2016 Coldest's Lost Treasure Hunt

“Open book” is a reference to the symbol on the Como Outdoor Woodland Classroom sign that depicts a person holding open a book. The words “outdoors” and “education” are hints at Como’s Outdoor Classroom. The word “test” is also a hint to the outdoor classroom and the overall theme.

“Higher education” is a hint at Hamline Ave. that borders the Outdoor Classroom. “Trails” is a hint that multiple trails could lead one to the treasure. “Lower and upper” is a hint that nearby the treasure there is a high trail and a low trail.

This is basically a golf clue. “Coming over the top”, “dynamic balance”, “fried egg”, and “chicken wing” are all golf terms. Como Park has a golf course. More specifically “coming over the top” and “chicken wing” are both errors in ones swing, while a fried egg is when your ball gets stuck in a bunker is resembles an egg. So one could very well receive a fried egg from a chicken wing.

“Cache” hints that the medallion is hidden inside something. The Treasure Medallion was hidden along one of Como’s multi-purpose trails that all have arrows directing people in different directions. There was a big stone at marker #19 and a concrete slab near the Medallion. Also line #4 was pulled directly from the very first Winter Carnival treasure hunt at Como, when they hid the medallion very close to the Kilmer fireplace. If one knew their treasure history they could have been very near the medallion as it was not far from the fireplace.

The poet was Joyce Kilmer, The two memorials dedicated to Kilmer are near the treasure site. “Relax”, “repose”, and “peace” were all meant to hint at a very peaceful area as is the Woodland Classroom. “Listen to how my rhythm goes” translates to “oye COMO va mi ritmo” which is a song made by Tito Puente. An easy quick Google search of line 4 would have yielded this info.

The precious jewel is Como Park. As it is the “Gem” of Saint Paul if not the whole Twin Cities. The medallion was strategically placed between marker #23 & #24. Como Park shares it’s name with the high, junior, and elementary schools.

This clue is a hint that the park has a newer pool and a old pool and that the medallion is near one of them. Como has the newer pool and the old Kilmer pool/cascades. The Treasure Medallion was near the old Kilmer pool.

This whole clue hints at the old book Joyce Kilmer made famous named “Circus”. It is part of the Forgotten Book series. Executing a Google search of key words could have yielded the answer. The medallion was hidden in the woods between the Kilmer pool and fireplace.

The nearby garden has a water tank that says “capacity 1000 gallons”. The clue also straight out tells you the treasure is hidden in the woods. “Only the Lord can create a tree” is a lyric from the poem “Trees!” written by Joyce Kilmer. The Treasure Medallion was hidden between two fallen trees.

“Who hears a who?” is obviously taken straight from the epic Winter Carnival hunt of 2003 when they pulled a switch on hunters from Harriet to Como. “Being tardy to class” is a hint at the Outdoor Classroom. The “spotter” was a stump with an eye spray painted on it just south of the trolley bridge. The eye is looking into the woods and almost directly at the treasure.

Trees! Is the poem by Joyce Kilmer. The medallion was hidden between the two dedicated monuments of Kilmer. The treasure was hidden just south of the Harriet-Como old trolley line that ran for 56 years. In the woods south of the bridge, the treasure was placed between posts #24(KOBE) & #23(JORDAN). The clues also tells you to be mindful of the poem Trees! As the treasure was hidden between two fallen trees near the Kilmer memorials.