SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) – Treasure hunters and adventure-seekers, grab your hiking boots and get ready: The fifth annual Utah Treasure Hunt has officially kicked off, with the promise of $25,000 to this year's winner.
The organizers of the annual event, David Cline and John Maxim, first launched their Utah Treasure Hunts project during the pandemic to “give everyone a safe way to get outside with family and friends,” the duo wrote on their official site. The first one, in 2020, offered a prize of $5,000, though the event — and the prize — have only grown in popularity. The hunt is no longer self-funded by Cline and Maxim, as several companies have since contributed to the prize pot to keep the fun going.
The hunt is also free for participants, who are instructed to stay safe while looking for the treasure. (Cline and Maxim urge treasure-seekers never to put themselves in danger; the prize is said to be located along a trail, in an area with full cell phone service.)
Other than that, participants are only sure of one thing: The treasure is hidden somewhere within Utah's borders.
"The greatest treasure lies not in gold, but in the thrill of the hunt, the joy of discovery, and the friends ye make along the way," Cline and Maxim write on their site. "Now, off with ye! The world awaits."
As is customary, the first official clue of the 2024 Utah Treasure Hunt is a riddle, though this time it's in Spanish.
The choice of language may be a clue in and of itself, though Maxim indicated it might just be an artistic choice.
“A lot of the movies and stuff that we came up with like 'The Goonies,' for example, the treasure map is all in Spanish — so it's not that weird for us to be like, 'Hey, this time the treasure is in Spanish,'” Maxim said.
Cline added that one word can have multiple translations, adding another layer of the riddle to solve.
The full riddle reads as follows:
Si sufres dolor que se cura con oro
Utah Treasure Hunt
Busca el atajo donde canta el coro
Encuentra el lugar por el cual se nombra
Dale la vuelta y sigue la sombra
¿dónde aprendes a oler el helado?
¿O comimos langostas en el pasado?
Cuando vuelves a mirar el amanecer
Sigue derecho, lo puede hacer
Mira los números como si fueras un cuervo
La edad cuando el llegó es lo que observo
Ahora estás cerca, una última pista
Muévete al lugar con la mejor vista
Maxim said over the years, they’ve heard stories of what the Utah Treasure Hunt means to the community — with some treasure hunters falling in love on the hunt, others saying it helped their mental health, and families saying they bonded as they went exploring.
“We did it that first time to get people out. COVID was such a downer, but since then, the impact we've seen it have on people and the treasure hunters has been phenomenal," Maxim said. "And so, it's almost something that we feel like we can't stop doing because it's just so great for them and for us in hiding it."
“We're just students of 'The Goonies' and 'Indiana Jones,' and we just thought it was the coolest thing ever," Cline added. "Like, what if we created some kind of event where you know, any age from, you know, kids to grandparents could all get outside and go treasure hunting together? We just love that idea."
Last year's hunt was unique because hunters were eagerly searching for around two months — which was the longest it took for anyone to find the treasure. Overall, Cline and Maxim said it was a positive experience, and they look forward to creating another memorable summer with this year’s hunt.
"I hope people find adventure and discover parts of Utah that they've missed out on and being in. Y'know, fall in love with nature and those kinds of things," Maxim said.
Cline said it can be a challenge to find the line between making the riddle solvable yet difficult enough that the hunt stays fun for participants.
“Each year is getting tougher and tougher because … you know, people are getting smarter and they're getting used to kind of how we think," he said. "This year we have another kind of switch up, which we'll see how people take it, but we're excited about it."
Cline and Maxim said safety is paramount when they choose locations for the treasure, so participants won't need to rock climb or dig — but they should bring water and sunscreen.
The duo is also releasing weekly clues each Friday for those who sign up for an email list. The organizers (Cline and Maxim) also share updates on their official Instagram pages.