Mock Hunts
Mock Hunts have been a part of the Cooler Crew since Allison Wonderland started doing them in 2000. At first, it was a virtual hunt. In 2001, he turned it into a real hunt for a prize. In 2002, after the short hunt at Merriam, the prize grew, from donations from the Cooler Crew to be in excess of $500, and his hunt kicked off an entire season of Mock Hunts throughout the summer. And we've been having them ever since, with the finder of one hunt writing the next one, and so on. These pages chronicle those hunts.
- Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt
- Jake & Mr. Med Hunter Hunt
- Jake Inge Mock Hunt
- Marley King Mock Hunt
- MrMnMikey Mock Hunt
- Those Medalling Kids Mock Hunt
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!
