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 ARCHIVE
HUNT #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

COMING JUNE 1, 2024 !
RAMSEY COUNTY, MN
ONE CLUE HUNT – 12PM CST

 

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. 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!
 
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