk disqualification from the hunt. In extreme cases, the hunt may be cancelled.
- The clue writer reserves the right to add bonus clues at a later date, if needed.
- The clue explanations will be posted immediately following the hunt.
- Bug spray is recommended during summer months. Please check for ticks.
- Mike Nowak, MN Treasure, Mike Nowak Fitness and How Do I Get Ripped LLC carry no liability or responsibility for any accidents, injuries or legal implications for participants during this treasure hunt. Participants are urged to use reasonable safety precautions, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and follow all rules. MN Treasure will make the final decision on distribution of prizes in the event of a circumstance.
- By participating you agree to a photo/video media release waiver.
- Seek, do not destroy.
- Good luck and have fun!
HUNT #3
THE ANCIENT CRYPTEX
JUNE 8, 2024
RAMSEY COUNTY, MN
PYRAMID MEDALLION 1: FOUND
PYRAMID MEDALLION 2: FOUND
ANCIENT CACHE MAP: FOUND
ANCIENT CACHE: FOUND
ARTIFACTS:
ANCIENT CRYPTEX (9): ALL FOUND
SCARABS (3): FOUND
SPHINX (1): FOUND
Congratulations to Ed Brodie, Steven Sanftner and Matt Littlefield for finding the Ancient Treasure Cache at Benson Park in White Bear Township, Minnesota!
They discovered the Ancient Cryptex, Pyramid, and Cache Map at Red Pine – Sandterra Parks to locate the final treasure!
They are your 2024 MN TREASURE Ancient Cryptex Champions!!
The Ancient Cryptex
Red Pine Park, Sandterra Park, Benson Park
White Bear Township, Minnesota
Hunt Start: June 8, 2024 @ 12:00PM CST
PYRAMID MEDALLION 1: June 11, 2024 @ 4:00PM CST
Ed Brodie with Steven Sanftner and Matt Littlefield
PYRAMID MEDALLION 2: June 11, 2024 @ 6:30PM CST
Melanie Hendrickson with Matt Smith
ANCIENT CACHE MAP: June 12, 2024 @ 1:40PM CST
Ed Brodie with Steven Sanftner and Matt Littlefield
ANCIENT CACHE (HUNT END): June 12, 2024 @ 2:30PM CST
Ed Brodie with Steven Sanftner and Matt Littlefield
CLUE EXPLANATIONS
MN Treasure Hunt #3 is an Ancient Egypt theme. I have always been fascinated by Egyptology, which influenced my decision to study and work in the field of archaeology for several years. This treasure hunt is extra special to me as I shared the concepts and ideas with my sister Julie before she sadly passed away earlier this year from cancer. She approved of the hunt design and loved the relics/artifacts that were custom-made for this hunt! Julie and I had previously discussed visiting the pyramids in Egypt someday. A trip to Egypt is still at the very top of my bucket list. This hunt is dedicated to Julie! #RestInPower
To align Hunt #3 with the Ancient Egypt theme I decided to use the number 3 in the hunt design. The number 3 often symbolizes “plurality” in Egyptian numerical mythology. As such, the hunt leveraged 3 medallions and 3 parks; two of the parks are smaller with a connecting trail. The White Bear Township parks include Red Pine, Sandterra and Benson (near airport zone). Clues discovered at Red Pine and Sandterra identify the proper Benson Park zone for the Ancient Treasure Cache. It would have been difficult to make the leap from the original clue to the actual Benson Park cache zone without the Ancient Cache Map.
Three scarab beetles were contained in the mini treasures to signify the element of 3 in the hunt theme. Three scarabs were also placed on the back of 3 trees in the correct zone for the pyramid medallions “apex” on the South trail. Triad deities were used in Egyptian religion to signify a complete system. In this case, the Ancient Cryptex leads to 3 medallions to complete the hunt. A triad-based pyramid search zone was incorporated in bonus clue #1 to help locate the pyramid medallions on the South trail and potentially the Ancient Pyramid Cache Map on the North trail dependent on how the 2D pyramid was mapped by the hunter. I hope you enjoyed MN Treasure Hunt #3! Thank you for your continued support!!
Primary path to win:
1) Ancient Cryptex (9) – Find and unlock for bonus to pyramid and/or map
2) Official MN Treasure Pyramid (2) – Find for bonus to map
3) MN Treasure Ancient Pyramid Cache Map (1) – Find for bonus to cache
4) MN Treasure Ancient Pyramid Cache with Official MN Treasure Cartouche (1)
[#1-3 may be found in any order. #4 would be difficult to locate without #3. However, if you recalled some WBL treasure hunt history you may have suspected I leveraged my triangle medallion find at Benson Park in 2021 since it is near the airport zone (planes), railroad tracks (trains) and Highway 61 (automobiles).]
The first step of the hunt involves deciphering the hunt clue to locate the correct park(s) in Ramsey County followed by uncovering one of the MN Treasure Ancient Cryptex puzzle devices, which were custom 3D printed for this hunt with gold rotary rings/dials mounted on matte black frame. The cryptex can only be unlocked to reveal the bonus contents to access the hunt bonus clue using the correct acrostic 10-letter secret code by taking the first letter of each line in the hunt clue; WBTPYRAMID = White Bear Township PYRAMID. It is possible to locate the other key finds for this hunt (pyramid/map) without finding an Ancient Cryptex, although the bonus clue in the cryptex helps dial in the “apex” zone to the pyramids and potentially the map.
“Revert”, “kingdom” and “dynastic” reference the Ancient Egypt theme and succession of pharaohs in the Ancient civilization. White Bear Township used to be a 36 square mile stretch of land that included White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake and North Oaks. The cities/villages are now separate entities and have each comprised successive rulers over time. The hunt spans 3 parks in White Bear Township; Red Pine, Sandterra and Benson. Kingdoms dynastic hints at the “cities of legend” or a general White Bear reference.
“before planes, trains and automobiles” indicates the relative hunt location is near an airport, highway and railroad tracks. Red Pine and Sandterra Parks are in proximity to Benson Airport, Highway 61 and the Northern Pacific railroad tracks. The succession of bonus clues from the mini treasures and medallion lead hunters to the Ancient Treasure Cache Map at Red Pine/Sandterra and then the Benson Park airport runway zone next to the highway and train tracks.
“Ramses” is a play on Ramsey County and the Egyptian warrior pharaoh Ramesses II, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. The storage city of Rameses was located in the northeastern part of the Egyptian Delta. Hunt #3 was hosted in the far northeastern corner of Ramsey County, Minnesota. “Delta” hints at a triangle and the 2D pyramid search zone leveraged for this hunt in a later bonus clue. Miniature “mummy” figurines were “entombed” in a sarcophagus in the Ancient Cryptex devices and a mummy was also found in the final Ancient Pyramid Treasure Cache.
“Pine red” and “terra sand” are simple anagrams for Red Pine and Sandterra, respectively. The mini treasures, pyramid medallions and Ancient Cache Map sit near the connecting trail in the boundaries of Red Pine and Sandterra Parks. Sandterra means land or Earth of sand aligned with the Ancient Egypt pyramid theme. Sand was also in the background of the Hunt #3 launch promotion image and used to partially conceal the final Ancient Pyramid Treasure Cache.
Hunt #3 is located in the most NE part of the Ramsey County “tax” map or section N013022. There was no need to leave N013022 in this hunt. The Ancient Cryptex can be unsealed by offering the correct “tax” to play once found using the key “WBTPYRAMID” acrostic solved using the first letter of each line in the 10-line clue. WBT stands for White Bear Township.
“rise” may reflect the rise of Egyptian spirits to the afterlife when a mummy is entombed in a sarcophagus at a pyramid structure. “Search” the woods “near path” for the Ancient Cryptex devices, pyramid medallions and final cache map. The mini treasure packs were hidden on the ground near trees and logs along the immediate path while the pyramid medallions and Ancient Cache Map were accessed in the woods from the primary path. “rise” also hints at the scarabs, one of the pyramid medallions, and the Ancient Cache Map that were all hidden off the ground elevated in trees.
Similar to MN Treasure Hunts #1 and #2, “artifacts” strongly suggests hunters don’t delay and find one of the MN Treasure branded ankh and Ancient Cryptex artifact packs. The rotary dials are arranged using the 10-letter acrostic key “WBTPYRAMID” to earn a bonus clue to find the “apex” to search. The MN Treasure pyramid medallions were hidden near the apex of the South pyramid search “zone” in the woods (one on each side of path). The apex is extrapolated by connecting park pins and connecting the pyramid shape to either the South or North trail. Although more difficult to see in early summer with overgrowth, there are two light deer paths leading to the zone for each pyramid in the South; one on each side of the path. The zones must be explored. “artifacts” also hints at the scarabs on 3 trees in pyramid formation at the South “apex” zone to enter the woods for the pyramids and the Sphinx hidden off the North “apex” zone just two steps from the Ancient Cache Map in the tree branches.
“Snag” means grab MN treasures near trees and fallen logs. Snag is a dead tree left upright to decompose naturally. One of the pyramid medallions is hidden at the base of a classic tree snag. Some logs may also be fallen snag elements. The Ancient Cryptex devices were wrapped in mummy linen material guarded by 3D printed MN Treasure Egyptian gold key of life ankhs that represent afterlife in burial chambers. “Meaning” hints at the hieroglyphics on the ankh (not to be solved) and later bonus clue hieroglyphics that must be translated from the pyramid medallion finds to find the Ancient Cache Map.
“good fortune” references the scarab beetles in the mummy sarcophagus in the MN Cryptex. Mummies are preserved in Ancient protocol by removing the organs followed by natron (salt) preservation and mummy wrap, then entombed with meaningful objects. Scarab beetles represent rebirth and good fortune. There were 3 scarabs in each sarcophagus in the mini treasure packs, which is a hint that there are 3 “medallions” and 3 parks for this hunt. Further, there were 3 scarab beetles visible in the woods on the back of trees near the search zone for the 2 pyramids at the “apex” of the South woodchip path. The scarabs on the trees made a pyramid formation and encompassed the two access points to woods for the pyramid medallions within the pyramid. The “codex” is ancient manuscript. In this case, the mummy was wrapped in a cloth manuscript with bonus clue to the pyramid medallions.
“dial secrets” and “MN Cryptex” recommends hunters locate one of the nine mini treasure packs to help solve the location of the “apex” when correctly dialing in the rings to “WBTPYRAMID”. The pyramids and Ancient Cache Map can be found without the cryptex by solving the main clue to search “near” the wood chip path off the ground (“rise”) or by a tree “snag” at Red Pine and Sandterra Parks, and even locating the 3 scarab beetles to refine the search zone for the pyramids. However, the bonus clue describes how to draw a refined pyramid map to the zones to help the hunters. [Several cryptex devices were set to “ITSNOTCOMO” for some added fun!]
Reward: Mini Treasure Pack (9) – Hidden along the trail with random number order to the placement of packs. MN Treasure Ancient Cryptex with mini sarcophagus/mummy/3 scarabs with cloth bonus clue plus MN Treasure ankh key of life. MN Treasure pyramid wooden HUNT #3 token and MN pyramid sticker were also included. Laminated card to report find. Custom gray/black MN Treasure drawstring bag.
BONUS CLUE #1 EXPLANATIONS
The bonus clue states this hunt was already planned and medallions ordered prior to the Pioneer Press hunt, which also featured a pyramid medallion. Thus, hunters got a “second chance” at a pyramid. One of the pyramid medallions was hidden in an elevated tree nook partially covered by tree wood shavings and found under bark. Somewhat similar, the Pioneer Press medallion this year was concealed with sawdust. The medallions were found on “land” away from the bridge/stream/water that crosses the woodchip trail between parks. In addition, there are two pyramid medallions. Both medallions have the same bonus clue to the Ancient Cache Map that leads to the final MN Treasure Pyramid Cache at Benson Park.
“Rebirth” and “good fortune” hints at the 3 scarab beetles that were contained in the sarcophagus found in the Ancient Cryptex, but also the 3 scarabs in trees in proximity to the pyramid medallion search zones. Scarabs represented rebirth and good fortune in Ancient Egypt. “great wonder” references the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”. The pyramids are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still remain. The medallions are MN Treasure acrylic pyramids that lead to the Official MN Treasure Cartouche and Ancient Pyramid Cache.
“Aerial map” suggests looking at the aerial map of the parks to help dial in the location of the pyramid medallions; for example, Google Maps. The “tri-search zone” is a 2D pyramid superimposed on the aerial map with the base of the pyramid represented by “connecting” the Red Pine and Sandterra Park pins on the map. Pyramids come in all shapes and sizes. The pyramid zone can be completed by drawing the other two sides of the pyramid to locate the “apex” South near the trail, which is the primary trail referenced in the main clue. The apex could also have been drawn to the North trail of the park where the Ancient Cache Map was hidden. It is important to have the tip of the apex relatively near the trail path, as the original clue suggests. These “apex” zones are refined areas to search, not the exact pinned location of the treasures. Deducing the “apex” location(s) combined with the original clue that suggests searching elevated parts of trees or tree snags near the path should have hunters on the right track.
The apex or top of the pyramid is considered the “capstone”. The “MN Capstone” or MN Treasure pyramid medallions were found in the South apex area of this tri-search zone surrounded by 3 Ancient scarabs in a pyramid formation on the back of trees off the path.
There is one pyramid on each side of the path in that zone. You have to find the best access points to explore these locations with the two light deer paths directly across from one another. The search can be challenging in some parts more than others with the overgrowth this time of year, but that is part of the challenge. The paths were much more pronounced two weeks prior to the hunt. The cryptex hides were easier while the pyramids were more difficult.
The pyramid located North of the path was hidden just off the deer path not too far into the woods at the base of a mossy tree “snag” underneath mushrooms growing out of the tree and wrapped in wetland camo tape.
The pyramid South of the path was more difficult to navigate to the tree. It was wrapped in desert camo tape hidden off the ground in the elevated nook of the largest tree in the zone partially covered by wood chips and bark. The light deer path South of the woodchip path was the entrance to the zone and then you need to navigate to the large tree.
Reward: Pyramid Medallions (2) – rainbow MN Treasure acrylic pyramid (1) and clear MN Treasure acrylic pyramid (1). Camo tape concealer in desert and wetland graphics. Medallion was wrapped with bonus clue token using a cloth clue to the MN TREASURE Ancient Cache Map in Egyptian hieroglyphics cipher. Two pyramid medallions were hidden to potentially give multiple teams the opportunity at the Ancient Cache Map. 3 scarab beetles were hidden near the “apex” pyramid zone off the best access points on the South park trail to explore for good luck and fortune. Laminated card to report find.
To re-emphasize, if the hunter decided to draw the “apex” of the pyramid North of the base when connecting park pins instead of South, it would have been possible to locate the Sphinx and Ancient Cache Map near the boardwalk zone path without locating one of the acrylic pyramid medallions that contained the bonus hieroglyphics clue. The Sphinx was actually found in this hunt before either of the pyramid medallions.
BONUS CLUE #2 EXPLANATIONS
hunt continues north of the boardwalk track
sphinx guards map to final wbt cache attack
The Egyptian hieroglyphics deciphered help determine the location of the MN Treasure Ancient Cache Map North of the boardwalk with a mini gold Sphinx hidden at the front of the correct zone. There are multiple versions of Egyptian hieroglyphics with subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, variations. The link below represents one of the most popular translators revealed in an online search that demonstrates a common form of Egypt hieroglyphs. This particular format was used for the bonus clue as well as the MN TREASURE symbols engraved on the Official MN Treasure Cartouche for the winner.
https://discoveringegypt.com/hieroglyphic-typewriter/
The Ancient Cache Map was printed on cloth and wrapped around a wooden MN Treasure pyramid bonus clue token and concealed in woodland tree camo tape. It was hidden just several paces off the walking path in a tree between twisted branches. In reality, the Sphinx was only 1-2 steps off the main walking path while the Ancient Cache Map was 1-2 steps from the Sphinx in a tree at the clearing. The zone was approx. 15 steps from the end of the North boardwalk. The Sphinx may be considered the guardian or protector of the Ancient Cache Map that discloses the final location of the MN Treasure Ancient Treasure Cache Pyramid!
Reward: Ancient MN Treasure Cache Map wrapped around bonus clue and wooden BONUS CLUE MN Treasure token. Laminated card with map to report find.
BONUS CLUE #3 EXPLANATIONS
The Ancient Cache Map is a direct map to the final MN Treasure Ancient Cache just minutes away at Benson Park in White Bear Township. The Benson Park airport location has a special significance for me as I found the consolation (original) medallion from the White Bear Lake hunt in July 2021! The medallion I found just happened to be triangle shaped!
The map confirms the green pyramid zone that was previously hinted at in the Cryptex bonus clue where connecting park pins for Red Pine and Sandterra were used to extrapolate the apex zone to find the MN Treasure pyramids on the South trail. The yellow dotted arrow is then directed from the Ancient Cache Map location North of the boardwalk to the smaller green pyramid zone showing the Ancient Cache location in the small section of woods NE of the airport runway at Benson Park. There are only a few remarkable search spots in this section so the find is more formality once the zone is discovered. The picture of the airport hints at the collection of gold WBT Pyramid landing cones visible on each side of the runway along with the WBT water tower in proximity to the “planes, trains and automobiles”. The Ancient Cache was in the center of the pyramid zone partially covered in sand at the base of a large fallen tree with leaves and sticks.
The Egyptian Cartouche is an oval band symbolizing continuity, which encloses a god or pharaoh’s name. The Official MN Treasure Cartouche has the MN logo and hieroglyphics that signify MN TREASURE. The Anubis on the Official MN Treasure Cartouche is synonymous with the Egyptian god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head. One of his prominent roles was as a god who ushered souls into the afterlife. Anubis is one of the most frequently depicted and mentioned gods in the Egyptian pantheon. Finding the MN Treasure Cartouche with Anubis depiction validates a successful transition to WINNER in Hunt #3!!
Reward: Magnetic pyramid cache, Congrats card with Official MN Treasure Gold Cartouche, $200 cash prize, mummy, MN Treasure sticker, MN Treasure burlap bag for cartouche, WINNER token, 3 scarabs, and cartouche hieroglyphics translation.
RULES
- This is a one clue hunt. A picture of the custom bonus mini treasure and hunt clue will be posted on this page at 12PM CST on Saturday June 8, 2024.
- This hunt features at least 9 custom mini treasure packs and a final treasure cache. The final treasure cache rewards the finder(s) an additional $200 cash bonus. The mini treasure packs are valued at $40 each and contain bonus clue(s). All of the mini packs have the same bonus clue(s). The hunt tracker was updated at the 30-hr mark of the hunt with Pyramid Medallions 1/2 and Ancient Cache Map.
- There is a maximum of one MN Treasure mini pack allowed per hunter. Only one mini pack is allowed per hunting family (e.g., parent and child). There is no monetary value to the packs. All other items are “finders’ keepers”. All items that go unfound during the hunt will be removed from the property after the hunt ends.
- Please contact Mike Nowak immediately when you find any of the MN treasures by texting the phone number that accompanies your find or via Facebook Messenger, MikeNowakFitness@gmail.com and the MN Treasure webpage contact form located HERE. Please send visual proof of your find.
- MN Treasure will be updating this page in real-time if possible as MN treasures are found so hunters are aware of the treasure remaining in the hunt. The lifetime MN Treasure leaderboard will be updated when the hunt ends.
- This MN Treasure hunt is free to the public with no registration required. If you would like to donate to MN Treasure to support the costs of the hunt please message me for details. Thank you for the support!
- The treasure hunt arena is PUBLIC LAND in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Please stay off private property.
- The treasure will not be hidden anywhere dangerous nor higher than 5 feet off the ground.
- Please stay away from standard golf courses, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, and BVNS.
- No tools that damage property are needed to find the treasure. No metal detectors allowed.
- Please respect zones with active restoration signs and marked restricted areas. Do not harm the property grounds or nature. Please obey property hours and rules or risk disqualification from the hunt. In extreme cases, the hunt may be cancelled.
- The clue writer reserves the right to add bonus clues at a later date, if needed.
- The clue explanations will be posted immediately following the hunt.
- Bug spray is recommended during summer months. Please check for ticks.
- Mike Nowak, MN Treasure, Mike Nowak Fitness and How Do I Get Ripped LLC carry no liability or responsibility for any accidents, injuries or legal implications for participants during this treasure hunt. Participants are urged to use reasonable safety precautions, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and follow all rules. MN Treasure will make the final decision on distribution of prizes in the event of a circumstance.
- By participating you agree to a photo/video media release waiver.
- Seek, do not destroy.
- Good luck and have fun!
HUNT #2
FIRE & ICE
JANUARY 6, 2024
RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA
FIRE MEDALLION – FOUND ($50 bonus)
ICE MEDALLION – FOUND ($50 bonus)
FINAL MEDALLION – FOUND ($300 bonus)
MINI TREASURE PACKS – ALL FOUND
Congratulations to Ben Fischer, Josh Ellingson, Tony Weber and Dave Breger for finding the Water Illusion medallion at Hamm Memorial Waterfalls at Como Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota!
They are your 2024 MN TREASURE Fire & Ice Champions!!
Hunt Start: January 6, 2024 @ 12PM CST
FIRE BRICK: January 6, 2024 @ 4:30PM CST
Steven Sanftner with Skylar Sanftner, Matt Littlefield, Ed Brodie
ICE BLOCK: January 9, 2024 @ 2PM CST
Ben Fischer with Josh Ellingson, Tony Weber, Dave Breger
WATER ILLUSION (HUNT END): January 14, 2024 @ 1PM CST
Ben Fischer with Josh Ellingson, Tony Weber, Dave Breger
CLUE EXPLANATIONS
HUNT SYNOPSIS
The MN Treasure Winter hunt this year was a FIRE & ICE theme. The hunt featured dual FIRE and ICE full-sized medallions that supported a third final WATER ILLUSION medallion (Fire + Ice = Water). Como Regional Park was selected as the playing field for this hunt theme given the historic Kilmer Memorial Fireplace (FIRE), Lake Como Duck Pointe (ICE), and Hamm Memorial Waterfalls (WATER ILLUSION).
FIRE elements are often described as darker, sometimes representing the evil side of things, while the ICE elements may be light, representing the good side. The clues leveraged this overarching theme. A dragon was selected as the host for the hunt. It has been suggested that Eastern dragons are good (ICE -> East Lake Como Duck Pointe) while Western dragons are evil (FIRE -> West Outdoor Classroom Kilmer Fireplace). Dragons are also synonymous with breathing fire and sometimes even ice.
The published clue strongly suggests hunters begin at the Butterfly Lot at Como where there were 9 custom 3D printed FIRE & ICE dragon eggs hidden with articulating 3D printed FIRE & ICE Woodland dragons. The dragon eggs also contained custom MN Treasure wooden gamepiece dice with numbers to solve via simple A1Z26 substitution cipher to anagram text. The cipher puzzles on the dice helped reveal the locations of the Official Fire Brick and Official Ice Block medallions, although they were not required to solve the locations. The MN Treasure stickers in the dragon eggs have a ripple water illusion theme background consistent with the final medallion. The letters “FALL” were written on each corner of the sticker back with blacklight marker. Combining WATER from the sticker design front with FALL on the back suggests the final medallion is at the waterfall. As such, Hunters earned a big advantage to all 3 medallion locations by finding a mini treasure pack. In addition, MN Treasure branded burlap bags and fire and ice-colored gems were found in the dragon egg mini treasures.
The rhyme scheme for the primary hunt clue follows ABA ABC BCB format consistent with the famous Robert Frost Fire & Ice poem. If the clue did not state “Butterfly Lot”, one may have considered Keller/Phalen Regional Park off Frost Ave, with “frost” also being a strong ice reference. The color scheme in the clue background hints at the FIRE medallion in dark red (left, west side) and ICE medallion in dark blue (right, east side) with the lighter blue (central) representing the WATER ILLUSION medallion achieved by combining fire and ice elements in equal proportions.
“Substitute elements light and dark” supports the general fire and ice hunt theme. “light and dark” also represents Hamm’s light/dark beer varieties and the appearance of waterfalls that exhibit light/dark behavior depending on many factors (e.g., shadow, lighting, reflection, depth, sediment, human perception). Finally, “substitute”, “light” and “dark” hint at the blacklight bonus in the dragon eggs. “Elements” of Nature include fire and water, but also describe the numbers on the individual fire and ice dice in the dragon egg mini treasures. “Substitute” and “resolved” hints at the A1Z26 substitution cipher (A=1, B=2…) to convert the numbers/elements to letters followed by anagram to reveal the medallion locations. The numbers on the dice do not associate with the Outdoor Classroom tour stop post numbers as search zones, although this is a solid theory. This may have helped locate the Fire Medallion near the fireplace, but the approach does not align with the Ice Medallion on Duck Pointe.
ICE (snowflake, Ice Season numerical font)
4 = D
21 = U
3 = C
11 = K
DUCK = Duck Pointe
FIRE (flame, Firestarter numerical font)
6 = F
15 = O
21 = U
18 = R
FOUR = Post #4 (fire management) near Kilmer Fireplace
“Alps” refers to the park history. Charles Perry was one of the earliest European settlers locally; he farmed a 160-acre claim of land that later would become Como Regional Park. Lake Como is named after a famous resort near Perry’s birthplace in the Swiss-Italian Alps.
“Iceman” is a reference to Val Kilmer’s character in the Top Gun movie. He demonstrates traits of light and dark consistent with the hunt theme. The Official Fire Brick medallion was located near the Alfred Joyce Kilmer Memorial Fireplace in the West Outdoor Classroom. “Post” hints the medallion is located near a tour stop post in the vicinity of the fireplace. More specifically, Post #4 – Fire as a Management Tool, which is aligned with the cipher solution “FOUR” corresponding to the fire dice in the mini treasure pack bonus. Use of prescribed fire burns in many of the Classroom’s plant communities is required for maintenance of the desired ecosystem and control of invasive species. “make your mark” further dials in the location as the medallion aligns with the west compass needle on the ground at the fireplace just South of Post #4. Leaves were taped to the medallion for camo. It was hidden under leaves within view of the fireplace and Post #4.
“Trees” is a reference to Alfred Joyce Kilmer’s well-known poem “Trees” published in 1913. The medallion is hidden within the trees next to the fireplace. “Brick” further confirms proximity to the fireplace and hints at the Official Fire Brick design of the medallion. “generate the spark” reveals the Duraflame Quick Start concealer and again supports the fireplace. There were leaves taped to the medallion for camo. The Official Fire Brick medallion prize includes the actual medallion, MN Treasure WINNER token, $50 cash prize, $10 Fire & Ice lottery ticket with the chance at $200K, and a bonus clue for the final medallion location.
“InVade” provides a clue to the location of the Official Ice Block medallion. The “I” and “V” for InVade are capital to highlight Ivy or Ivy Avenue W that runs into the medallion location at Duck Pointe on East Como Lake Drive. Duck Pointe is consistent with the “DUCK” cipher solution for the ice dice in the mini treasure pack bonus. “horse race” is a reference to the half-mile ice horseracing track that was maintained in years past at Lake Como.
Henry McKenty was a major player in the real estate boom in the 1850s and acquired the land around Lake Como. One of his projects was to build a road from St. Paul to Lake Como to the resort of his dreams on the lake. However, the market turned and he was unable to complete the project. The road fell into disrepair and became known as the “swamp route.” The medallion was located on the shores of Lake Como at Duck Pointe.
“Stairway”, “lane”, and “tears” are words found on the memorial plaque by the bench located at the entrance of Duck Pointe, facing the medallion location. Alternatively, “sharp lane of tears apart” is a subtle reference to the streams of water that fall at Hamm Memorial Waterfalls during operation. The Hamm family donated the waterfalls in June 1967 as a memorial for William Hamm, Sr., former president of Hamm Brewing Company. The final WATER ILLUSION medallion was hidden in the large rocks lining the pathway at Hamm Memorial Waterfalls.
“Blocked” indicates the ICE medallion has an Ice Block design with ice bag concealer. Reeds were glued to the medallion and it was covered in leaves for camo. It was placed within reeds on the Duck Pointe peninsula aligned with Ivy Ave by one of the larger tree structures. It could be retrieved without leaving the path. The original plan was to freeze the medallion in an ice block, but the weather this winter has been inconsistent and unseasonably warm with limited snow for cover. “Sharp” further hints at Pointe for Duck Pointe. “apart” suggests the medallion is located away from the main Como Park activities at the Duck Pointe peninsula. The Official Ice Block medallion prize includes the actual medallion, MN Treasure WINNER token, $50 cash prize, $10 Fire & Ice lottery ticket with the chance at $200K, and a bonus clue for the final medallion location.
“Roll the dice” references the fire and ice dice in the mini treasure packs at the “Butterfly Lot”. The Butterfly Lot is well known to those familiar with Como Park. The intent was to get everyone to the correct park in Ramsey County right away at clue drop to find the mini treasures for the hunt before a final race to the three medallions. “precise” indicates you need to stay in proximity to the lot. The FIRE and ICE medallion locations could have been solved without the mini treasure bonuses, but they certainly helped focus the search and provided additional insight into the final medallion location via the MN Treasure sticker. The 9 dragon eggs were located near the Butterfly lot. They were randomly numbered and hidden without a specific pattern. “hatch” hints at the custom fire and ice dragons plus bonuses that were hatched from the dragon eggs. Hunters had decisions to make to “choose their own adventure” relative to the specific order they would like to pursue the medallions based on the mini treasure bonus clues.
“Smart” (water/“waterfalls”), “Quick Start” (Firestarter for fire) and “Home City” (ice for ice) are the concealers for the WATER ILLUSION, FIRE BRICK and ICE BLOCK medallions, respectively. The capital letters hint at the brand names. “Be Smart” is also a reference to Duck Pointe since ducks are often characterized as intelligent. “Quick Start” suggests Hunters begin at the Butterfly Lot to find the dice for additional bonus clues. “Home City” is another confirmation for Como Park given the park is in our capital city of St. Paul and houses Como Town.
The MN Treasure water ripple illusion stickers found in the dragon eggs have letters on the sticker back corners that spell out “FALL” with blacklight marker to hint at the waterfalls location for the final medallion (i.e., water design front + fall on the back = waterfall). The sticker is also the same design as the final WATER ILLUSION medallion. In general, the water ripple design may hint at the waterfalls or fountain at the park where streams of water circulate.
The Official Fire Brick and Official Ice Block finds included a bonus tag with another hint to the final medallion to progressively dial in the location. This was challenging by design to reward BOTG success. In other words, although the original hunt clue is more subtle for the waterfalls, the sticker in the mini treasure packs and bonus tag with the medallions further disclose water/waterfall, as earned.
The bonus tag states, “FIRE + ICE = ?”. The answer is WATER, which is part of the full spelling of waterfalls for Hamm Memorial Waterfalls. This interpretation is literal here as a heat source flame applied to ice yields water/water vapor. Clearly there is water in the fountains and lake at Como Park, but Hamm Memorial Waterfalls has “water” in the name and a waterfall creates a water ripple illusion consistent with the sticker design. Further, the Hamm’s Beer slogan is, “From the Land of the Sky-Blue Waters.” The MN Treasure sticker and final medallion are sky-blue color with a water ripple design. Water is the primary component of beer in the typical range of 90-95% by volume. The tags further provide a series of letters (LWFT for Ice bonus and EARLA for Fire bonus). The distribution of letters between tags was randomized. The bonus tags also have the water ripple design. By this point, the finder(s) would have seen the water ripple design on the mini treasure sticker, FIRE/ICE medallion concealer package sticker, and bonus tag. If you combine the letters from both medallion bonuses you will get the complete letters to anagram, “WATERFALL”. Many locations at Como could have been ruled out if they did not contain letters LWFT or EARLA. Or, if the location had nothing to do with a blue water ripple it is likely incorrect. If one finder/team located both medallions they would have the edge to the final medallion, unless someone solved the blacklight sticker riddle or deduced waterfall from the clue. Two separate teams actually found the FIRE and ICE medallions in this hunt so there was the element of potential collaboration to combine bonus letter clues to confirm the final medallion location with $300 cash bonus at stake and a race to the finish. This is indeed how the hunt ended!
The final WATER ILLUSION medallion was hidden in the rocks at Hamm Memorial Waterfalls just South of the footbridge. The medallion had leaves taped to the outside and was partially hidden in a rock cavity between two rock structures covered by leaves and snow. The medallion could be safely retrieved without leaving the walking path. The posted sign “Please Stay on Paths” helped focus your search zone at the waterfalls to any areas that can be safely accessed while standing on the path. The Official Water Illusion medallion prize includes the actual medallion, MN Treasure WINNER token, $300 cash prize, and a MN Treasure can of Hamm’s Beer for each Hunter on the winning team!
SUMMARY
Fire = West Outdoor Classroom near fireplace and post #4
Ice = East Lake Como Duck Pointe
Water = Hamm Memorial Waterfalls
BONUS CLUE/EXPLANATION (UNPUBLISHED)
The Como Regional Park location is reinforced. The “light” and “dark” theme continues. The clue discloses the mini treasure dragons will help reveal the correct “path” at the park by using a “black light”. More specifically, “FALL” was written on the back of the MN Treasure stickers in blacklight marker combined with the water design sticker front indicating the waterfall path. The medallion was hidden in the rocks within reach of the path. “crown” is a reference to the Hamm’s Beer logo with crown. The clue suggests being thorough in your search of the waterfalls zone. The Roman Numeral letters in the bonus clue image form an “upside down” “crown”, or “W” for water. “upside down” suggests solving the Roman Numerals, which can be translated to numbers followed by letters via the same A1Z26 substitution cipher used for the gamepiece dice earlier in the hunt. The red numerals correspond to the FIRE medallion bonus letters while the blue numerals are the ICE medallion bonus letters. The letters anagram to “WATERFALL” and there is no need to do any “math” on the numbers to arrive at the solution. “Water Illusion” is the official water ripple design of the final medallion, MN Treasure stickers and bonus tags. “Water” directly tells Hunters there needs to be an important water feature at the park near the search zone while confirming “FIRE + ICE = WATER”. The clue background is consistent with the Hamm’s sky-blue waters slogan.
RULES
- This is a one clue hunt. A picture of the custom bonus mini treasure and hunt clue will be posted on this page at 12PM CST on Saturday January 6, 2024.
- This hunt features 3 full-sized medallions and 9 custom mini treasure packs. The full-sized medallions retail for approx. $60 each. Two of the medallions reward the finder(s) $50 cash each and a bonus clue for the third (final) medallion location. The bonus clues are different. The final medallion rewards the finder(s) an additional $200 cash bonus. (The cash prize of the final medallion was increased in value from $200 to $300 at the one-week mark.) The medallions can be found in any order. The mini treasure packs are valued at $30 each and contain bonus clue(s). All of the mini packs have the same bonus clue(s).
- There is a maximum of one MN Treasure mini pack allowed per hunter. Only one mini pack is allowed per hunting family (e.g., parent and child). There is no monetary value to the packs. All other items are “finders’ keepers” including the custom medallions. All items that go unfound during the hunt will be removed from the property after the hunt ends.
- Please contact Mike Nowak immediately when you find any of the mini treasures and medallions by texting the phone number that accompanies your find or via Facebook Messenger, MikeNowakFitness@gmail.com and the MN Treasure webpage contact form located HERE. Please text visual proof of your find.
- MN Treasure will be updating this page in real-time if possible as mini treasures and medallions are found so hunters are aware of the treasure remaining in the hunt. The lifetime MN Treasure leaderboard will be updated when the hunt ends.
- This MN Treasure hunt is free to the public with no registration required.
- The treasure hunt arena is PUBLIC LAND in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Please stay off private property.
- The treasure will not be hidden anywhere dangerous nor higher than 5 feet off the ground.
- Stay away from standard golf courses and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory.
- No tools that damage property are needed to find the treasure. No metal detectors allowed.
- Please respect zones with active restoration signs and marked restricted areas. Do not harm the property grounds or nature. Please obey property hours and rules or risk disqualification from the hunt. In extreme cases, the hunt may be cancelled.
- The clue writer reserves the right to add bonus clues at a later date, if needed.
- The clue explanations will be posted immediately following the hunt.
- Mike Nowak, MN Treasure, Mike Nowak Fitness and How Do I Get Ripped LLC carry no liability or responsibility for any accidents, injuries or legal implications for participants during this treasure hunt. Participants are urged to use reasonable safety precautions, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and follow all rules. MN Treasure will make the final decision on distribution of prizes in the event of a circumstance.
- By participating you agree to a photo/video media release waiver.
- Seek, do not destroy.
- Good luck and have fun!
HUNT #1
GLADIATORS OF THE HUNT
AUGUST 21, 2023
RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA
STATUS: FOUND
Congratulations to Matt Littlefield, Ed Brodie and Steven Sanftner for finding the Ancient Rudis sword medallion at Langton Lake Park in Roseville, Minnesota!
They are your MN TREASURE Gladiators of the Hunt!!
CLUE EXPLANATIONS
Hunt Start: August 21, 2023 @ 6PM CST
BONUS CLUE #1: 8/30 @ 6PM CST
BONUS CLUE #2: 8/30 @ 7:30PM CST
Hunt End: August 30, 2023 @ 7:35PM CST
Langton Lake Park, Roseville, MN
The custom engraved wooden Rudis sword medallion was wrapped in burlap followed by tree camo tape. It was hidden underneath tree bark and sticks, planted in the woods near a large tree in the Southwest zone of Langton Lake Park. 10 wooden engraved MN Treasure tokens with Gladiator mini-figures were hidden around the South end of Langton Lake Park (south of County Road C2 West; east and west side). One token was allowed per hunter. The back of the tokens were engraved with a Pigpen cipher. The hunter had to decide the correct orientation to read the cipher code for the square token. The correct orientation of the Pigpen for this cipher is AOCM, which anagrams to “CAMO”, hinting at the concealer method. The Pigpen method thematically aligns with the historic smokehouse at the park. The smokehouse was used to cure and preserve meat due to the lack of refrigeration until about the early 20th century.
5 mini-gladiator shields (7/8”) were also hidden in the South end of the park. No individual limit was placed on these items and they were meant to be difficult. The 5 shields were hidden in the localized open access zone of the sword medallion. Any hunter that uncovered a mini-shield likely knew they were very close with a significant advantage since it is not a big zone. Two of the shields were just a few steps from the path and visible if positioned correctly; one in the crack of a large log located at the best spot to enter the zone and a second shield that may have been visible if positioned correctly against a tree supported by vines. A third shield was visible at the base of a tree in the zone. The last two shields were even more challenging and “bound” by bark in fallen trees next to the medallion. The medallion was in the “OF” or Oak Forest zone marked on the in-park map found in the South section of the park near the historic smokehouse. The mini-shields were randomly numbered, and this convention did not lead to any further clues to the medallion solution.
The main clue stanza with 10 lines of clues is an acrostic anagram cipher using the first letter of each line – THSSTCIHAC – to spell, “ITS SCHACHT”. Along the path at the South end of Langton Lake Park in Roseville, Minnesota is Heritage trail stop #49 and the remains of a historic smokehouse built by William Schacht. Langton Lake used to be called Schacht Lake. The medallion was hidden in the South section of the park.
“grounds” and “play” hint at the two playgrounds at Langton Lake Park. In combination with “combat”, they also support the gladiator theme to the hunt. The medallion was hidden on the ground.
“at own risk” represents the rules of the hunt, but also the “Keep Out” signs located in the South zone of the park. The medallion was located between two foot trails on the West side of the paved pathway blocked with orange fencing and “Keep Out” signs. It was closer to the area by the South restricted trail. The medallion was not located down either trail marked “Keep Out”.
“Hail winner” and “Ancient Rudis” describe the 12” wooden custom sword medallion for the winner of the hunt. In Ancient times, the Rudis was presented to victorious gladiators as a sign of special achievement. “WINNER” is engraved on the back of limited-edition wooden MN Treasure tokens that accompanied the concealed sword. The medallion is a unique sword object and not a “disc” commonly found as a prize in medallion hunts. “disc” also references the 5 mini-shields hidden in the medallion zone proper.
Line 3 of the clue hints at the roads near the park and medallion. “Sea to where you mount” hints at C2W (Sea to where) or County Road C2 West and Mt. Ridge roads. If you connected C2 or C2W you immediately narrowed the park list to a couple of parks in Ramsey County. Mt. Ridge, or a ridge, could be considered a “fighting crossroads” in battle where crucial decisions are made. “Crossroads” in this case also represents the bridge/trail that crosses over Langton Lake to divide the park at C2 West roads. C2 West meets up on either side of the park at this location. “Sea to” hints at a body of water, Langton Lake in this case, split into two at the park by the bridge. In addition, there is a LaCrosse field at Langton Lake Park as well as the Timberwolf Fitness CrossFit gym in the immediate area. “Sea” suggests a body of water near the medallion location. As a bonus, Arthur Pl runs into South Langton aligned with “The Sword in the Stone” film and the sword theme of the hunt.
“Smoke”, “gable” and “cure” describe the historic smokehouse remains at the park and William Schacht. “secret codes” involve the acrostic ITS SCHACHT anagram, Pigpen cipher on the MN Treasure tokens, “OF” in capital letters in the last line of the clue for Oak Forest zone marked on the smokehouse map, and hidden gladiator items.
“Three hundred reps push, pull and plank” represent the famous 300 Spartan workout exercises consistent with the gladiator theme. “plank” and “howl” are Timberwolf Fitness/CrossFit gym. “Three hundred reps” also comes into play in combination with a later clue about “steps” as the medallion was approx. 300 average paces from the Langton parking lot entrance near Timberwolf Fitness heading toward the smokehouse, plus or minus. “plank” also describes the wooden tokens and sword, along with the concealer consisting of tree remnants and bark camo.
“Crowd response”, “towel” and “won’t signal end” suggest look away from the North section of the park with sports fields and instead head South. “Signal” is another reference for the “smoke”house.
“Flying fish” and “ruins” point to the artifact in Google Maps if you zoom way in near South Langton Park. There is strange graffiti on the roof of the building that kind of looks like a flying fish out of the water. In Ancient times, there is a myth of “flying fish” that must leap out of the ocean and sleep on dry land to live. This area is now building foundation ruins with graffiti when you investigate in-person. The medallion zone was essentially aligned just North of the ruins and “flying fish” graffiti at Terrace Dr/Twin Lakes Pkwy. There is a fishing pier and FIN fishing sign in South Langton near the West parking lot. However, this FIN sign and nearby stone memorial were not the solution since a later clue suggests moving away from parking lots. Of course, “ruins” also applies to the historic smokehouse at South Langton. This is all further confirmation to focus your search at the South end of the park.
“hone your steps” hints at Terrace Dr at the South end of the park and the step shape that is shown on the park map for the Oak Forest section at that end of the park near the medallion. A terrace can be described as a series of cultivated steps. The invention of terrace farming dates back to Ancient history and terraced steps are commonly used in landscaping today. Terrace Dr turns into Twin Lakes Parkway just East of Langton Lake Park, but it can be extrapolated as a straight line through the park. It is the only major street on the South end to align so it was likely a popular search zone during the hunt. Further, the medallion zone was approx. 300 ave. paces from the West parking lot entrance near Timberwolf Fitness heading toward the smokehouse, plus or minus (i.e., approx. 750 ft at 2.5 ft/ave. pace, which roughly matched my 300 paces BOTG).
“counting crows” suggests Russell Crow from the movie Gladiator and also the band Counting Crows with the song “Round Here” to further confirm the general zone near the U-Shaped loop trail at the South end of the park. As a coincidence, the album with this song is called, “August and Everything After”. This MN Treasure hunt started in August. “Your” and “You” were used several times for the U-Shaped South trail and horseshoe-shaped building off Mt. Ridge Rd just West of the medallion. “not cars nor any bruins” indicates stay away from parking lots and Arthur Pl (i.e., Arthur may originate from Celtic word for bear, or bruins).
“bound by shield” and “final battlefront” aligns with the 5 mini-gladiator shields hidden in the correct zone of the medallion. At least three shields were visible if positioned correctly. The shields were “bound” by a log crack, vines and bark. If you found any of these shields you knew you were very close. They were randomly numbered and randomly hidden. The numbers and locations did not create a definitive map to the sword other than proper zone.
“claim” and “OF” in capital letters in the last line hinted at the medallion location in the OF or Oak Forest section of South Langton per the in-park smokehouse map signage. Connecting “flying fish” (graffiti in aerial view of park), “hone your steps” (Terrace Dr), “counting crows” (round here, south loop) and “OF” in South Langton with or without finding any mini-shields significantly reduced the hunt to a very small search zone at Langton Lake Park to find the Ancient Rudis!
MN Treasure Gladiators of the Hunt – Final Hiding Locations
Blue = Ancient Rudis sword medallion (1)
Green = Zone with gladiator mini-shields (5)
Red = MN Treasure tokens with cipher and gladiator figures (10)
Please feel free to visit Langton Lake Park and locate any remaining MN Treasure tokens and mini-shields using the map below and tree images in the clue explanations above. One token per hunter please. I will remove any remaining items after one week. Thanks for hunting!!
BONUS CLUE #1 EXPLANATION
The park name is given in the bonus clue and states to focus your final gladiator battle in the South section of the park. The bonus reveals the “other items” mentioned in the hunt rules are small gladiator shields, as hinted in the original clue. The shields define the medallion zone. Hunters are urged to take an aerial view of Langton Lake Park with an Ancient perspective on specific markers to “align” from the previous clue. The clue pinpoints the Ancient sword medallion zone at Terrace Dr (“hone your steps” or terrace step farming invented in Ancient times) aligned with the “flying fish” (Ancient myth for fish-like creature sleeping outside) associated with the building ruins in the Google Map aerial view South of the park. The medallion was hidden under sticks and bark next to a large tree in the open access area in this zone. It was wrapped in burlap and tree camo tape.
BONUS CLUE #2 EXPLANATION
Bonus #2 is a picture of the sword medallion zone just off the path SW Langton Lake Park. There is a shield in the log crack at the best entrance to the zone. It is a small hunt zone to find the Ancient Rudis!
RULES
- This is a one clue hunt. A picture of the medallion and treasure hunt clue will be posted at 6PM CST on August 21, 2023.
- Please contact Mike Nowak immediately when you find the medallion to validate your victory and collect the bonus $300 cash prize via Facebook Messenger, MikeNowakFitness@gmail.com or the MN Treasure webpage contact form located HERE. (The cash prize was increased in value from $200 to $300 at the one-week mark.)
- This MN Treasure hunt is free to the public with no registration required.
- The treasure hunt arena is PUBLIC LAND in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Please stay off private property.
- The treasure will not be hidden anywhere dangerous nor higher than 5 feet off the ground.
- Stay away from standard golf courses and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory.
- No tools are needed to find the treasure; you certainly do not want to damage the medallion prize!
- Please respect zones with active restoration signs and marked restricted areas. Do not harm the property grounds or nature. Please obey property hours and rules or risk disqualification from the hunt. In extreme cases, the hunt may be cancelled.
- There are 10 total tokens hidden for this hunt. There is a maximum of one MN Treasure token allowed per hunter. There is no monetary value to the tokens. All other items are “finders’ keepers” including the custom medallion. The medallion has a monetary value of $300 cash. All items that go unfound during the hunt will be removed from the property after the hunt ends.
- The clue writer reserves the right to add bonus clues at a later date, if needed.
- The clue explanations will be posted immediately following the hunt.
- Mike Nowak, MN Treasure, Mike Nowak Fitness and How Do I Get Ripped LLC carry no liability or responsibility for any accidents, injuries or legal implications for participants during this treasure hunt. Participants are urged to use reasonable safety precautions, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and follow all rules.
- By participating you agree to a photo/video media release waiver.
- Seek, do not destroy.
- Good luck and have fun!
