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Can't wait to get noodling with this AMAZING group! 

It's Friday night as I write this. Clue 1 will probably be out in the morning and the 2026 Medallion Hunt will have begun. Usually this is an exciting time. This year, the event that brings us together is taking place against a backdrop that is tearing us apart, so certainly mixed feelings are common tonight. But this group is not for politics. There are plenty of places to go for that. So we will carry on with discussing the hunt for as long as it goes.   If you somehow hadn't heard yet, the Winter Carnival and the Pioneer Press are working together again, and they have upped the prize to $15,000. I believe if you just stumble on the medallion and turn it in, you get $5,000. If you have a registered patch, (it's registered when you buy it online, or you can get one at Bad Weather Brewing on Saturday) you get an additional $5,000 as in past years. And then if you also have a Winter Carnival button (registration not necessary) then you get *another* $5,000. If you have just a button and not a patch, I think you get $5,000, but I'm not sure about that. The prize money is issued to just one person and that person must have a registered patch to get the additional prize money.   The hunt as usual takes place on public land in Ramsey County. I was thinking with the Winter Carnival having it's 140th anniversary and working with the PP again, maybe it would be in St. Paul this year. But anything is possible. The weather gets cold tomorrow and right now it looks like it won't get any warmer than 15 degrees above 0 at any point in the hunt, with some lows below 0, so it will be a relatively cold one.   There is a Pre-Dig Gig this year, but it will not be at Joseph's if you were expecting that. It will be at The Eagle Street, but that is also not where you might expect it as they changed locations. So you'll need your thinking caps right from the start. The new location is right across from the XCel Center, except it's not the XCel Center anymore! The address is 253 Kellogg Blvd., at the corner of Kellogg and West 7th. There are no events scheduled for that day so it should not be too crowded. It does still start at 6pm as usual and we do have a designated area. You can order food and/or drinks off the menu as you like.   I'm not working specifically for the Winter Carnival which is just as well as my girlfriend has had a lot of health issues the last 6 weeks, having been in the hospital for half that time. But I'm probably still not going to be out looking for the medallion myself. But I will still be here facilitating the discussion and throwing out my ideas, both good and bad. I invite you to do the same. As a group we've often, though not always, gotten to the right place. But I think having a place to talk about it helps make the whole thing more fun for many of us.

Hi David.  I'll go 10 on Hidden Falls.  Good luck to all!  Stay warm and be safe amid the chaos...

All my best for your girlfriend's recovery. My condolences to everyone whose hearts are feeling heavy and broken over the passing of Secretrose and Cluey. Two people I have met over the years and noodled around with in this awesome, supportive community. It's not going to be the same without them for sure. 

Yes, if they didn't hide it over the weekend, they missed a golden opportunity!
Dave

All should basically be as normal this year. Well, not really given that Rose is gone. I'm also sad to report for anyone who hadn't heard yet that Cluemaster, aka Brad has also died, just a few weeks ago. He was certainly a central figure of the Cooler Crew and the hunt as I've known it for the last 20 some years simply won't be the same.
The Hunt for the Golden Beer Can is not happening this year, at least not in January. The Winter Carnival made up with the Pioneer Press. If you haven't heard yet the prize will now be $15,000 if you have a Winter Carnival button as well as a Pioneer Press patch (both require a purchase). 
I myself am working on launching a board game (Dracula 1897) and wanted to focus on that, so I am not running my own Winter Carnival event this year. That turned out to be a good choice as my girlfriend spent most of December in the hospital and this time when I'd usually be busy getting ready for that has been mostly spent taking care of her.
So what that all amounts to is I can be (almost) all in on the hunt this year. So yes, we will be discussing it here and yes, I will be doing my park pick pool again. With this snow, we should still have snow for the hunt. That certainly opens up the possibilities of where it could be. I would hope with the WC having its 140th anniversary and the fact they are working with the PP again, it would actually be in St. Paul this year. Hopefully it will be more of an epic hunt than the last couple of years turned out to be.

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David, are you still hosting this 'noodlin' site?  I haven't been on here since the last Treasure Hunt in Jan., 2025. It took me awhile to log back in. I just read some past messages from this summer about the passing of Secret Rose. So sorry to hear. I had met her one of the first years I began doing the Treasure Hunt, maybe back in 2021 or so (when I still had a car). I was out in Maplewood at/near the dog park at Battle Creek Park because of a clue that led me to somewhere near the Shamrock bar on Lower Alton Rd and McKnight Rd. I met a woman there who had a dog who said she had lost her car keys somewhere and was locked out of her car. I let her and her dog warm up in my car until help arrived. She was also searching for the medallion. She told me she went by the name secretrose on the Allisonwonderland site, and we started comparing our noodlings over the years. She was much better at it than I. I'll miss her insights this coming Treasure Hunt. Any updates on where people think it may be hidden this year? Will you have another Park Picks contest David? Lots of good snow this winter, so hopefully the puck stays hidden until the final clue.

Dear David, 
Thank you for letting us know. "Secret Rose" was a delight to know online. Her love of the hunt was obvious. I will miss her intelligent noodles and wit. May she rest in peace and may her family find comfort as they grieve. Memories of her are a blessing. 
"Gibson Girl" ~ Rebecca Howell Gibson
On Friday, June 20, 2025 at 12:43:48 PM CDT, Allison Wonderland via groups.io <allisonwondrland@...> wrote:

I'm afraid our secret rose has laid down her shovel.   Barbara Rose Handlin
November 19, 1951 – June 17, 2025
Barbara Rose Handlin, 73, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, in Paw Paw, Michigan, surrounded by loved ones. Born on November 19, 1951, in Fort Riley, Kansas, Barbara was the beloved daughter of the late Glen and Maria Hagadorn.   Barb was a woman of vibrant spirit and boundless creativity. A dedicated mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, she is survived by her daughters, Michelle Handlin and Jennifer Handlin; her grandchildren, Maya Ray, Daniel Hampton, and Hazel Hampton; and her sister, Marie Nelson.   A lifelong artist and professional, Barb worked as a graphic designer for many years and was proud to have contributed to the iconic branding of Montgomery Ward. Her artistic talents extended beyond the workplace—she loved painting, gardening, and expressing herself through many creative outlets.   Barb embraced life fully. She found great joy in traveling, dancing, horseback riding, socializing with friends, embracing other cultures and cuisines, and staying engaged with the world history and current events. Her curiosity, warmth, and laughter left a lasting impact on everyone she met.   A memorial service celebrating Barb’s life will be held in her hometown of Burnsville, Minnesota, in fall time, her favorite time of the year. Her family welcomes all who knew and loved her to join in remembrance of a truly remarkable woman.   Barb will be deeply missed and forever remembered for the joy she brought into the lives of others. Join us in putting on your favorite 60's classics and if incline tap your toes or even buggie down to join the celebration of Barb, Mom, Grandma, Bobby or Friend.

Thank you for letting us know. Her kindness and noodling through the clues will always be remembered. May she rest in peace and be free from her pain. 🙏

Michele CaldwellCreative Director, Paper and ClipMobile: 262.581.7593 | Web: paperandclip.com

I'm afraid our secret rose has laid down her shovel.   Barbara Rose Handlin
November 19, 1951 – June 17, 2025
Barbara Rose Handlin, 73, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, in Paw Paw, Michigan, surrounded by loved ones. Born on November 19, 1951, in Fort Riley, Kansas, Barbara was the beloved daughter of the late Glen and Maria Hagadorn.   Barb was a woman of vibrant spirit and boundless creativity. A dedicated mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, she is survived by her daughters, Michelle Handlin and Jennifer Handlin; her grandchildren, Maya Ray, Daniel Hampton, and Hazel Hampton; and her sister, Marie Nelson.   A lifelong artist and professional, Barb worked as a graphic designer for many years and was proud to have contributed to the iconic branding of Montgomery Ward. Her artistic talents extended beyond the workplace—she loved painting, gardening, and expressing herself through many creative outlets.   Barb embraced life fully. She found great joy in traveling, dancing, horseback riding, socializing with friends, embracing other cultures and cuisines, and staying engaged with the world history and current events. Her curiosity, warmth, and laughter left a lasting impact on everyone she met.   A memorial service celebrating Barb’s life will be held in her hometown of Burnsville, Minnesota, in fall time, her favorite time of the year. Her family welcomes all who knew and loved her to join in remembrance of a truly remarkable woman.   Barb will be deeply missed and forever remembered for the joy she brought into the lives of others. Join us in putting on your favorite 60's classics and if incline tap your toes or even buggie down to join the celebration of Barb, Mom, Grandma, Bobby or Friend.

Thanks for doing this! Always amusing!Mushiew 

For those of you who weren't out at the park yesterday...   So yes, the Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt treasure was found yesterday. Some people had gathered it was at Crosby Park from Clue #1, yet there we were at Clue #11 with people still raking leaves along the trails like zombies and no one really understanding why it hadn't been found yet.    I've always been hesitant to do a Crosby hunt, saying that there's not enough to write clues about. The fact that clue 9 used a reference point in Highland Park should be testament to that. So by Clue #11 I had pretty much exhausted every reference point I could think of. I had written a clue 12 thinking it would never get that far anyway, but it was really just clue 11 again worded a little less cryptically, and clue 11 didn't seem to be getting people there. And I couldn't really put out a clue saying "No, that other tree!". So rather than trying to describe a spot that ultimately looks like every other spot, I decided it might be best to just go out there and show people the general area.
Unfortunately my event earlier in the day ran long so I got there a little late. The parking lot was completely full but I did manage to find a parking space. There were 20 or so people I think at the shelter waiting. With rakes in hand it looked like an angry mob (and to a degree it probably was). I didn't stop walking when I got there figuring people were eager to get on with it so I hit the pathway with a parade of hunters following along.
We encountered a few people out for a walk who must have surely wondered what the hell was happening. As we went we found other hunters along the way. I think they had maybe staked out their preferred spots hoping that's where I would stop as they seemed a little disappointed when I didn't. And then they joined the parade also.
We walked along what I called the middle path between Upper Lake and the river. There was a tree that pointed right at where I hid the treasure and I was hoping I would recognize it again right away. It did turn out though that in my memory, I conflated that tree with another so it wasn't exactly how I remembered it. I stopped anyway feeling 90% sure that was the spot as it was just before the bend in the path.
With that everyone got out their rakes and started raking. Well, almost everyone. There was a nice young lady, Rebecca Steffen who was really just watching while her friends searched. She reminded me that we had met before at my Winter Carnival event and that she and her family had been doing my Scavenger Hunts for years. We chatted for a bit. Then another woman with two kids came along and asked what park conservation project this was. I told her it was actually a treasure hunt/ She laughed and waited for the real answer. I said, no really, it's a treasure hunt. She gave me a somewhat confused "oh" and then moved on. 
I forget now what I was doing next. Maybe that is when I was talking to Ken Ng, checking out the souvenir medallions he made. But from about 15 feet away I heard Rebecca saying, "Hey, I think this might be it". I was rather confused because she hadn't even been looking, but there she was, holding up the brown cloth bag I had hidden. A few seconds later she pulled the medallion out of the bag. She had just been poking around some piles of leaves people had pushed up by the path and there it was, at least 10 feet, maybe more from where I had originally put it.
People had been looking for at least 5 minutes by then, more likely 10. Some had gotten pretty far from the path so I didn't think they would find it, but with all those people I thought it would turn up pretty fast. Yet some people were right on top of where I put it and they weren't finding it. I remember looking farther down the path to make sure I had the right spot and was wondering if maybe something could have happened to it. If it wasn't for Rebecca, I kind of wonder how long it would have taken to find.
But anyway, congratulations to Rebecca, a first time finder (but someone who has had a lot of success in my Winter Carnival events). She gets the $250 prize. As for everyone else, I think it was the usual love/hate relationship, perhaps moreso this year. Until next year!   Clue #1
There’s no pin to point, nor a nearby joint.
You’ll just have to scour to win the cash
At where Emma’s man had a dirty plan.
Roam too far and you just might make a splash.   This hunt is a little different in that there aren’t a lot of clear markers to direct you to the treasure, so you’ll just have to scour a general area. And while there is no pinpoint, it alludes to the semi-fallen tree that does point at it. “No nearby joint” means no nearby intersection of the path. “Emma’s man” was her husband Thomas Crosby for whom the park is named. Their “dirty plan” was to become farmers. “Splash” was a reference to the movie by that name. The mermaid went by the name “Madison” and Madison St. roughly aligns with where the treasure is.   Clue #2
Don’t spend a peso buying some queso,
But do plan to head south of the border
Find yourself some shade and you’ll have it made.
It will be in the bag in short order.   Annapolis Ave. forms the southern border of St. Paul at one point, but Crosby Park is south of that. The treasure is hidden in a cloth bag.   Clue #3
You’ll attain your goal eastward of Joe’s hole,
Whether you decide to walk, run or bike.
But don’t go so far you see the blue star,
Lest you find it was all a fruitless hike.   Joe is short for Joseph. Joseph in Italian is Giuseppe. The short version of that is “Beppo”. The Italian word for “hole” is “buca”. Thus Joe’s Hole is Buca di Beppo, and the treasure is east of that. But not as far east as 35E, the “Blue Star Highway”. To walk, run or bike alludes to the many trails in the park.   Clue #4
Where the thing’s hidden, it is forbidden
To be there late after the way is blocked.
Yet during the day you can choose your way.
But should you choose poorly you will be flocked.   The way being blocked at night refers to the gate that closes the park after 11pm. During the day there are many intersecting paths, but if you choose the one closest to Shepard Rd., you’ll be f’d.   Clue #5
Is your team well manned? There’s a lot of land!
And oh so very many leaves to rake.
If leaving the path, use this bit of math:
An X that’s less than ten is what you’ll take.   This clue alludes to it being in a big park and the fact that it is hidden under leaves. It also tells you that it is hidden within 10 paces of a path.   Clue#6
Oh, it's such a slog checking every log
Plus all of those hollow trees? It’s too much!
So this news is good, that there is no wood
Bigger than a twig that the coin does touch.   This is just telling you it is not hidden in a tree or under a fallen log so no need to disturb the trees.   Clue #7
Is it here or there? Could be anywhere.
How to differentiate tree from tree?
I really know not. But from the right spot
There is some water you can clearly see.   This is just telling you that water is visible from the hiding spot, specifically the river. In retrospect, “clearly” might have been a bad choice as there are other spots that were more clear.   Clue #8
Round and round you go, circling to and fro.
You may just end up back where you started.
Endless paths only, not one that’s lonely.
But past where it has at least twice parted.   This is telling you to avoid the paths that head out in one direction and don’t circle back. But do go far enough along a path to have encountered at least two intersections.   Clue #9
A  path in the west you will find is best,
Staying directly below land up high.
Lining up the holes will assist your goals
One under X will get you very nigh.   The “land up high” in this case is actually Highland Park. This is telling you to stay within the parts of Crosby that are directly south of Highland. And then specifically, searching directly south of the 9th hole on the main golf course will get you pretty close to where it is hidden.   Clue #10
Fishing’s a no-go, thus hunting also,
On the upper fringes there’s naught of worth.
What you should seek out are the things that sprout
Like circles of teeth rising from the earth.   The fishing dock at Upper Lake is closed as is the path to it, so don’t look there, or anywhere around Upper Lake really. Instead search on a path where you’ll find those circles of white pickets sticking up out of the ground nearby.   Clue #11
A trail through the woods gets you to the goods,
Start it off right and you’ll be left upbeat.
Proving to be key is a nearby tree
Whose fall to the ground is not quite complete.   This says to take one of the trails that goes strictly through the woods. Go right at the first intersection after the shelter and then left at the next to get the right path. Look for a tree on that path that has fallen, but is still connected to the stump. It points right to the treasure.   Clue #12
Down in Crosby Park, on the trails embark.
From behind the shelter, first right, then left.
Keep water in sight there off to your right
A half fallen tree points where to be deft.   Kind of the same as the previous clue, but more specific.

Many hunters have been asking for a bonus hint so I decided to give one. The treasure was hidden on the north side of a path.

Here we are about 6 hours from Clue 12. I believe at least some people have been searching in the right area and yet no one has found it. From what I've gathered, everything plausible has been searched and now it's a matter of finding what someone else has missed.

 

The problem with this area is that there aren't a lot of unique landmarks. I wrote a 12th clue, but I don't think it's really going to get people any closer than they already are. So I think for Clue 12 I'm just going to have to go out there at 5pm. I'll go stand at the spot on the path that represents my point of view when writing the clues and then you'll have to figure it out from there.

 

Or maybe it will be found before then...

Remember, directions are somewhat approximate!   Here is the new clue:   Clue #11
A trail through the woods gets you to the goods,
Start it off right and you’ll be left upbeat.
Proving to be key is a nearby tree
Whose fall to the ground is not quite complete. And the previous clues:
 
Clue #10
Fishing’s a no-go, thus hunting also,
On the upper fringes there’s naught of worth.
What you should seek out are the things that sprout
Like circles of teeth rising from the earth.
 
Clue #9
A path in the west you will find is best,
Staying directly below land up high.
Lining up the holes will assist your goals
One under X will get you very nigh.
 
Clue #8
Round and round you go, circling to and fro.
You may just end up back where you started.
Endless paths only, not one that’s lonely.
But past where it has at least twice parted.
 
Clue #7
Is it here or there? Could be anywhere.
How to differentiate tree from tree?
I really know not. But from the right spot
There is some water you can clearly see.
 
Clue#6
Oh, it's such a slog checking every log
Plus all of those hollow trees? It’s too much!
So this news is good, that there is no wood
Bigger than a twig that the coin does touch.
 
Clue #5
Is your team well manned? There’s a lot of land!
And oh so very many leaves to rake.
If leaving the path, use this bit of math:
An X that’s less than ten is what you’ll take.
 
Clue #4
Where the thing’s hidden, it is forbidden
To be there late after the way is blocked.
Yet during the day you can choose your way.
But should you choose poorly you will be flocked.
 
Clue #3
You’ll attain your goal eastward of Joe’s hole,
Whether you decide to walk, run or bike.
But don’t go so far you see the blue star,
Lest you find it was all a fruitless hike.
 
Clue #2
Don’t spend a peso buying some queso,
But do plan to head south of the border
Find yourself some shade and you’ll have it made.
It will be in the bag in short order.
 
Clue #1
There’s no pin to point, nor a nearby joint.
You’ll just have to scour to win the cash
At where Emma’s man had a dirty plan.
Roam too far and you just might make a splash.

I just wanted to let everyone know I finished writing up the clue explanations, so it's ok to find it now. lol

 

Also a reminder not to destroy anything while hunting. Nothing needs to be pulled up out of the ground to find the treasure.

Here is the new clue:

 

Clue #10

Fishing’s a no-go, thus hunting also,

On the upper fringes there’s naught of worth.

What you should seek out are the things that sprout

Like circles of teeth rising from the earth.

 

And the previous clues:

 

Clue #9

A path in the west you will find is best,

Staying directly below land up high.

Lining up the holes will assist your goals

One under X will get you very nigh.

 

Clue #8

Round and round you go, circling to and fro.

You may just end up back where you started.

Endless paths only, not one that’s lonely.

But past where it has at least twice parted.

 

Clue #7

Is it here or there? Could be anywhere.

How to differentiate tree from tree?

I really know not. But from the right spot

There is some water you can clearly see.

 

Clue#6

Oh, it's such a slog checking every log

Plus all of those hollow trees? It’s too much!

So this news is good, that there is no wood

Bigger than a twig that the coin does touch.

 

Clue #5

Is your team well manned? There’s a lot of land!

And oh so very many leaves to rake.

If leaving the path, use this bit of math:

An X that’s less than ten is what you’ll take.

 

Clue #4

Where the thing’s hidden, it is forbidden

To be there late after the way is blocked.

Yet during the day you can choose your way.

But should you choose poorly you will be flocked.

 

Clue #3

You’ll attain your goal eastward of Joe’s hole,

Whether you decide to walk, run or bike.

But don’t go so far you see the blue star,

Lest you find it was all a fruitless hike.

 

Clue #2

Don’t spend a peso buying some queso,

But do plan to head south of the border

Find yourself some shade and you’ll have it made.

It will be in the bag in short order.

 

Clue #1

There’s no pin to point, nor a nearby joint.

You’ll just have to scour to win the cash

At where Emma’s man had a dirty plan.

Roam too far and you just might make a splash.

More the opposite really. I'm saying just because you spent a little time at a large park and didn't find it, doesn't necessarily mean it isn't there.
David B. Allison

On Friday, April 4, 2025 at 05:54:54 AM CDT, Shakira Richardson via groups.io <mskira50@...> wrote:

Are you suggesting this is at an a small park? And not the ones I’ve included? 

_._,_._,_

Are you suggesting this is at an a small park? And not the ones I’ve included? 
On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 9:38 PM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Well of course even if it is at one of those parks, it wouldn't be easy to find as they are all pretty large.
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