2013 White Bear Lake Manitou Days Treasure Hunt

This clue welcomed searchers to the 2013 hunt. The second stanza set a nautical theme for the hunt as the medallion was hidden near White Bear Lake. It also mentions “watery stills,” a subtle reference to nearby Stillwater Avenue.

Many trees can be found at Rutherford Park. Older trees are found near the old shoreline and saplings are seen where the waters have receded. “Those of smaller size” hinted that hunters should look among the younger saplings with smaller/fewer rings. “Laughing kids” and “whiff of sunscreen,” referred to the playground and outdoor activities at Ramsey County Beach, visible from the spot. Nearer yet is the Community Beach (private), which was once called “Tag” Beach. The “unpaved trail” is that which runs through the sand near the treasure’s location.

“Mode of journey” and “days of yore” pointed to the old rail tracks that used to pass through Rutherford Park (a clearing in the trees can still be seen). Grand is slang for “one
thousand” – Grand Avenue was just northwest of Rutherford Park. A lonely park bench (“manufactured logs”) is one of the only landmarks in the park. The first stanza ends by
limiting the scope of the hunt to School District 624 (White Bear Lake). In the second stanza, “high power” referred to the high voltage power lines seen on the southern horizon. Many, many grasshoppers reside in the sandy portion of the park (“count the bugs”). The lake is a relief for those feeling toasty from the summer
weather.

The first stanza hinted at objects that could be found just north (“above”) the site of the medallion. “Courtly love” spoke of the tennis courts a few blocks north at Longville Park. “First” and “Park” gave the intersection of the tennis court. The “online directory” in question is the White Bear Township website, which doesn’t list Rutherford as one of its parks. The “certain ID” would be 96, assigned to the highway bordering the park. The number six, in “imaging” terms, is a “reverse” of the number nine.

The first stanza holds a helpful anagram. The first word of each line (“betcha,” “duh,” “err,” and “for”) all spell out “Rutherford Beach,” the home of this year’s hunt. “Optimistic” subtly pointed at nearly Memorial Beach – formerly named Optimist’s Beach – seen to the southwest. “Thule” is a Danish word for a legendary region of the north. The medallion was hidden on the very northern tip of White Bear Lake. The “objects of brown” are White Bear Township street signs. Northwest Street is tipped off in lines two and three – with reference to the Pacific Northwest; Washington is the Evergreen State, Oregon is the Beaver State and both host many Bigfoot claims.

Know your history of Rutherford B. Hayes? “Bitter fight” highlighted the tumultuous 1876 election where Hayes lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote. He traveled to Washington from his home in Ohio, named Spiegel Grove (“northern grove”). Contrary to the norm, he took the Oath of Office in the Red Room of the White House. His wife, Lucy, was popularly nicknamed “Lemonade Lucy” for her strong support of the temperance movement.

From the medallion’s hiding spot one could see the Manitou Bridge (“iconic span”). The clue warns not to go onto the island. “Launch” pointed to another feature at the visible Matoska Park, its boat ramp. The second stanza spoke of sailing. “Drifting triangles” referred to sails. “Clew and foot” are sailing terms. The band Styx (“musical sticks”) sang the song “Come Sail Away” which repeated the line “try to carry on.” If “musical sticks” alone couldn’t get you the band, the line “show you the way” also revealed another of the 80’s hits. It also hinted at the large stick in which we hid the medallion.

The “governor” would be Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of the state and name of the nearby Ramsey County Beach. With Clue #7 pointing primarily at Matoska Park, this brought you closer to Rutherford Beach. The clue says to go beyond Alexander Ramsey as Ramsey was part of the Hayes Administration from 1879-­‐1881 when he served as US Secretary of War. The last stanza pointed to a very unique feature of Rutherford Park: it is one of the few places on the lake that affords views of all of the other cities on the lake: Dellwood, Mahtomedi, Birchwood Village and White Bear Lake.

The first stanza points to some features seen at the entrance to Rutherford Park: the park sign, gate and sign with the image of the state of Minnesota. The last stanza put the medallion in a very small public space.

Final directions to the 2013 Manitou Days Medallion.