UPDATE: The $25,000 grand prize was found on Sunday by a woman from Iowa.
Utah Treasure Hunt’s $25,000 hidden treasure is found
SALT LAKE CITY — The latest Utah Treasure Hunt has stumped treasure hunters for over a month, the longest in the hunt’s history.
Utah Treasure Hunt 2023 began on May 26, with organizers David Cline and John Maxim releasing the first clue as a poem on their website for the $25,000 grand prize.
The poem read:
Begin your search where time was transcendent.
Crack open the books they’re interdependent.
Lift up your eyes and look for the mark.
Hike to the tree that stands without bark.
Pass the grain tower that looks out to the west.
Not more than an hour you’ll know by its crest.
Look down at your map to not wander with thirst.
Remember two less than on top of the first.
You’ll know you’re close where it’s time to frown.
What points towards heaven but is upside down?
Get off the road at the airplane without wings.
Search from the shoulder and fortune it will bring.
Since the launch of the hunt, new hints have been sent to their email list every Friday, a few days before they are posted on the website.
Here are the current hints from the Utah Treasure Hunt website:
Hint 1: The treasure is hidden within the bounds of the map below.
Treasure Hunt Boundaries 2023. (Utah Treasure Hunt)
Hint 2: “We didn’t hide the chest in the snow. So if you find yourself slogging up a trail still covered in snow, you are in the wrong location.”
June 2 Hints
Hint 3: “On the 6th line of the poem, the word HOUR has multiple meanings. One of which is the chest, is hidden approximately 60 feet off the path. We paced it, so it’s not scientific. Plus or minus a few feet.”
Hint 4: “The chest is not inside a cabin, shed or any kind of structure. A lot of people have asked us this. The chest is hanging out in nature, waiting for you to find it.”
Hint 5: “The entire hunt takes place within the boundaries (of the map from the first hint.) Many people have asked if the chest is inside the boundaries, but other clues in the poem are not. The entire poem takes place within these boundaries.”
June 9 Hints
Hint 6: The treasure is not in the Galena Soo’nkahni Preserve near Draper, according to an Instagram story from Maxim. The organizers ask hunters to stay away from that area due to bear traps being set.
Hint 7: “As we head into the weekend, we’d like to travel through time and recommend a movie that’s not only a timeless classic but will help you on your quest. We invite you to revisit one of the few perfect films ever made, ‘Back to the Future.'”
Hint 8: “The line in the poem that says, ‘Crack open the books,’ is not referring to any particular books. It is just trying to convey that to find the chest, some research is going to need to be done.”
June 16 Hints
Hint 9: “In case you missed it, make sure to watch this video posted by Element United. It might shed some light on the order of things.”
Hint 10: “‘Back to the Future’ movie is only relevant for one line of the poem.”
Hint 11: “The chest is not hidden in the city or anywhere urban. We get most of our hint ideas from frequently asked questions. And this one has been asked a lot.”
June 23 Hints
Hint 12: “In line 5 of the poem, ‘Pass the grain tower’ isn’t referring to a literal grain tower. But it is referring to something manmade.”
Hint 13: “In line 7, when it says to ‘Look down at your map to not wander with thirst,’ this line is stating if you haven’t solved the poem up to this point, you are going to wander aimlessly because everything before this rhyme could be figured out without leaving your home.
Hint 14: “Two less than on top of the first… There is a literal physical thing on top of the first. You need to figure out what it is and then do some math. Nothing crazy. Just some elementary school math.
June 30 Hints
Hint 15: “In case you missed it, make sure to watch this video posted by First Class Fireplace. It might help rule out some potential solves.”
Hint 16: Utah Treasure Hunt released a clue with ABC4 News saying, “You may know research is required, but where best to begin? The hint is to brush up on your Utah history.” This line is related to the second line of the poem reading, “Crack open the books they’re interdependent.”
Hint 17: “There is one more direct quote from another movie somewhere in the poem. Figuring it out isn’t required to solve the poem but it could help a little if and when the time comes.”
July 7 Hints
Hint 18: “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.”
Hint 19: “A lot of solves believe the ‘the tree that stands without bark’ has to do with whether or not dogs are allowed on the trail. That’s a great idea but not correct. The tree without bark is manmade, but you don’t have to physically go there. (Research from home).”
Hint 20: “You never need to leave asphalt roads at any point of the drive. A lot of people have asked if they need a special kind of off-road vehicle. Nope. Any vehicle will do.”
July 14 Hints
Hint 21: “The single most important word of the entire poem is probably the word ‘frown’ from line 9.”
Hint 22: “Going along with hint #1, a lot of people have asked us if this has anything to do with a grave or a cemetery. The answer is no. We would never use or get close to any kind of cemetery out of respect.”
Hint 23: “The word ‘shoulder’ from the final line of the poem has led some to believe you are on a road the entire poem. That isn’t correct. The word shoulder has a different meaning and by this time, you are definitely on a trail/path.”
The box
Maxim and Cline said the treasure is in a safe area with cell phone service, so hunters will not have to go off trail, rock climb, or dig for the treasure.
They confirmed the treasure chest was in a wooden treasure box and provided a picture of what to look for.
The treasure chest for the Utah Treasure Hunt 2023. (Utah Treasure Hunt)
In the 2022 hunt, the treasure was found eight days after the first clue was released. Because of that, Cline and Maxim decided to make this year’s hunt a bit harder.
“With the kind of blow-up of artificial intelligence, I knew the first thing people would do is just plug the whole thing into AI and tell me what this means. And so, every word and every line of that poem I put into AI just to make sure it was AI proof,” Maxim explained to KSL TV in a previous interview.
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