Organizers of $20,000 outdoor treasure hunt reveal second hint

Person hiking in Utah desert
(Image credit: Getty)

The organizers of a state-wide treasure hunt in Utah have revealed the second hint that should help hikers get a step closer to the $20,000 prize.

John Maxim and David Cline of Salt Lake City set up the challenge to encourage more people to get outside, get active, and explore the beauty of nature. The prize is hidden in a chest somewhere in the state, and the pair are drip-feeding clues to its location on their Instagram accounts (onthejohn and the.cline.fam).

Maxim and Cline released the first hint – a mysterious poem – at the start of the hunt, and have now posted a short video providing some extra tips. The post is an audio clip taken from a podcast interview, with captions for treasure-hunters with hearing difficulties.

"The lines near the top are the most important, because those get you in the right location," Cline says, explaining that many people get caught up thinking about the poem's ending. "By the time you hit those lines, you're so close that it doesn't really matter," he adds.

Cline also explains that he and Maxim hid the treasure chest some time before announcing the start of the hunt, to give time for the weather to wash away any signs of activity and footprints.

However, we know that it's not tucked away anywhere truly difficult to access. The location was chosen with safety in mind, and "no rock climbing, mountain goating, crazy bush wacking or digging is necessary." 

Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 15 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better), usually wearing at least two sports watches.