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Running the Scavenger Hunts for the Winter Carnival has kept me too busy to also run a park pick pool, so we haven't always done that lately, but I think this year we can. It's kind of complicated, but here is how it works.

We'll still say the prize is $100, but it is free to participate. The only cost is that you have to post your guesses publicly to the group so that it's clear who won.

The first round starts now. The next round starts after Clue 1 comes out. And then each round after that will start with the release of the next clue. Any guesses made after the find will not be counted.

In each round you get a total of 10 guesses. You can assign all 10 guesses to one park if you are feeling confident, or you can spread them out among multiple parks. You could say 5 for Como, 3 for Phalen, and 2 for Hidden Falls, or you could even have 1 guess for each of 10 different parks. 

You may change your guesses during the day. The last guess you make in a round will be your official guess.

If you don't post a guess, then your last guess will carry over to the next round (until there is a new guess).

The scoring will vary depending on how long the hunt goes. You will score 1 point for each correct guess made on the day of the find. You will score 2 points per correct guess made the day before the find. You will score 3 points per correct guess made 2 days before the find, and so on. Consequently if the hunt goes 10 clues, correct guesses made on Clue 1 will score 10 points each and the pre-hunt guesses score 11 each. If it were found on Clue 5, Clue 1 guesses would score 5 points and pre-hunt guesses would score 6, for example.

Once the medallion is found, the person with the most points is the winner. If there is a tie, then the first person who first posted a guess towards the correct park will be the winner.

Good luck and let the games begin!

So I hear there's another treasure hunt coming up soon. Something about a medallion...

Of course you all know what I'm talking about. It's mostly why you're here. The Pioneer Press Medallion Hunt is coming up this next weekend. Now just to clarify, I've been working for the Winter Carnival the last few years. However, the Medallion Hunt is run strictly by the Pioneer Press and is not (at this time) officially associated with the Winter Carnival. Consequently I am not officially associated with the Medallion Hunt and have no knowledge of where it is hidden. Still, just to avoid any awkward appearances, I will not be looking for the medallion. But I will still be providing my thoughts and facilitating a discussion here.

The whole affair starts this Saturday. Though Clue 1 officially comes out on Sunday, it has been typically released on Saturday with the early edition of the Sunday paper.

Saturday night is the Pre-Dig Gig. This is the kick off party for the hunt run by the Cooler Crew. Any hunter is invited to attend. It takes place at Joseph's Grill in St. Paul where we have the private back room reserved. Things usually get going around 6pm. They have their pasta bar which I always recommend. This year it is $26 including tax and tip. You can also order off the regular menu I believe. And of course they have a full bar available. There are a few activities during the night like the park pick pool, group photo, and other things. You can also just sit and meet other hunters and trade war stories of past hunts. Everyone is there for the same reason, so even if you don't know anyone, it shouldn't be hard to find something to talk about.

Starting Sunday night there will be nightly clue releases at Shamrock's in St. Paul. That usually gets going around 9pm and the papers typically arrive between 11 and 11:30 or so. It's a little harder to pick the hunters out of the crowd there, so all the more reason to get to know people at the Pre-Dig.
As for the Allison Wonderland Park Pick Pool, I believe I will have time to run that again as the Winter Carnival Scavenger Hunts are using a new app and shouldn't require constant monitoring this year. So that will work as it has in the past, but I will make a separate post for that.
And then of course we'll have the ongoing discussion here. I'll be posting the clues here if I have them myself or if they are posted publicly elsewhere. As a group, I think we've had a pretty good (but not perfect) track record on figuring things out, so I certainly encourage other people to chime in. I may not always agree with you, but I've certainly been wrong before so you never know.

Otherwise I wish everyone good luck!

Clue #4

Since it’s not easy being green, blue and purple it sits between.

Just lying in a sylvan scene where many more trees used to grow.

If it helps you determine where, look in a park that’s far from square.

Because there’s a lot of land there we can get by without much snow.

And the previous clues:

Clue #3

While our can sits on ground quite dry, a changing current is nearby.

Paddling might help you should you try, but no need for you to get wet.

Catalogs you may disregard, and getting letters can prove hard

But count an old-styled postcard as what people would love to get.

Clue #2

Even with all the time you’ve got, a picnic this pursuit is not.

We’ve picked a rather rustic spot that doesn’t evoke the city.

You’re not going to need a ball, no vendors there as we recall.

Really, mostly nothing at all, but with snow the hills are pretty.

Clue #1

From all throughout our realm we call treasure hunters home to St. Paul

To invite you each, one and all to seek our golden can of beer.

On public land is where it hides. Let city limits be your guides.

Prepare to take a lot of strides if you’re going to walk from here.

And thus St. Paul Brewing extends this invite to our darling friends

Where your hunting success depends on finding water of three kinds.

There’s a happy end to this tale if you stay off the beaten trail.

Articles provide some detail, but not the ones that cover finds.

Clue #4

Since it’s not easy being green, blue and purple it sits between.

Just lying in a sylvan scene where many more trees used to grow.

If it helps you determine where, look in a park that’s far from square.

Because there’s a lot of land there we can get by without much snow.

And the previous clues:

Clue #3

While our can sits on ground quite dry, a changing current is nearby.

Paddling might help you should you try, but no need for you to get wet.

Catalogs you may disregard, and getting letters can prove hard

But count an old-styled postcard as what people would love to get.

Clue #2

Even with all the time you’ve got, a picnic this pursuit is not.

We’ve picked a rather rustic spot that doesn’t evoke the city.

You’re not going to need a ball, no vendors there as we recall.

Really, mostly nothing at all, but with snow the hills are pretty.

Clue #1

From all throughout our realm we call treasure hunters home to St. Paul

To invite you each, one and all to seek our golden can of beer.

On public land is where it hides. Let city limits be your guides.

Prepare to take a lot of strides if you’re going to walk from here.

And thus St. Paul Brewing extends this invite to our darling friends

Where your hunting success depends on finding water of three kinds.

There’s a happy end to this tale if you stay off the beaten trail.

Articles provide some detail, but not the ones that cover finds.

Clue #3

While our can sits on ground quite dry, a changing current is nearby.

Paddling might help you should you try, but no need for you to get wet.

Catalogs you may disregard, and getting letters can prove hard

But count an old-styled postcard as what people would love to get.

And the previous clues:

Clue #2

Even with all the time you’ve got, a picnic this pursuit is not.

We’ve picked a rather rustic spot that doesn’t evoke the city.

You’re not going to need a ball, no vendors there as we recall.

Really, mostly nothing at all, but with snow the hills are pretty.

Clue #1

From all throughout our realm we call treasure hunters home to St. Paul

To invite you each, one and all to seek our golden can of beer.

On public land is where it hides. Let city limits be your guides.

Prepare to take a lot of strides if you’re going to walk from here.

And thus St. Paul Brewing extends this invite to our darling friends

Where your hunting success depends on finding water of three kinds.

There’s a happy end to this tale if you stay off the beaten trail.

Articles provide some detail, but not the ones that cover finds.

I wondered the same thing about a discussion, is it here? or someplace else.  - and I have to get used to this new format 

I like the idea of the clues in the phone booth. I look forward to going next Tuesday - 

Are we looking for something made of wood? or was the beer can 3D printed? 

--
me2

Clue #2

Even with all the time you’ve got, a picnic this pursuit is not.

We’ve picked a rather rustic spot that doesn’t evoke the city.

You’re not going to need a ball, no vendors there as we recall.

Really, mostly nothing at all, but with snow the hills are pretty.

Clue #1

From all throughout our realm we call treasure hunters home to St. Paul

To invite you each, one and all to seek our golden can of beer.

On public land is where it hides. Let city limits be your guides.

Prepare to take a lot of strides if you’re going to walk from here.

And thus St. Paul Brewing extends this invite to our darling friends

Where your hunting success depends on finding water of three kinds.

There’s a happy end to this tale if you stay off the beaten trail.

Articles provide some detail, but not the ones that cover finds.

The Hunt for the Golden Beer Can kicked off last night at St. Paul Brewing with much fanfare. The Golden Beer Can is hidden on public property in St. Paul (not named Indian Mounds or Como Zoo/Conservatory). Here is Clue #1:

Clue #1

Research is the key to learn history

So go search online to expand your ken.

Echoes you might chase, but you’ll find the place

If you can hit it three out of ten.

The biggest clue here is “search online” which alludes to the search engine “Bing”. That in turn should make you think “Crosby”. “History” and “echoes” suggest that a lot of the clues will allude to historical things that no longer exist. “Three out of ten” alludes to the 10 trees in the park. Only if counting from west to east can you clearly identify which one is the third one and that is where the treasure is. This clue only has 39 syllables instead of the usual 40 which alludes to the park being in line with 39th Ave. across the river. Finally, “research” is a bit of a confirmation hint for later in regard to Stanford Ct. as Stanford is a research university.

Clue #2

Finding treasure takes a tale of two lakes,

But searching on dry land it would behoove.

Don’t be a rover, searching all over,

Just be guided by water on the move.

The two lakes in this case are the two lakes that were on the Stonebridge estate. In fact, the treasure is hidden in what used to be Lake Elizabeth. But of course it is dry land now. “All over” was a hint to “Oliver” Crosby, owner of Stonebridge. The water on the move refers to both the nearby Mississippi River and Mississippi River Blvd. which had been the western border of Stonebridge.

Clue #3

The road of the king, an actual thing,

Makes its way across our city of saints

But from the road veer, don’t even stay near.

Being on the downtown side your hunt taints.

The road of the king is the Monarch Highway which in St. Paul runs all along 35E. This is telling you to be on the side of 35E that does not contain downtown which in this case means being on the west side, and actually quite far from the freeway. You could go further and realize that 35E is also the Avenue of the Saints, but only from downtown southwards. That would further restrict your hunt to the SW quadrant of the city. Additionally, St. Clair Ave. is nearby, and more obscurely, Stonebridge was built on land originally designated at St. John’s Woods.

Clue #4

Call this street by name, but it’s not the same,

Roads nearby have shifted over the years.

So pull out your map, I’ll give you this scrap,

Because they’re not being straight it appears.

This specifically refers to Mount Curv Blvd. which used to be called Montrose Blvd. But that was not the only change as several roads were added after the Stonebridge estate was subdivided. None of the roads in that area are straight except ironically for Mount Curv. Also, the first letter of each clue, C-R-S-B, suggests “Crosby”, the owner/builder of the Stonebridge estate.

Clue #5

You’ll find treasure soon when the clock strikes noon,

Maybe somewhere between two and three hours.

Or go back in time to a spot most prime

That was once home to some lovely flowers.

Near the park where Woodlawn and Stanford Ct. come together it looks like a triangle on the map. But if you use the satellite view, you’ll see a perfectly circular island with a lamp post in the middle. The post and/or its shadow make it look like a clock at noon. Using that as a guide, the treasure is located between 2:00 and 3:00 if you were to extend it out. Going back in time refers to the only way to visit Stonebridge, which was considered the prime estate in St. Paul and where they had many elaborate gardens.

Clue #6

It’s hard being green, having a new scene,

Leaving behind a beautiful abode.

It was quite a trick, moving brick by brick,

But now an old friend is just down the road.

This hints at the song “It’s Not Easy Being Green” famously sung by Kermit the Frog. That should get you thinking of the frog at Como’s Frog Pond. It was moved there from the Stonebridge estate as was the gate at Midway and Hamline (which was taken apart and reassembled), and is now down the road from the frog pond.

Clue #7

So perhaps this clue feels out of the blue

But there’s a cardinal point to be had.

You won’t be golden while you’re beholden,

It will just feel like you’re an undergrad.

“Undergrad” is actually a clue suggesting that the treasure is “under” (or rather south of) University Ave. It’s also a key to the rest of the clue which refers to college mascots. Wellesley, Stanford, and Berkely are all nearby street names whose mascots are “The Blue”, “The Cardinals”, and “The Golden Bears” respectively.

Clue #8

This year took a pass on hiding in grass

Because there wasn’t any to be seen.

Instead all you’ll see, here and there a tree

Not exactly a yard you would call green.

On one level this clue is just describing the park which has nothing but grass (which you can’t see) and trees. On another level “yard” is suggesting a lawn, but one with trees instead of grass. That is to say a “Woodlawn”. Also hints a bit at there being houses nearby.

Clue #9

Everywhere you go there’s still tons of snow.

Some heavy lifting will be in order.

Need help to apply? Derek is your guy.

But you’ll want to stick close to the border.

This clue is alluding to Crosby’s business, American Hoist and Derrick which made machines for heavy lifting primarily. Also, the park is near the border of the city and the treasure was hidden on the edge of the park.

Clue #10

To locate the goods, search in St. John’s Woods

In the depths of Lake Elizabeth somewhere.

The treasure’s in ice, but let’s be precise,

There’s actually nothing but dry land there.

When Crosby bought the property that would become Stonebridge, it was at the time designated as “St. John’s Woods”. He built two artificial lakes on the property, one of which was called Lake Elizabeth after his wife. It was located just north of the mansion and Stonebridge Circle would be floating in it, though of course it is all dry land now. This clue also tells you the treasure was hidden in some ice.

Clue #11

A bridge that crumbled ‘cause people fumbled

Can still take you to where the treasure lies.

It is far too late to pass through the gate

But round about the mansion is the prize.

After Crosby’s death the estate crumbled both in the sense that the land was subdivided and in the sense that the mansion went for years not being kept up and was demolished in 1953. This was largely because the estate was sold to some real estate developers just as the depression hit and they weren’t able to follow through on their plans. But the idea of Stonebridge will still guide you to the treasure. And even though the gate is gone now, the treasure is located very close to where the mansion was.

Clue #12

The bridge made of stone will define the zone

You will want the elongated version.

Once there count each tree, you should stop at three,

The curb holds the end of this excursion

This is telling you it is at Stonebridge, “elongated” telling you it is the oval and not the nearby circle. It is hidden near the curb next to the third tree counting from the West.