Training Log Archive: FoxShadow

Thought I'd stay our for a few hours until I saw the snow, or lack thereof. Icy and bare and not that fun. It was pretty warm and sunny and the snow was fast, so it's wasn't all bad.

Took a spin class at "cyclequest" in edenprairie. Kelly and I bought a groupon 12 pack. Good workout and they have great Keiser bikes. Averaged 206 watts over 70 minutes.

I had such a great time watching everyone last night, really, really enjoyed listening to you all at different parts of the course, sneaking around watching the headlamps dance around. I'm not sure if it's more fun to participate in an OTNT or host one. For me last night, it was hosting. After listening like a fly on the wall to Julia reference the fire pit while Mike was referencing the area directly south of the zoo while they conferenced at CP8, I was worried it may be too easy, so I sprinted to Icarus's lair to see if anyone was hot on his trail. They were not, but only 30 minutes later, people were beginning to crack the code.

Thanks to everyone who hunted!

Darryn requested that I post the clues and the clue writer's explanations (per winter carnival practice), so here they are:

Clue #1

Friends think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Clue #2

If you thought that you could win
By shutting off your mind and running
You need to think again
Tonight’s winner will be cunning.
Stay prime to finish first,
Don’t and you’ll be cursed.

Clue #3

Rightfully aimed the whale’s mouth,
He faces to the south.
He’s made of trails and a dream,
Eyeing peaches and cream.


Clue #4

Every clue has help burning within it,
Look from different angles, don’t sit.
First let your sins,
Guide you to a win.

Clue #5

Pond, prairie, pit or parkway,
It’s one of the three,
Look near the easternmost,
Icarus is hung on a tree.

Clue #6

In the trails near your thumbs,
Moby Dick swims down from the zoo,
If you stop and look closely,
He may wink at you.

Clue #7

Tips: If you’re near a cage
or a sport per the same
look elsewhere ‘cuz the right area, is:
Rife with rage

Clue #8

One man’s struggle to take it easy
Is another man’s bliss
Draw a line north from this
Don’t take a day off, you’ll find it easy-breazy.

Clue #9

A bus stop might help you,
Go straight west from this one
It’s named after Ferris?
And a software antiviris?

Clue #10

Clue 7 gave you an anagram,
Look here or look for naught.
Clue 1 gave you an poet,
Go 250 meters northwest from his spot.

Clue #11

Skillful navigators, if you want to play,
Just deposit one Tolkein.
Go to this world and stay,
‘cuz here Sauron hid Icarus the unicorn.

Clue #12

If you know where Icarus was put
Count 20 paces north, but not on the ground
Count only your left foot,
Then come tell me what you found.

Leave Icarus there, hidden in his nook,
There may be others who come to take a look.
Tell me what you saw, crowds will cheer,
Or at the very least, I will buy you a beer.

And below, insight it my thinking, the "clue writer's explanation":


The solution is the fire pits. Specifically, the easternmost pit. 20 paces north of which lies the prize. There are few different ways to hone in on the eastern fire pit scattered throughout the clues, and the last clue tells you exactly what to do if you don’t find it right away while looking in that area.

#1 The “medallion” is in a tree, that’s the main message here. Secondly, the poem was written by Joyce Kilmer, whose memorial fireplace is not far from the medallion. Clue 10 tells you exactly what do with your knowledge if you recognize or smart phone search the poem.

#2 This clue was also rather oblique, but similar to the real carnival hunt, the first few clues don’t give anything away. The reference to primacy (and the word “first” in the same sentence) tells the cunning hunter to pay attention to the first letter of each clue. The first letters of the first clues spell FIRE PIT.

#3 A reference to the whale shaped trails near the medallion. Clue 6 further describes the location of the whale. The peaches & cream references the color of the “open field” area of the map, in which the medallion is hidden.

#4 The reference to your sins refers to the 7 deadly sins, the first letter of the first seven clues gives you the answer to the puzzle. The word “burning” used, to reference the fire pits.

#5 You likely don’t know the location is “fire pit” yet, but when you do, this clue tells you to go to the eastern fire pit. The clue also references the “three” pits in an obscure/fun way. I did put the word pit third intentionally, but was surprised that more than one successful hunter used this detail to make his breakthrough.

#6 More help recognizing the whale shape on the map, the X’s in the circle are it’s eye. Also, if not the whale then at least south of the zoo in general.

#7 A few places where the medallion is not, as well as a hidden anagram spelling the location – look at the capitol letters to find the anagram.

#8 References to Ferris Bueller, the road Beulah is directly south of the fire pits, and you were given a google map with this road name on the flip side of your O-map.

#9 The bus stop straight east of the fire pit is the “beulah/horton” stop. Intentional misspelling of antivirus, and question makes signal that clues don’t exactly match spelling of bus stop. (Norton/Horton and Bueller/Beulah)

#10 Tells you a bit more of what to do with some of the clues above that were obscure.

#11 This clue refers to “The Lord of the Rings”, the fire pits are rings.

#12 This clue tells you where to go once you’ve solved the puzzle – you were looking for the three fire pits. Specifically, the eastern pit.

C • Dude! 6

Jogging around checking out CP locations for the treasure hunt. I'm excited for it, I hope people enjoy it. I have really enjoyed putting this one on. The clues I have written could always be better but I have 3-4 hours into them already and think they will be difficult, but solvable for at least some cunning runners. I'd post my garmin data for this workout, but I'd have to kill you after you viewed it.

C • I am sure it will be awesome 4

C • Awesome! 3

Got out for a quick ski after vetting the OTNT course and before curling, the snow was super fast!

My first experience skipping a curling game, didn't go perfectly, but not too bad. We lost 9-6. Our skip is up in Fargo at nationals, 2-2 so far, but still in contention to make the final four, who have a "final" next weekend for the title.

What a day at Riverbend nature center. Awesome weather and an awesome course. 90-minute score-O has always been my favorite orienteering format and this one was one of the better. Winter off trail travel was really slow, (I don't know how and Andrei cleared the course as fast as he did), but that works itself into strategy and did not make is any less fun than a summer meet. I had a good run with only one two-minute mistake and maybe a few other 30 second ones. Good course by MoBiz!

I started my garmin at 217, my second control. I had my HR strap on but apparently it didn't pick up the data, bummer! I was redlining nearly the whole race.

My route choice, if not apparent from the GPS data was 220, 217, 218, 221, 22, 205, 202, 201, 204 (should have grabbed 203 first) 205, 210, 209, 223, 211, 215, 214 (skip 212) 213, 206, 216, 217, 219.