Spike finders are golden

Karin Linde and Ryan Hillmann are the winners of the 2013 Hunt for the Golden Spike. — Photo by Deb Barnes


HUGO — Karin Linde of Hugo has put some real sweat equity into finding the Golden Spike. The 2013 winner of the Hunt for the Golden Spike has looked every year since she moved to Hugo: last year she got poison ivy searching in Clearwater Creek Preserve and got into a nettle patch to boot.

Nonetheless, the resident of the Heritage Ponds neighborhood was undeterred; after the first three clues were published May 30, she began searching Hugo’s parks after work with the help of her boyfriend, Ryan Hillmann, of Cannon Falls.

The first clue posted Thursday, June 6 (“A snag when hunting hidden treasure”) and the next one that evening (“So will this park, long in the making”) both suggested a search of Oak Shore Park, she said. Explaining, Linde said the word “snag” led the pair to think of trees and water (Oak Shore Park is located near Bald Eagle Lake). She also learned from a Web search that the park was established years ago (“long in the making”) as a private park before becoming a city park in 2008.

 
 

Linde found Spike hiding above eye level Thursday night, wired to chunk of tree bark. Analytical by nature — she used to fix computers and is now employed by a bank — Linde’s detailed study of the clues seems to have elevated the Spike hunt to a new level (that means it’s going to be tougher next year).

The Citizen did not call off the search until the find could be verified Friday morning; a number of callers to the Spike Hotline that day were disappointed that the hunt ended so soon. “Can’t you go out and hide another one?” several hunters asked.

The request to prolong the hunt after Spike is found is an interesting idea; usually, Spike isn’t found until Saturday or Sunday of Good Neighbor Days weekend. We’re always open to suggestions from readers: email citizen@presspubs.com.

A big thanks goes to Wild Wings of Oneka Hunt Club and Sporting Clays in Hugo for its sponsorship of the Hunt for the Golden Spike this year.

— Deb Barnes

Copyright 2013 Hugo Citizen.