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How to Find the Saint Paul Winter Carnival Medallion

Submitted by zephyrus on
A snow covered tree

Wintery conditions work against you, and for you in your search

The time has come where Vulcanus Rex attempts to unseat King Boreas from his wintry throne and bring the promise of spring once again. It is also the time of the year where the web-weaving muse hides the ultimate winter treasure somewhere in Ramsey County. Want to increase your odds at finding it?

Difficulty: Challenging
Instructions

Things You''ll Need:

  • The proper maps
  • Warm clothing
  • "Digging" tools
  • Clues
  • Portable light
  • Sustenance
  • Truckload of luck
  • Step 1

    Prepare yourself before the Winter Carnival

    Read up on past clues and get a feel for what you are up against. Get a feel for how the Cluewriter hides not only the medallion, but the clues within the clues. 

    Prepare in other local treasure hunts. Many suburban cities host treasure hunts in the off season. These are a great way to hone your skills as a true "puckhead".

  • Step 2

    Read the Official Rules

    Go to Twincities.com and read the official rules. To paraphrase - The medallion will only be on public property within the limits of Ramsey County. Search, don''t destroy. You will not have to dig up the ground, climb up trees, or damage any property to find the medallion. Doing so will cause the hunt to be cancelled and the $10,000 to be forfeited. Collect the clues from the daily Pioneer Press paper, find the medallion, and turn it in to the Pioneer Pres Building.

  • Step 3

    Register your button

    You can either register the button online or by mail. If registering online, clicking the send button after filling in your information registers the button. If mailing in, be sure to have it postmarked prior to the first clues official release.

  • Step 4

    Make sure that you have warm clothes

    This is Minnesota in January folks, I don''t think I need to remind you that you will likely be searching in weather ranging from -25 through 30 degrees. Layering is very important. It takes a lot of effort to swing a rake for 14 hours a day, you will be sweating in below zero temperatures. What a wonderful state!

  • Step 5

    Get your digging tools ready

    Every hunter has their favorite tool for different environments. I like to use a childs garden rake for light snow, and in weedy areas. It doesn''t have the weight that larger tools have, which is why I prefer a garden hoe for the harder, icier, and deeper snows. An actual shovel is many a hunters best friend 12 days of the year, just remember to never allow it to sink into the ground. Remember, search don''t destroy.

    Bring some kind of light source should you be obsessing until dark. It gets icy and can be dangerous to travel if you can''t see where you are going.

  • Step 6

    Get a clue
    You need to have the clues. How will you know where to dig if you don''t have a clue? You can get the clues online at Twincities.com, on your doorstep in the morning, or my personal favorite - waiting in line the night before the papers release. The doors are usually open between 11 pm and midnight. Not only do you get to hunt right away, but you can meet other hunters and share your ideas on where the medallion is.

  • Step 7

    Decipher the clues

    You could write a book on this. Really. First, look at the clues literally. Is there anything it is trying to tell you? Usually you will have to dissect it to get to the heart and soul of the clue. Are there anagrams hidden in the clue? Do any of the words in the clues have any other or archaic meanings? Does a phrase hint to something that ties to a park?

  • Step 8

    Get out there and dig

    You will never find the medallion from your computer chair. It is hard to stumble upon it if you stay in your car. Don''t worry about feeling silly, there are thousands each year looking just like you. And someone is going to find the medallion. Ask a previous finder if the $10,000 was worth feeling a little silly poking around in a snowbank with a hockey stick.

  • Step 9

    Rejoice when the hunt is over

    Either you found it or you didn''t. In the end it really doesn''t matter. The money, your picture in the paper, the free sweatshirt, and the ride in the parade will be just fleeting memories compared to the bonds made with other dedicated hunters. Given the chance, your obsession will spread and you will meet like-minded people doing things just as silly as you. Buying a $75 hoe just for the hunt, taking time off of work to hunt, memorizing the clues of years past. 

    Think hard, and dig harder.

    You dig?

Tips & Warnings
  • Archived clues can be found at coolercrew.com
  • Official rules and Clues are found at twincities.com
  • If you can find a copy of the Treasure Hunters Guide, or the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt History book, they will help out tremendously in having park maps and previous clues at your fingertips.
  • Stay on public property
  • Search, don''t destroy
  • Be careful on icy slopes. Remember that paths compacted with footprints become very slippery

2010 Pre-Dig Gig Recap

Submitted by ares on
The Cooler Crew at the pre-dig gig in the basement of Obb's.

The Cooler Crew at the pre-dig gig in the basement of Obb's.

January 16, 2010 -- Obb's Bar, St. Paul, MN

Tonight marked the 12th annual Cooler Crew Pre-Dig Gig. Over the course of the evening, we figure some 125 people or more came through the room. There were lots of old faces, and plenty of new ones joining in the fun!

As in the past several years, Clue Master ran the park pick pool. This year the pool was a little different. Everyone involved selected the order that they would be picking, but rather than have a single board, Cluey put together a pair of picks. One entry got you one pick on one of the boards. There was a lot of interest outside St. Paul proper this year.

Mom and Dad had the annual Cooler Crew button, which can be seen in the Pre-Dig gig announcement. Having a Cooler Crew button gets you 1/2 off appetizers and $1 off bar drinks at Yarusso's during the hunt. If you don't have one, find Ares at the PP, Yarusso's or contact him on Ableminds (or this site, or Facebook) to get one.

Lil'Man hooked us up with all the music we could stand, all night long, from the DJ booth, while lilslim brought in the karaoke laptop and enabled folks to hook us up with all the music we couldn't stand scattered throughout the evening. Not surprisingly, the karaoke booth grew more popular as the night progressed, as people "worked up the courage" to sing. Wicked Nick and Cereal Killer provided us with a rendition of Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler", and we were treated to a wonderful performance of the now viral "Pants on the Ground" from American Idol.

On a more personal note, we had a moment of silence honoring Zephy and all the other troops serving overseas, putting their lives on the line for us, as well as a moment of silence and a collection taken up for Mystical_muzik, after losing her husband Mark. We raised over $400 for the cause, and Jimmy from Obb's kicked in another $1,000!

All in all, a great way to kick off a great two-week tradition!

Coolerheads will prevail!!!

The Cooler Crew Would Like To Thank....

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on

The Cooler Crew would like to thank the following great local businesses for their generous donations for Mark's funeral:

Yarusso's Italian Restaurant
635 Payne Avenue (Across from Swede Hollow)
for catering the food
  
 Lakeside Floral, Inc. for providing husband and father bouquets
Koehler & Dramm's Institute of Floristry for making a class project out of funeral arrangements and donating the results for the funeral 

We'd also like to thank Obb's Bar for the location of the Pre-Dig Gig this year, and the setup they put together, as well as their generous donation to Mark's Memorial Fund. In addition we'd like to thank the many people who have individually contributed to the fund.

When you're out and about during this year's hunt and afterwards, please patronize these businesses as you are able to in gratitude for their contributions.

Mark Evenson -- Father, Husband, Treasure Hunter

Submitted by ares on
Mark, Nicole, and Kaitlynn. Photo courtesy of Sajous Photography

Mark, Nicole, and Kaitlynn. Photo courtesy of Sajous Photography

The Cooler Crew lost another treasure hunter yesterday morning. Mark Evenson, husband of Mystical_Muzik (AKA Nicole), passed away suddenly, and unexpectedly the morning of January 4, 2010 at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood. Mark had no known health issues.

A fund has been set up with Wells Fargo to help the family cover their expenses during this tragic event. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo bank branch to the Mark Evenson Memorial Fund.

There will be a visitation from 4-8pm on Thursday, January 7 at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 1669 N. Arcade St. in St. Paul. The funeral will be held at Gustavus Adolphus at 10am Friday morning, January 8.

Stay tuned here and in The Situation Room at the Cooler Crew Discussion Boards for more information and how you can help. On top of this, Nicole's father (see below) is still in the Intensive Care Unit at Regions Hospital after being shot during a robbery.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents and son Charles, and is survived by his wife, Nicole, their daughter, Kaitlynn, and many family and friends. Mark was 28.

2009 Medallion Has Been found

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on

At about 9:30 this morning, the medallion was found in Swede Hollow Park. It was found by the father/daughter team of Joe and Jessica Horwath of Maplewood. The pair claimed the entire $10,000 prize, as well as the $1,200 in groceries from Cub Foods. They'd only been out looking for an hour or so when they stumbled across it. It was found several feet away from where it was originally hidden; someone probably tossed it away with their shovel. Ma Press has a great piece of poetry courtesy of the clue writer about it.

Nightly Pre-Clue Gatherings

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on

Before each night's clue comes out, many members of the Cooler Crew get together in downtown Saint Paul as a way to wind down at the end of a long day of digging, and to recover some strength for the night of digging that often follows the release of later clues. These get-togethers will either be at Wild Tymes or at the Bulldog in Lowertown. Stay tuned to the forums at ableminds for details of each night's gathering.

2009 Pre-Dig Gig Recap

Submitted by ares on
The 2009 Pre-Dig Gig (Photo courtesy of Peter Worth, official Winter Carnival Photographer)

The 2009 Pre-Dig Gig (Photo courtesy of Peter Worth, official Winter Carnival Photographer)

2009 Cooler Crew Button

The 2009 Cooler Crew Commemorative Button

Winter Carnival Chair Kathy Bjerke gets crowned by Diggin's Darlings

Winter Carnival Chair Kathy Bjerke gets crowned by Diggin's Darlings

January 17, 2009
Obb's Sports Bar and Grill
Saint Paul

We've made it. Ten years ago, give or take a few days, we held the very first Cooler Crew Pre-Dig Gig at McGovern's. Tonight, we held the eleventh annual Pre-Dig Gig at Obb's. Over the course of the evening, somewhere between 150 and 200 people came through the doors.

Originally planned for Matty B's, the party was moved on the last minute to Obb's, who were more than accomodating. With the Pioneer Press publishing the first clue online and in the early Sunday edition of the newspaper, being downtown isn't really necessary anymore, since we all have the clue going in and don't need to go to the paper to get it.

As usual, Mom and Dad had the annual Cooler Crew buttons; there were plenty of them left over. If you didn't get one and still want one, contact me2. Lilman provided the evening's entertainment from his DJ booth, and there was even a little karaoke going on. For the last several years, Clue Master has orgainzed a park pick pool, and with a $155 total prize for the winner, this year was no exception.

One of the best parts of every pre-dig and every rehash bash, apart from catching up with old friends who we may not otherwise see during the year, is seeing all of the new faces in the crowd. Some of them are long-time lurkers on the boards coming for the first time to hang out. Others are folks who hear about the party and come on in. Despite where any of us comes from, or how we got here, we all share a passion for the hunt.

This year's pre-dig brought a special guest. Kat invited the Winter Carnival President and CEO, Beth Pinkney to the event. As it turns out, we've been relatively unknown to them, almost to the point of being a well-kept secret. Having been involved with getting access to the Carnival royal family in the past, and the difficulties associated with it, it was really good to see Carnival staff come out and mingle with the community that makes the Carnival the success that it is.

The Clue Master Status Report

Submitted by ares on

As many of you are aware, Clue Master is in the hospital, with surgery scheduled for Friday, 8/8/08 (hey, crazy eights. Gotta be a lucky day) to replace a heart valve.

For the $0.25 version of what's happened, last Wednesday he was in so much back pain he couldn't get out of bed. He went in to Woodwinds on Thursday where they did a full-body image set of him, and discovered something "fuzzy" in his bone marrow. Initially this was diagnosed as Leukemia, but the oncologist later corrected it saying that the rest of the symptoms weren't consistent with the GP's diagnosis; bone marrow tests would be required. After some more work, they determined he has a bacterial infection that's settled in his bone marrow, lungs, and heart.

The infection resulted from a previously undiagnosed prolapse heart valve, combined with dental work 6 months ago. The result is that the infection has eaten away at the valve to the point where he needs it replaced.

For updates, check out CM's family's web site. To send your well-wishes, check out the thread at AbleMinds. He's in there a lot from the hospital and responding to posts.

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