WUORI TOWNSHIP — Kari Seaman said she felt a bit like she was on the reality show “Survivor” when — flashlight in hand — she uncovered the Mesabi Daily News’ Prize Medallion Saturday morning at the Laurentian Divide recreation area.
It was kind of like finding the “hidden immunity” idol, she said Monday afternoon at the MDN office, where she presented the specially printed hockey puck Medallion in return for the prize — a $500 gift card. “I slipped it in my pocket and moved out. ... It’s very exciting.”
And Seaman plans to “spread the cheer” by sharing her winnings with others.
Although she had been looking at the clues each day, Seaman said she was only 100 percent sure the Medallion was located at the Laurentian Divide after reading Clue 11 in Saturday’s paper.
The clue made a reference to the Laurentian Divide Salon and Spa on Chestnut Street in Virginia. It also mentioned “obstacles” and “hurdles,” leading Seaman to guess the Medallion was somewhere near one of the obstacles along the Fitness Loop near the start of the trail system at the Divide, located four miles from Virginia along Highway 53.
So Seaman, of Britt, arrived there about 7 a.m.
It was still dark and the temperatures were below zero, she noted. But she was not alone.
“There were people digging around. People were speculating where it was. One young man went running by me,” said Seaman, who figures he was “after where he thought (the Medallion) was.”
It appeared as though others had also been searching previously in the area, she said. “One couple said they had been there a couple hours the day before.”
Within 20 to 30 minutes of arriving at the rec area, Seaman had found the Medallion.
Seaman, who works as a paraprofessional with the Parkview Learning Center’s kindergarten, said she visits her mom on Saturday mornings to bring her breakfast and help with medication. Seaman called one of her sisters to consider how long she had to search.
Initially, she went to the “hurdles” obstacle. “I dug around a little bit” before moving to the next station, the “vault,” which contains two wooden fitness vaults.
“I was looking for things that were distinct” and crevices where a Medallion could be placed, Seaman said.
When she spotted a tree — just a stone’s throw from one of the vaults — with four conjoining trunks, she thought that might be a good hiding place and took a look. “I saw some color.” Sure enough, tucked inside was the Medallion.
“I called my sister and said, ‘I think I found the Medallion,’” Seaman recalled. “You don’t think you’re going to find it.”
Seaman did not have the advantage of reading the 12th and final clue, which ran in Sunday’s paper and specifically alluded to a tree in which the number four was significant.
Seaman said she drove by the newspaper office Saturday morning, but because it was closed she decided to wait until after work on Monday to redeem the Medallion.
With no one knowing the Medallion had been officially found, the Laurentian Divide was a busy place on Sunday.
Around 10 a.m., the parking lot was full and people of all ages, including older adults and small kids, were out looking. Temperatures were nearing 30 and one person was even wearing shorts.
As pursuers of the Medallion passed each other, some talked about the treasure hunt. A few even offered up ideas about where it would or could have been found.
It was clear many others had also narrowed in on the correct tree, based on the many footprints in the snow around it. There were footprints leading to and encircling several other trees in the area as well.
And Seaman was not the only one who, during the Medallion hunt, had a flashlight in tow. At about 11 p.m. Saturday there were people near the parking lot searching with flashlights as well.
Looking back on the clues, Seaman said she can see hints “in there.” While the fourth annual MDN Prize Medallion Hunt winner had read clues during past years, this is the first time she went out searching. “This time I knew where to go,” she said, calling the whole thing an “adventure.”
“It’s a neat thing,” especially at what can be “a tough time of the year” financially for many, she added.
Now that she has the prize, Seaman said she plans to “spread it around.”
She will share the winnings with her two kids who are in college, and provide some funds to “a lady I know who is raising her four grandsons.”
Seaman said she still has Christmas shopping to do, so she will “keep a little for me and let others enjoy it, too.”
o
Here is a breakdown of the 12 daily clues:
CLUE ONE
The medallion hunt, now in year four
Santa is again seeking help with this chore
Of finding the $500 prize following 12 days of clues
We bode you well, prize seekers; may you win, not lose
The first clue sets up the basics of the Medallion hunt, but there are hints within. Line 1, “four” — the hunt is, indeed, in Year Four, but the number is significant for a few reasons, and it will be repeated in upcoming clues. Not only is the Laurentian Divide commonly noted as being 4 miles from Virginia, but also the Medallion is hidden in the middle of a tree with four trunks growing together.
The clues in the Medallion hunt are cumulative, and it pays to not only observe each one individually, but to return to previous clues as you go. Of course, the clue writers cannot give away too much in the very first one. But Line 4 also has a hint — “bode” and “win, not lose” taken together refers to alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller. Not only does the Laurentian Divide recreation area have 15 miles of cross-country ski trails, but its history includes that as a downhill ski hill. The Lookout Mountain ski area, which opened in 1958, was complete with a lodge and chair lift.
Oh, and you could also say that while trying to figure out these clues can be a bit of a “chore” of its own — a fun one, that is — climbing Lookout Mountain can be a bit of one, too — yes, a fun one, also. However, there was no hiking involved in finding the Medallion, just a short little jaunt down a trail into the woods.
o
CLUE TWO
Somewhere in this great northern land
The prize awaits those who of these complex clues, understand
Keeping two eyes on all of these leads
Will pave the way for the one who succeeds
Line 1 — The Laurentian Divide is also known as the Northern Divide. It is one of the continental divides that also includes the Great Divide. This line could also refer to the nearby train tracks, as in the Great Northern Railway.
Line 2 — The very old rock located at the Laurentian Divide includes crisscrossing bodies of darker and lighter granite caused by several successive intrusions of molten rock. A marker at the site states: “Because of the complexity of the rock, this site is known as ‘Confusion Hill’ to local geologists.”
Line 3 is a subtle reference to keeping a “lookout.” And Line 4 is a reference to the ski trails at the rec area. The 24 km of trails are open to classic skiing and are mostly user-groomed and maintained, thus skiers “pave the way” for others.
o
CLUE THREE
It is not small, this endeavor
But narrowing down the prize site will not take forever
The easiest part is still ahead
Be careful in this challenge not to be misled
Line 1, “it is not small,” thus it is large or giant. The Divide is part of the Giants Range, which is made up of several types of granite that formed several kilometers deep in the Earth’s crust about 2.7 billion years ago. Line 2, “narrowing down” and “not take forever” is a reference to skiing downhill. Line 3, “the easiest part” — the Medallion, located along the Fitness Loop, is marked as an easier section of the trails at the rec area. It is also not far from the trailhead.
Line 4, the Divide’s trail system is challenging.
Putting the lines together, it’s possible to think the Medallion could be located at Giants Ridge Ski Resort, where, by the way, the Pepsi Challenge cross-country ski race is held; and one should not be misled.
o
CLUE FOUR
Day Four it is; one-third of the way through
Noteworthy spaces are found in this clue
Time passes on, it parts, as do the seasons
Alas, there are a number of reasons
Line 1, there’s the “four” again. Line 2, the “noteworthy spaces” refers to the numbers in the clue, as Line 4 also hints at; “spaces,” as in both a location and an interval of time. (See Clue One for the explanation of “four”). Additionally, the one and three in one-third stands for 13 — Dec. 13, 1958, is the day the ski hill at Lookout Mountain opened for business.
Line 3 — “passes,” a subtle reference to a ski pass; “it parts” is a reference to the phenomenon whereby the watershed at the Laurentian Divide parts two different ways. In this line, also, the reference to the seasons is not only another indication of the number “four,” but also the Divide is open all four seasons. Additionally, time has passed and Lookout Mountain has changed so much from the days when skiers took a chair lift to the top of the hill — its past has parted.
o
CLUE FIVE
So little snowfall for December
This is not the type of northern weather
That Santa would prefer when landing in this domain
He’s afraid the season won’t be the same
Overall, this clue alludes to the atypical winter weather this month that, with so little snowfall, is not particularly conducive to skiing of any sort. Line 2 again references “northern,” as in the Northern Divide. Additionally, a ski hill should be on a north side of a mountain. The group of businessmen who launched the Lookout Mountain ski area initially started developing the wrong side of the hill.
Line 3 — “landing” is a subtle ski term. And, “this domain” is a reference to a territory over which rule is exercised by royalty — like a king ... king of the hill ... Lookout Mountain is a hill.
o
CLUE SIX
They came from near and far, those years ago
A December day out in the snow
Looking for riches and things to do
Everything was so brand new
This clue ran in the Dec. 13 paper. It is a reference to that day in history — Dec. 13, 1958 — when the Lookout Mountain ski area opened. People came from near and far to check out the brand new ski hill, which was the brainchild of a group of local businessmen who were seeking financial gain, as well as offering families a place for outdoor recreation. “Looking” in Line 4 is also a reference to Lookout Mountain.
o
CLUE SEVEN
A Goliath-sized adventure, don’t be thrown for a loop
Pay close attention and you won’t be duped
The confusion is great, but don’t be blue
You will be challenged, but you will make it through
Line 1, “Goliath-sized” is again a reference to “giant,” as in Giant’s Range, and, of course, the large size of the hill; “adventure” subtly references the adventures to be had at the Divide; “don’t be thrown for a loop” once more means make sure you are looking at the correct “ski hill.” And, “loop,” specifically — the Medallion is located along the Fitness Loop at the Laurentian Divide rec area.
Line 3, “the confusion is great” refers to the noted complexity of the rock at the site, which is known as “Confusion Hill” to local geologists. “Blue” references the blue diamond that marks the difficult trails at the Divide. So, “don’t be blue” means don’t go as far as the difficult trails when pursing the Medallion.
o
CLUE EIGHT
If you’re searching every lonely place
Every corner, double the pace
Deciphering the arithmetic is the trick
On that note, touché: This ain’t no picnic
It may be a boy band, but the group One Direction tends to appeal to a large range of ages, and if you are familiar with any of the ensemble’s songs, or if you Googled the first line of the clue, you would know that the first line and a half is from one of the band’s songs. “Double the pace” and “deciphering the arithmetic” simply means to double that “one direction” — the Laurentian Divide is where the watershed flows in two directions. Tricky, huh?
Line 4 — “on that note” gives a hint that the clue is about a song/music. “This ain’t no picnic” — clue writers are acknowledging that these clues are not easy, and this is also a hint that when you figure out the Medallion is at the Laurentian Divide, it is not by the picnic tables.
o
CLUE NINE
The medallion is still out there, Santa may be worried
But piecing together clues just can’t be hurried
A drill for your mind, to keep it sharp
Increasing in effort is a good place to start
Line 1, “worried” — the Laurentian Divide rec area is technically located in Wuori Township.
Line 3 — figuring out these clues is a drill, or a workout, for your mind and the prize is located along the Fitness Loop. Line 4 — Not only is the loop at the very start of the trail system, but there is also a sign nearby encouraging visitors to take a few minutes to warm up before moving to more “vigorous calisthenics.”
o
CLUE 10
Are you looking in the right direction, eh?
Ahead you will see an intersection
If you are divided on which way to go
Take it easy, stay strong and go with the flow
Line 1, “looking” equals Lookout; “direction,” again, the two directions; “eh?” is a Canadian reference. According to a maker at the Divide: “The name ‘Laurentian’ is used because the granites forming the ridge are similar to, and were once thought to be related to, granites of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. Although this connection is no longer made, the name has remained.”
Line 2, “divided” equals the Laurentian Divide; “which way to go” — there are several paths converging near the Medallion’s hiding spot. “Intersection” both applies to the fork in the pathways and to the Divide’s location not far from the Highways 53 and 169 junction.
Line 3, “take it easy,” again a reference to the easy trail; “stay strong” alludes to the fitness obstacles on the loop; and “go with the flow” refers to how the Laurentian Divide separates the watershed of streams that flow north to the Arctic Ocean from the watershed of streams that flow southeast through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
o
CLUE 11
It’s namesake on Chestnut Street
Is a pampering place; but here in the winter you should stay on your feet
There are still obstacles and hurdles to overcome
This mountainous search will be won when you narrow it down to one
Lines 1 and 2 — refers to the Laurentian Divide Salon and Spa in downtown Virginia, which, of course, shares its name with the Medallion’s location. While you may be sitting or reclining at the spa, the Laurentian Divide rec area is a more physically active place.
These two lines are what made Seaman sure the Medallion was at the rec area.
Line 3 — the Medallion is hiding along one of the Fitness Loop’s obstacles. While it is not exactly by the hurdles, it is not far from the hurdles sign, and based on Line 4, Medallion seekers must narrow their search down to one of the obstacles. Additionally, “mountainous” equals Lookout Mountain.
o
CLUE 12
Kudos for taking the leap on this medallion hunt, for following the clues
One winning vault to go and you will be in the news
In this place famous for water traveling two different ways
Look for a tree where that number is doubled; and you will solve the maze
Lines 1 and 2, “leap” and “vault” — this is to get pursuers of the Medallion to the vault obstacle. The tree shielding the Medallion is but a stone’s throw away from the vaults.
Line 3 — this is meant as the most obvious hint to the Laurentian Divide.
Line 4, “number is doubled” refers back to Line 3’s reference to the number two. The Medallion is hidden in the middle of a tree with four converging trunks.
Although Seaman had already found the Medallion the previous day, she had not notified the newspaper yet and this clue ran in Sunday’s paper.
It was clearly evident Sunday morning by footprints in the snow that many people had also found the correct tree — just a little too late to claim the prize.
Copyright 2015 Mesabi Daily News
