A hunt for a treasure chest filled with $10,000 in San Francisco, California, has ravaged city parks, leaving holes and destroying irrigation systems.
After 20 days of searching, the organizers behind the buried treasure announced in a Reddit update on Tuesday that the loot had been found.
Hunters were limited to clues and instructions for locating the cash, leading to several reports and photos of foot-deep holes in parks.
All instructions were given on the hunt’s website, which urged searchers to ‘please treat this land with as much reverence as we do.’
Organizers also asked participants to fill in any gaps and pick up all trash they encountered.
The orchestrators also noted that the only clues they would give would be a riddle and that the chest itself weighed more than 150 pounds and was buried under a foot of earth within seven miles of San Francisco’s city hall.
However, an additional hint was given after the organizers wrote that they received multiple emails from Parks and Rec gardeners and Angel Island rangers.
‘The treasure is NOT on Angel Island or in Francisco Park,’ wrote the gamemasters. ‘Why are we saying this? Civic duty, mostly.’
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‘This was addressed earlier, but apparently, hunters didn’t take the hint, and Angel Island has been particularly struggling, so we’re finally helping them out. Maybe the next treasure–if there is a treasure–it won’t be buried,’ they added.
Before again reminding participants to fill in any holes, they shared a message from a gardener in the city: ‘Since the start of your hunt, the park has suffered significant irrigation system and plant damage.
‘The holes that people are digging illegally and without permits are also not covered over or are done so poorly and will need to be fixed. People have been digging up and damaging our irrigation at the park.’
‘I have multiple exposed or poorly covered holes as well as irrigation damage.’
The organizers added that they were not tricking anyone when they said that the treasure was not under manicured grass or irrigation lines.
‘If you see someone being reckless, ruthless, leaving holes, or damaging irrigation lines(!), out them. Take their photo. Share it. We’re happy to create a wall of shame and shame-holes,’ wrote the orchestrators.
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Before the organizers were practically forced to give another clue, all hunters had was a riddle: ‘Minute steps climb, and beyond fingers rise, onward on pins where the treasure lies.
‘Deem heavenly island towers, over derelict ward; stern wood haven north and powell, off back-ward
‘Under stone this mint rests buried in keep, but intermiss briefly, please-do take a seat
‘Spare a moment between us, you who shall reap; only we know this plane, this sanctum, this peep
‘Let’s celebrate our land, the city, this jaunt, the clamber, the sights, our sole hunt for this haunt
‘Truly framed in full, cast stage-left at your feet; dig just one foot down and-finally-heft the prize that you seek’
Hunters were limited on clues and were given a riddle to help them on their search. Last year’s hunt was finished in about 11 hours
Another user showed holes spanning several feet that appear not to be filled back in
Should treasure hunts be banned if they lead to damage and chaos in public spaces?
The organizers said that last year they conducted a similar hunt with the same prize amount, which was found in only 11 hours.
They noted that they hide the prize because they love the lore of treasure: ‘Pirate booty, sunken galleons, the mysteries and stories and movies… all of it. And we always hoped treasure hunting would feature more heavily in life, alongside quicksand and tattered rope bridges.’
‘Sadly, the science seems to be out on quicksand and, thanks to modern building standards, rope bridges are stronger than ever.’
‘Buried treasure (and the romance of real-world adventure) seems equally rare. We realized we could do something about that.’
‘And so we did. And after last year’s quick find, we couldn’t resist one more round.’
The organizers noted that the hunt is not annual unless ‘a deep-pocketed collaborator’ decides to help financially.
