2012 Mesabi Daily News Medallion Hunt

“Playground” refers to playing games like hockey, a reference to the medallion which is a hockey puck. “Solitary land” refers to an island, such as the Portuguese location of Fayal Island. “Around” is a play on “a round” — a hockey puck is round. “Have fun;” hockey is fun, and so is a treasure hunt! “Luck” rhymes with puck. Of course, we sincerely wish you good luck.

“Water to ice” refers to the pond, which will turn to ice. The clue is a further reference to the medallion’s form as a hockey puck. “Fast” and “slow” are terms for ice conditions in ice hockey and “top shelf” is a term for the upper corners of a goalie net. “No matter the weather” — hockey can be played in an indoor arena, thus, no matter the weather conditions. Also, literally, contestants can search for the medallion no matter the weather. In fact, it was a cold and snowy day when the medallion was found. Additionally, the medallion is hidden not far from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The reference to “town” and to more than three siblings is a hint that the medallion is located in the Quad Cities. If there are more than three siblings there are at least four. The word “like” modifies siblings, as in “of the same kind,” such as quads.

This clue further indicates that the medallion is somewhere in the Quad Cities.

“Curve” is meant to be the curve of the bridge where the medallion is hidden. But you might think of baseball; thus, this clue is throwing you a curve. The signs that “go up or down” refer to the nearby Highway 53 signs directing traffic north or south. Also, the exit to the highway curves around the pond.

This clue points to the location of the medallion at Fayal Pond. Faial Island, known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese Island, also referred to as the “Blue” Island. Its name stems from the large number of fayal trees located there. Fayal trees (Myrica faya) are evergreen shrubs, sometimes referred to as fire trees, thus the reference to “aglow.” Also, “you may look high and you may look low;” one of the two — looking low — will uncover the medallion under the bridge. Additionally, this may be a stretch, but “land alone” is a reference to island, a land all alone; similar to the “solitary land” from clue one.

Yes, it is a cryptic clue, but enough searching online will get you here.

This clue leads to Fayal Pond by referring to the Battle of Fayal, an engagement fought in September 1814 during the war between the United States and the United Kingdom at the Portuguese colony of Fayal in the Azores. It involved the ship, the General Armstrong, an American brig built for privateering. Again, not an easy clue, but a quick Google search of “Fayal” will lead you here. Speaking of clues not being easy ...

This is a reference to the veterans marker at Fayal Pond — a salute to the free and the brave. The word “salute” is inscribed on the memorial stone. An American flag is also at the site. We are hoping we have not given too much away here and that this clue could mislead some people to the Iron Range Veterans Memorial in Virginia, especially the word “tall,” as the statue at the veterans memorial park is called, “Shoulder to Shoulder: Even the Fallen Stand Tall.” In this case, “tall” is simply modifying “salute” and may also be considered a reference to the flag pole. This clue did, in fact, lead people to the memorial in Virginia.

Clues, however, even this one, are not meant to be easy, and had the medallion been placed at the Virginia memorial, this clue would have been much too easy. And if you are really “shrewd,” you may have also conjectured the “open arms” from the previous clue meant the open arms/wings of the eagle statue at the Virginia location. No so, however. Remember, we warned you in the previous clue that some parts of the clues may be nonsensical.

The words “Fayal Pond” and “Eveleth” can be formed using words in THE LAST TWO LINES of the clue. “Alas” sounds like “the last.” In hockey, a two-line pass crosses the red and the blue lines. The “do not pass” refers to the two-line pass hockey term. So put this together and you should pay attention to the last two lines of the clue.

Also, the U.S. Department of Treasury mints paper money, which consists of tiny red and blue fibers. The prize is worth $500 “in the red and blue.” Furthermore, “capital P” refers to the uppercase “P” in Fayal Pond. Technically, also, the medallion is not terribly far from the flag, also symbolized by the red and the blue.

Another difficult clue, but there are easier ones to come. And, may it be noted, Michelle Larson did figure out that “Fayal Pond” could be formed from the words in this clue!

Fayal Pond is located near Highway 53, as well as the Mesabi Trail and the Genoa OHV trail. License “plates” may be found on cars traveling the highway, or on off-road vehicles, such as “four wheel”-ers. The Mesabi Trail is frequented by cyclists — “share the road” is a cycling motto. Also the words “care” and “share” are part of the Order of Elks motto: “Elks ‘care’ and Elks ‘share.’” The Elks’ veterans marker is located at Fayal Pond.

The Elks veterans memorial marker at Fayal Pond contains an inscription of the Order of Elks four principles, which include those of “brotherly love” and “justice.” The word “fail” is simply another spelling of “Fayal.” And the word “ponder” is a play on the word, “pond.” This clue aims to get you to Fayal Pond, where an old car is placed each year to see when it will go though the ice. The “Thin Ice Contest,” sponsored by the Eveleth-Gilbert Band Boosters, is an annual fundraiser for the E-G Music Department and is held in conjunction with the E-G Automotive Tech Department. Also, as a stretch, the word “rock” in this clue could be a reference to the rock played in curling — The Curl Mesabi Curling Club is located nearby.

This clue — had the medallion not been already found — would have led treasure hunters to the medallion, which was hidden under the arched walking bridge at Fayal Pond. It was placed inside the second steel beam at one end of the bridge — about 15 inches in. The hockey puck was clearly marked as the Prize Medallion and contained directions on how to claim the prize at the MDN office.