CLUE EXPLANATIONS
TRAILER
The trailer is intended to confirm this hunt's Back To The Future-inspired theme and timeline, and suggests hunters should familiarize themselves with details and plot points relating to the movie(s).
The trailer opens with a shot of Marty's skateboard rolling until it bumps against 'Doc' Emmet Brown's pilfered case of plutonium (the case is shown again at 1:07-1:10); this served as inspiration for this hunt's prize container: a miniature version of the yellow flight crate, replete with "RADIOACTIVE" sticker (Please note: the prize is not actually radioactive). The key to unlock the prize case was hidden along with the jewel.
From 1:15-1:26, Marty is shown hitching a ride on the back of a Jeep driven by Back To The Future stunt coordinator (and apparent Mountain Dew aficionado) Walter Scott; this easter egg is intended to suggest the jewel would be hidden somewhere in Scott County. Of course, anyone possessing even a passing familiarity with Back To The Future, and Doc's frequently uttered catchphrase, "Great Scott!," was probably onto the idea from the get-go; indeed, the jewel was hidden in Scott County—at Savage's Hidden Valley Park.
INTRODUCTION (October 26, 1985 — 9:00AM)
The hunt's introduction was published on "October 26, 1985 — 1:35AM"—which is the precise moment Marty McFly goes back in time to 1955. The remaining clues were published to coincide with Marty's time spent in 1955—November 5-12 in Part I and November 12-16 in Part II & III.
The first letters of each line in the introduction—L, E, D, A, R, E, O, S—anagram to "Rosedale." This is meant to suggest searching for the first bonus prize—the "OUTATIME" license plate from Part I—at Rosedale Center, in Roseville (our stand-in for Hill Valley's "Twin Pines/Lone Pine Mall"). This is also meant to suggest this hunt's longshot: When anagrammed, the first letters of the names of the hunt's 16 bonus prize locations spell the name of the park in which the jewel was hidden.
"Local historians" is meant to suggest that some clues in this hunt will rely on interpreting the history of the Twin Cities metro.
"DeLoreans" anagrams to "Rosedale N," and is meant to suggest searching the northern parking lots of Rosedale Center for the first bonus prize.
"Explore the counties to claim our bounties" is meant to foreshadow a component to this hunt's format: an outwardly spiraling, station-to-station quest for bonus prizes that sent hunters through all seven counties of the hunt's search area.
"crack the mystery case!" is meant to suggest both the puzzle(s) at the core of this hunt, but also its grand prize: a one-of-a-kind, Back To The Future-themed loot box.
"Don't forget to follow us on social media" is meant to suggest hunters be on the lookout for hints, easter eggs, and, in particular, three bonus clues, posted after the introduction and before the first clue, throughout TC Treasure's social media pages.
"when in doubt, just look it up on Futurepedia" is meant to suggest hunters familiarize themselves with the primary online source for information on Back To The Future.
"Race against time to the scene of the crime, in the wee hours of the morning" is meant to suggest hunters find a local location with parallels to Hill Valley's Twin Pines Mall, where Doc Brown is gunned down by terrorists around 1:30am on October 26, 1985.
"Examine the signs by a pair of pines, and heed their wintry warning" is meant to suggest searching near a wooden stairwell, next to a pair of pine trees in the northern lot of Rosedale Center; the stairs are marked with two signs—one at the the top and one at the bottom—reading "WARNING: STEPS SLIPPERY IN WINTER." The first bonus prize was hidden at the base of the pine tree nearer the stairs.
"One of many, a lucky penny marks the first steps to the stone" is meant to suggest searching near the stairwell—which connects an upper and lower parking lot for JCPenney, and is located just across the street from Lucky's 13 Pub.
"accelerate to eight-eight" is meant to reinforce the parallel with the Twin Pines Mall parking lot, while of course referencing an important piece of exposition from the movies (it's the speed at which time travel occurs in the DeLorean), but this could also be taken to suggest hunters take Interstate 35E to its local terminus at exit 88 in Burnsville, then head "into the great unknown" (see below), bringing them across the county line to Savage.
"into the great unknown" is meant to suggest hunters search for the jewel in Scott County, as Sir Walter Scott was often referred to as "The Great Unknown." The Scottish novelist—famous for such works as "The Lady Of The Lake" and Ivanhoe—is a primary contender for namesake to Doc's minced oath, "Great Scott!"
The intro bonus prize was found by Pat & Ang Moriarty, of Cottage Grove, on November 5—ten days after the intro was published.
BONUS CLUE #1
The first bonus clue was published exclusively on Facebook on "October 29, 1985," and featured a photo of a replica of George McFly's first novel A Match Made In Space(the bonus prize for the clue) in front of the Little Free Library at Alden Square Park in Saint Paul (the hiding spot). This was meant to suggest that the storyline in play takes place sometime after the events of Part I—as it is only after Marty gives his teenage father the sage advice "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything" that George gains the confidence to become an accomplished sci-fi author.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Josh Ellingson, of Apple Valley, on October 29—just over an hour after the clue was published.
BONUS CLUE #2
The second bonus clue was published on Halloween, on Facebook (backdated to "October 31, 1985"), Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit, and featured a photo of a watch set to 2:00 and the bonus prize for this clue: Marty McFly's "Art In Revolution" button (The photo also features a sneak peek of the prize crate in the background).
The clue tells hunters to "Call the Time Travelers' Hotline ... between 1:00 and 1:00." In reality, the TC Treasure Hotline was set to play a temporary secret message in the final hour of daylight savings time (1:00-2:00am) on November 1; hunters who called would hear a brief greeting, then the sound of the word "LOWRY" spelled out three times in morse code. Anyone who called the hotline during the hour was sent a photo of a tree in Lowry Park—through the branches of which the hiding spot for this clue's bonus prize could be seen. The photo was also later reposted on Twitter for "#FallBack #Flashback #FridayThe13th."
In a fitting turn, as a result of the switch back to standard time, this clue's bonus prize was found by eventual jewel co-finder Craig Heinen, of Richfield, in the early morning November 1, at roughly the "same moment" he and his teammates solved the clue—albeit one hour later.
BONUS CLUE #3
The third bonus clue was published on Election Day (with hints published at noon the day before) on Facebook (backdated to "November 3, 1985"), Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit—and featured photos of a Mayor "Goldie" Wilson reelection campaign button and campaign poster (with a sneak peek of the prize crate in the background) and a landscape view from an unnamed park with the campaign poster taped to a light pole. The clue included a link to a fake campaign website with a form leading to a map of the visitor's Hill Valley "polling place": Deming Heights Park in Minneapolis—where the campaign poster confirmed hunters were in the right place, and the campaign button bonus prize was hidden inside an "elf door" at the base of a tree just off the trail near the northern edge of the park.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Josh Ellingson, and his one-year-old son Ben, on November 3—just over an hour after the clue was published.
CLUE #1 (November 5, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"In this edition" and "sci-fi tale" are meant to suggest the bonus prize for this clue: a copy of "Tales From Space"—the comic book to which Old Man Peabody compares the DeLorean on Marty's arrival in 1955. The comic was hidden at Ingerson Park in Arden Hills.
"seize the day" is meant to suggest hunters move quickly, searching for a bonus prize at a different location every day of the hunt—with each individual clue not only narrowing down the jewel's location, but also acting as a "standalone" mini-hunt leading to a bonus prize. It is also meant to suggest hunters identify the 65 year gap between the clues' timestamps and their actual publication dates—and search for potential parallels between the hunt's timeline and that of Marty trapped in 1955; these appeared primarily as easter eggs on social media, while also being reflected in the bonus prizes themselves.
"temporal quest" is meant to reinforce the idea of time travel, or, more specifically: time and travel, with both playing pivotal roles in any treasure hunt—but particularly so with this one.
"From Peabody's farm—away from harm—to a lovely, quiet dale" is meant to suggest leaving Rosedale Center (or Twin Pines Mall/Ranch) to find the fifth bonus prize. It is also meant to suggest searching in Hidden Valley Park, far from the dilapidated barn near its primary entrance, down in the park's namesake valley along the Credit River. "dale" is additionally meant to suggest "Glendale," which is the name on a road, lane, and trail near the park's primary entrance, and the historical name for the township surrounding Hidden Valley Park and Savage, Minnesota (which was formerly known as Hamilton).
"Head for the hills, where nature thrills" and "slide down the slope on your sledge" are meant to suggest searching in a park with rolling topography and a hill commonly used for sledding—for the first clue bonus prize at Arden Hills' Ingerson Park; for the jewel at Hidden Valley Park.
"the waterless lake" is meant to suggest both the Lake Lane cul-de-sac that abuts Ingerson Park, and the large, recently repaved parking lot, surrounded on three sides by rainwater drainage gardens, at Hidden Valley.
"look for the prize just off the water's edge" is meant to suggest searching for the first clue bonus prize in the southern part of Ingerson Park, nearest Edgewater Avenue, and for the jewel on the Credit River's western bank at Hidden Valley.
With the publication of the first clue, undiscovered bonus prizes were symbolized on the TC Treasure homepage with a small Flux Capacitor icon next to the title of each clue (bonus clues notwithstanding); the icon would begin slowly fading in 88 seconds after the page loaded. Once the clue's bonus prize was claimed, the icon switched to a simple (non-fading) checkmark—denoting the fact that clue's bonus prize had been found.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Dan & Julie Schonhardt, of Eagan, and Josh Ellingson, of Apple Valley, on November 8—three days after the clue was published.
CLUE #2 (November 6, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"From the Forest of Arden to a quiet garden" is meant to direct hunters to a park with a garden by a serene, wooded area with lots of natural growth. In the case of this clue's bonus prize, this leads hunters away from Ingerson Park in Arden Hills to a forested area behind the Changsha Friendship Garden of Whispering Willows and Flowing Waters, just on the Maplewood side of the imaginary border running through Phalen Park. In the case of the jewel, it's simply a reference to two of Hidden Valley Park's features: a deeply forested set of hiking trails along the Credit River and a handful of gardens surrounding the parking lot.
"follow the beck (and call)" is meant to suggest searching along a stream: The bonus prize was hidden near Phalen Channel, which surrounds a small island in Phalen Park, and connects Lake Phalen to Round and Keller Lakes, while the jewel was hidden on the west bank of the Credit River in Hidden Valley Park, to the south of McColl Drive.
"Ease on down to the east end of town" references a plot point from Part I; it is meant to suggest Phalen Park's location on the east side of Saint Paul, and Hidden Valley's location on the east side of Savage.
"up, around the wall" is meant to suggest the area near the Hmong Heritage Wall at Changsha Friendship Garden in Phalen Park—and the bonus prize's hiding spot behind it, to the southeast of Round Lake. It is also meant to suggest navigating around a massive wall of fallen trees, broken branches, undergrowth, and bramble just south of the jewel's hiding spot.
"impanel the proper channel" is meant to suggest the large panel on the Hmong Heritage Wall, and the Phalen Channel waterway. It is also meant to suggest hunters find the proper pathway to the prize in both Phalen Park and Hidden Valley, and is intended as a reference to the Credit River in the case of the jewel's hiding spot adjacent to it. "impanel" is also a reference to the clue's bonus prize: a replica of the "Hidden Valley - 2 miles" sign from Part I.
"A quick-and-dirty twenty to thirty paces ought to do it" is meant to suggest walking off approximately 25 paces to the bonus prize from the Hmong Heritage Wall and to the jewel from the edge of the Credit River.
"paces" is meant to suggest searching for the jewel in Savage; the town is named in honor of Marion Savage, owner of world-renowned racehorse Dan Patch—a pacer.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Dan Schonhardt and Josh Ellingson (w/ Ben) on November 11—five days after the clue was published.
CLUE #3 (November 7, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"This clue will deliver you west of the river" is meant to direct hunters to an area west of the Mississippi River for the bonus prize and an area west of the Credit River to find the jewel.
"a spot both serene and hellish" is meant to suggest both the peaceful splendor of Harriet Island (which formerly went by the name of "Devil's Island"), and an area rife with fallen trees in the diabolical woods of the otherwise bucolic Hidden Valley Park.
"Flip a coin near where paths join—with zeal and radiant relish" is meant to suggest the bonus prize for this clue—the first of three limited edition Back To The Futurecoins—and its location at the base of a tree near where two paths conjoin, on the west end of Harriet Island; "radiant relish" anagrams to "Harriet Island" (while "zeal" is a coy reference to the Pioneer Press' 2018 Harriet Island hunt). This line is also meant to hint at the contents of the hunt's mystery loot box—which includes a pair of limited edition fine silver proof coins commemorating the 35th anniversary of Back To The Future—and point at the jewel's location off a split in the wooded paths of Hidden Valley Park.
"Make your way 'round the small playground, and head toward the woods at once" is meant to suggest a route from the parking lot to the hiding spot—of both the bonus prize at Harriet Island and the jewel at Hidden Valley.
"As you scout, be sure to look out for trees with multiple trunks" is meant to suggest searching at the base of a large, multiple-trunk tree for the bonus prize. At Hidden Valley, this is meant to suggest searching down a trail past an educational placard titled "Trees with Multiple Trunks;" the placards throughout the park were researched and placed as a part of a 2015 Eagle Scout project by Robert Martz (Boy Scout Troop 446).
This clue's bonus prize was found by Jason Michaelson, of Apple Valley, Jana Armstead, of Inver Grove Heights, and Alex Valen, of Minneapolis, on November 8—the day after the clue was published.
CLUE #4 (November 8, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"From devil's domain to an open plain, where the cold northwest winds blow" is meant to suggest hunters search Keewaydin Field in Minneapolis for the clue's bonus prize ("Keewaydin" is an Ojibwe word meaning "northwest wind") and again leverages the "list of features" technique to suggest Hidden Valley's terrain (which runs the gamut from "serene" to "hellish"), while also hinting at the significance of the park's northwestern corner.
"Make your paces around the bases; hustle to beat the throw! / The roar from the crowd is getting loud—you round and dig for the bag; / Will the umpire's shout be "safe" or "out" as you slide in under the tag?" is meant to suggest searching in an area associated with a baseball field: The clue's bonus prize—Marty's wallet!—was hidden in a notch in the wooden bleachers behind home plate of Keewaydin's northeast ballfield, while the jewel was hidden at Hidden Valley Park, where until earlier this year a baseball field and backstop sat at the bottom of the park's large sledding hill.
"Make your paces around the bases" is also meant to reinforce this hunt's outwardly spiraling, station-to-station quest through seven counties for bonus prizes, while "paces" and "the roar from the crowd is getting loud" are meant to reinforce searching for the jewel in Savage—a town named for the owner of the once world-famous and crowd-thrilling pacing horse Dan Patch.
"Will the umpire's shout be 'safe' or 'out'" is meant to suggest "call," and in turn McColl Drive, just north of Hidden Valley Park.
"slide in under the tag" is also meant to suggest this hunt's primary MacGuffin: the Flux Capacitor and the DeLorean key were wrapped in brown paper, and marked with the initials "E.L.B."
This clue's bonus prize was found by Dana & Craig Heinen, of Richfield, on November 11—three days after the clue was published.
CLUE #5 (November 9, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"Wrapped in a sack and cached in a crack—this one's a piece of cake" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—a replica of George McFly's copy of "Fantastic Story" magazine—in a crack between two large rocks at Arden Park in Edina (Edinans are often pejoratively referred to as "cake-eaters"); this is reinforced by the letters found at the end of both "Wrapped in a" and "cached in a". Additionally, it is meant to suggest that the jewel was quickly and surreptitiously hidden at the cracked base of a fallen tree—beneath the branches of another, larger fallen tree, on the west bank of the Credit River.
"point your team to the edge of the stream and take a little break / Where waters wend around the bend, flowing between the trees / And wisps o' willow swirl and billow in the lovely autumn breeze" is meant to suggest searching the southern end of Arden Park for an area beneath willow trees near a bench overlooking a bend in Minnehaha Creek; the bonus prize was hidden under willow leaves. This is also meant to suggest an area just south of the jewel's hiding spot in Hidden Valley Park, where a small bog feeds a rivulet that trickles over the wooded trail and into a bend in the Credit River ("Will-o'-the-wisp" is an atmospheric phenomenon most frequently associated with bogs, swamps, and marshes).
"break" is meant to reinforce searching for the jewel amid broken branches and fallen trees.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Ben Fischer, of Saint Paul, on November 12—three days after the clue was published.
CLUE #6 (November 10, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"Descend on a trail and pierce the vale (to coin an appellation)" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—the second of three limited edition Back To The Future coins—along a trail in Edenvale Park in Eden Prairie, and for the jewel along a wooded path in Hidden Valley Park (while also referencing an alternate entrance to the park from a cul-de-sac at the end of 134th Street).
"Near bodies celestial, a landscape bestial awaits your exploration" is meant to suggest the three space-themed roads just east of Edenvale Park—"Sunshine Drive," "Moonlight Lane," and "Stellar Lane"—and includes a cue to hunters that they should look for this clue's bonus prize along the wilder, unpaved portions of the park's hiking trail. It is also meant to suggest searching for the jewel in Savage (which is a synonym for "bestial"), in an area near several churches (Glendale United Methodist, Bridgewood, St. James Lutheran, St. John the Baptist Catholic [and its historical site]) and an old graveyard (St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery).
"Keep your back to the cul-de-sac to reach forbidden fruition" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize away from the cul-de-sac that connects to Edenvale Park from Hillcrest Court, and for the jewel away from the cul-de-sac that connects to Hidden Valley Park from 134th Street.
"Find a bench by the treasured trench 'tween paradise and perdition" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize next to a wooden bench (marked with a placard reading "Marta's Bench") on the trail alongside Purgatory Creek in Edenvale Park, and for the jewel in a limbo of branches and brush on a geological bench along the west bank of the Credit River at Hidden Valley Park.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Ben Fischer, of Saint Paul, on November 10—about six hours after the clue was published.
CLUE #7 (November 11, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"To access the mark, charge into the park—as far as your ride will go" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—a replica of Biff's French smut magazine "Oh Là Là," wrapped in the "Gray's Sports Almanac" dust jacket—near public water access, and the furthest parking lot from the entrance to the park. It is also meant to suggest searching at Hidden Valley Park, which is located along the Credit River, to find the jewel and bring an end to the "ride." Additionally, "as far as your ride will go" is meant to suggest hunters follow the Credit River north, about as far as possible into the park, to find the jewel's hiding spot.
"search and sweep, an ankle deep, in the freshly fallen snow" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize in a tree stump about an ankle high, and for the jewel in the snow and leaves near the base of a broken off tree. Additionally, "an ankle" anagrams to "Lake Ann"—the location of this hunt's bonus prize.
"From the path, persevering just past the clearing, inspect a timber gap" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize in the stump of a tree, just past a clearing along the northern Lake Ann Park trail. It is also meant to suggest searching for the jewel in the space under the branches of a fallen tree, at the broken off stump of the smaller tree it knocked down—past a clearing near a bend in the Credit River.
"make big gains from what remains of a tree with sugary sap" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize in the stump of a maple tree at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen ("Chanhassen" is a Dakota word meaning "tree with sweet sap;" the town's symbol is the leaf of a sugar maple tree), and for the jewel—which was wrapped and buried in maple leaves.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Julie & Dan Schonhardt (and Eevee!), of Eagan, on November 13—two days after the clue was published.
CLUE #8 (November 12, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"Between the bridges amid the ridges, away from a wooden stair" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—a replica of the real "Gray's Sports Almanac"—in a park with bridges amid hills, in an area away from a wooden staircase—specifically Dorothy Mary Park in New Hope. It is also meant to suggest entering the wooded area between two bridges at Hidden Valley Park, also away from a wooden staircase.
"The shady fen of a sylvan glen conceals a secret pair" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize in the wooded glen of a park with two names in its name. It is also meant to suggest searching for the jewel (and the DeLorean key) near a small bog in a wooded area of Hidden Valley Park—in the region formerly known as Glendale Township.
"wooden" and "sylvan" are meant to suggest Xylon Avenue—located just to the west of Dorothy Mary Park.
"A gentle slope could bring new hope to help you hit the spot" is meant to suggest searching for the bonus prize atop a gently rolling hill at Dorothy Mary Park in New Hope, and for the jewel at a geologic bench on a slight incline along the Credit River's west bank.
"Tonight's the night we set things right: four past ten on the Dot!" is meant to suggest hunters be on the lookout for an easter egg at 10:04pm on the night of Clue #8's publication—timed to coincide with the moment that lightning strikes the Hill Valley clocktower, and Marty goes back to the future.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Josh Ellingson, of Apple Valley, on November 12—about two and a half hours after the clue was published.
CLUE #9 (November 13, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"A flash ... Ignited a vision that sparked ... a rapid revelation" and "heed these words" are meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—the third of three limited edition Back To The Future coins—at Epiphany Pond Park in Coon Rapids, while "heed these words (and watch for birds) along your peregrination" is meant to suggest the many bird-based street names nearby, including "Grouse Street," "Eagle Street," "Robinson Drive," "Bluebird Street," "Drake Street," "Hummingbird Street," and "Flamingo Street." Additionally, "watch for birds" references a plot point from Part I.
"peregrination" is also meant to reinforce this hunt's outwardly spiraling station-to-station quest for bonus prizes, leading (eventually) to the jewel's location at Hidden Valley Park in Savage.
"coordinate this stunt" and "steer your jeep into the deep for a rapid revelation" are meant to suggest Back To The Future stunt coordinator Walter Scott—and narrow hunters' search for the jewel's hiding place to Scott County.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Ben Fischer, of Saint Paul, on November 13—about two hours after the clue was published.
CLUE #10 (November 14, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"Get up and go—move forth with the flow to find serenity / At a park with plenty of space for many a frill and amenity" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—Doc's letter to Marty from 1885, including the Delgado Mine map, from Part III—in Yost Park, which is located along Fourth Avenue and across Florence Street from a Cerenity senior care facility in White Bear Lake. It is also meant to suggest following the Credit River downstream through Hidden Valley Park to find the jewel at the aforementioned "serene and hellish" hiding spot.
"Search for the score to the west of the shore; follow the path less trod" is meant to suggest hunters follow a trail of footprints from Yost Park's primary, paved footpath to the bonus prize (Yost Park is just west of the White Bear Lake shore), hidden in the base of a partially felled tree. It is also meant to suggest searching for the jewel on the west bank of the Credit River, along a rugged wilderness trail, away from the park's main footpath.
"With temps bearing polar, find a patroller and summon the rescue squad!" is meant to suggest searching for the bonus prize in the White Bear Lake park named for fireman Jack Yost—who was known as the father of the town's rescue squad. At Hidden Valley Park, this applies to the Savage police "Crime Stoppers" signs found in the parking lot.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Ben Fischer, of Saint Paul, on November 14—about three hours after the clue was published. Shortly thereafter, the TC Treasure Mapwas replaced with an 1887 C.M. Foote map of the (not-yet-quite-so) metropolitan area (including the hiding spot along the Credit River at Hidden Valley Park in Savage—identifiable as a plot of land marked "Ed. Latters," located in "Glendale" Township, near what was then a tiny railroad village known as "Hamilton," in the northeast corner of Scott County). This was intended as a parallel to Marty's Part III journey back in time to save Doc in the old west, and to suggest hunters consider the now-narrowed search area's history—particularly as it pertains to this hunt's clues.
CLUE #11 (November 15, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"To be victorious, think arboreous; the forest is good for your psyche / Through timbered ruins, tromp in your Bruins—courtesy of Nike" is meant to suggest searching for this clue's bonus prize—a scale model replica of Marty's 2015 Hover Board—in a wooded area at Victoria Park in Woodbury (Nike was the winged Greek goddess of victory; she was known as Victoria in Roman mythology), and for the jewel in an area surrounded by fallen trees—all while referencing Marty McFly's famous white and red Nike Bruins!
"There's more to this quest than a daily test to find the hidden goods" is meant to confirm this hunt's multivalent, hybrid nature—with clues pointing individually to bonus prizes, but also combining more traditionally to narrow down the location of the jewel.
"A fallen tree could be your key—it's buried in the woods" is meant to suggest the importance of a fallen tree in finding the jewel's location, while also reinforcing the "timbered ruins" of a small fire ring, which concealed the Hover Board replica at Victoria Park.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Dan & Julie Schonhardt, of Eagan, Josh Ellingson, of Apple Valley, and Craig Heinen, of Richfield, on November 15—about an hour and a half after the clue was published.
CLUE #12 (November 16, 1955 — 9:00AM)
"For the grand finale, head down to the Valley by catching the one-thirty-one" is a reference to a plot point from Part III, and is meant to suggest searching for the final bonus prize—a one-ounce silver coin commemorating 35 years of Back To The Future—in Apple Valley, where 131st Street runs straight into Nordic Park. It is also meant to suggest searching for the jewel at Hidden Valley Park, just south of 131st Street.
"strap on your skis and glide with ease—quickly through the run!" is meant to suggest the bonus prize's location at Nordic Park and the jewel's location at Hidden Valley Park (the former site of two downhill ski runs).
"Find the ranch by the broken branch and look beneath the leaves" is meant to suggest the bonus prize's hiding spot at Nordic Park, where it was covered with leaves and hidden in a fallen branch along with a packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix—intended to direct the finder to the jewel's hiding spot at Hidden Valley Park in Savage (not unlike this line of the clue, which also describes the jewel's hiding spot).
"Then steal from the tower to harness the power—a pair as thick as thieves!" is meant to suggest the large water tower in Nordic Park. It is also meant to suggest hunters immediately leave the Apple Valley area after discovering the bonus prize and head to Savage ("harness" is another reference to racehorse Dan Patch)—where they would arrive at Hidden Valley Park and head away from the playground's tower, into the woods, to uncover the Flux Capacitor and DeLorean key.
This clue's bonus prize was found by Ben Fischer, of Saint Paul, on November 16—about four and a half hours after the clue was published.
"With locations scouted and journey routed, head for your final goal" is meant to reinforce the aforementioned Eagle Scout project by Robert Martz, while referencing the hunt's 17-stop spiral timeline tour—the final stop of which brings hunters to Hidden Valley Park and the jewel.
"Make the score and hurry, before things spiral out of control!" is meant to reinforce both the twenty to thirty paces between the shore and the jewel and the hunt's spiral-shaped journey.
"Hop on your horse and chart a course into the wild, wild west!" is a reference to plot points from Part III and is meant to suggest searching in Savage (the town associated with racehorse Dan Patch)
"To resolve all matters of formers and latters," is meant to suggest searching in Hidden Valley Park on the plot of land marked "Ed. Latters" on the 1887 C.M. Foote map that replaced the TC Treasure Map on November 14; the plot is located in the northern part of the park, on the west bank of the Credit River.
"follow the archers' arrow" is meant to suggest following the general direction of the arrow on the Hidden Valley Park "Archery Range" sign (located in the parking lot), by searching in the portion of the park north of the lot.
"use your map to spot the gap and search where waters narrow" is meant to suggest hunters use the C.M. Foote map that replaced the TC Treasure Map on November 14 to find the Latters plot, and search on that plot near where the Credit River narrows to a short strait along its northward course.
"Amid the sedge near river's edge, where once resort grounds stood" is meant to suggest hunters search on the ground near the edge of the Credit River, on the former site of Egan's Picnic Grounds and Resort.
"Downstream, northbound—just limbo 'round the hellish wall of wood" is meant to suggest hunters follow the Credit River downstream and duck under a low-hanging branch to navigate around an area rendered impassable by a bramble of undergrowth and fallen trees. The jewel was hidden on the other side of the "wall of wood," at a tree with multiple trunks, beneath the branches of a fallen tree.
LONGSHOT
When anagrammed, the first letters of the names of the hunt's 16 bonus prize locations—R, A, L, D, I, P, H, K, A, E, L, D, E, Y, V, N—spell the name of the park in which the jewel was hidden: "HIDDEN VALLEY PARK."
Introduction: Rosedale Center, Roseville
Bonus Clue #1: Alden Square Park, Saint Paul
Bonus Clue #2: Lowry Park, Minneapolis
Bonus Clue #3: Deming Heights Park, Minneapolis
Clue #1: Ingerson Park, Arden Hills
Clue #2: Phalen Park, Maplewood
Clue #3: Harriet Island Park, Saint Paul
Clue #4: Keewaydin Park, Minneapolis
Clue #5: Arden Park, Edina
Clue #6: Edenvale Park, Eden Prairie
Clue #7: Lake Ann Park, Chanhassen
Clue #8: Dorothy Mary Park, New Hope
Clue #9: Epiphany Pond Park, Coon Rapids
Clue #10: Yost Park, White Bear Lake
Clue #11: Victoria Park, Woodbury
Clue #12: Nordic Park, Apple Valley
![[Image: macguffin_prize.jpg]](https://tctreasure.com/2020/11/05/images/macguffin_prize.jpg)
