Treasure hunters in Utah search for hidden $25,000
The annual treasure hunt in Utah is underway. A chest containing $25,000 in cash awaits the finder.
Since 2020, Utah real estate investors David Cline and John Maxim have hidden a cash prize somewhere in Utah for people to claim. The biggest challenge is solving the complicated puzzle that leads to the treasure.
Cline decided to start the annual treasure hunt during the COVID-19 pandemic to get people outside and exploring during a difficult time. When he was thinking about who to call who might be interested in contributing to the cause, Maxim was the first person who came to Cline’s mind.
“I thought that was the best idea I’d ever heard,” Maxim said, “and here we are, five hunts later.”
The fifth annual puzzle was posted on Saturday, June 15. The most noticeable difference in this year’s puzzle? It’s written in Spanish.
Cline explained that they receive about 100 messages each year requesting a Spanish version of the puzzle and that they want to accommodate those requests.
“We thought it would be really cool to challenge all the treasure hunters,” he said.
While “researching” the puzzle by watching films about treasure hunts, Maxim noticed that the clues were almost always written in a foreign language.
“If we all dream of being real treasure hunters, we should probably do it in another language,” he said. “And I think that makes the whole thing a lot more fun.”
Maxim said that despite a slow start, they continue to run the treasure hunt every year because they have received so much positive feedback from participants.
“The truth is, I don’t know if we’ve said this before, that it wasn’t a huge success the first year. But we saw the potential and wanted to see if we could do it really well again,” Maxim said.
After experiencing a surge in success during the second Treasure Hunt of 2021, Maxim said they just couldn’t stop. The pair have received many messages from people struggling with mental illness and family issues, sharing how much taking part in the Treasure Hunt has lifted their spirits.
“The main reason we keep going is simply the impact it always has on people,” Maxim said.
The treasure hunt made such an impression on Cline and Maxim’s followers that it inspired Utah residents Christian Jones, Caden Photon and Brad Zollinger to create a podcast where they discuss theories about each year’s puzzles. The three launched the “Cache Me Outside” podcast in 2022 and have been releasing several episodes each year since then, analyzing each line of the puzzle.
While the podcasters do extensive research into the meanings hidden in the puzzle and share some ideas with their audience, they keep some of their ideas to themselves as they too are searching for the treasure.
“We enjoy building a community and collaborating with other treasure hunters,” Jones said. “But we’re still very passionate about the treasure hunt itself and actively trying to get it.”
According to Jones, they have been close with their theories for several years, but have not yet found the treasure.
Jones’ main advice for those trying to decipher the puzzle is: “Focus 90% of your time on the first two to four lines, because in every treasure hunt in the past, these have been the most important lines that led you to the right trail and the right area.”
Last year, after the chest was found, Cline posted a video on YouTube explaining how each line of the riddle gave clues to where the treasure was hidden. Some lines included clues to the number of a monument, the number of feet to walk off the path, and the degrees for lines connecting two locations. Cline admitted that the 2023 poem was “a little too complicated” because it took 51 days for someone to find the treasure.
“We’re tiptoeing toward the balance of the Goldilocks poem, which is possible but so difficult that it will puzzle thousands of people for at least a couple of weeks,” Cline said. “Every time we structure and write the poem, the goal is that once we reveal the logic behind it, most people will say, ‘Oh man, that makes sense, why didn’t we see that?'”
Anyone hoping to get a clue out of Cline or Maxim will probably not succeed. Cline said that not even his wife knows where the treasure is hidden. “Incomprehensible words are ruin,” he said.
Cline and Maxim said they will be releasing clues every Friday in their weekly email and on social media until the treasure is found. The first clues – a boundary map, punctuation tips and how far off the trail the treasure is hidden – were sent out on Friday, June 21.
“We won’t really go into the clues until the third week,” said Maxim. “Take two weeks and solve the poem. You can solve the treasure hunt with the poem alone.”
BYU alumnus Brice Nokes, also known as @treasurehunterwithasign on Instagram, is a local treasure hunter determined to find the cash prize and is documenting his experiences on social media.
In previous years, Nokes has been busy with work and other commitments, but with a more flexible schedule this year, he is putting more energy into the almost daily hike to find the treasure.
“The goal is to search for as many days as possible,” Nokes said. “When it comes to exploring, I don’t have a lot of limits. I just love being out there in the wild.”
Nokes said he feels confident after deciphering the puzzle with some help from his colleagues at BYUtv. He said his current plan is to explore the area around the Kennecott Copper Mine, because that’s where his interpretation of the puzzle has led him.
If Nokes finds the $25,000 prize, he says he will invest the money in buying a house.
Cline and Maxim have some helpful tips for anyone exploring Utah and looking for the treasure this year.
Cline explained that the treasure is hidden in a safe place where even small children can hike to find it. The only danger is the heat, he said, so he advised treasure hunters to bring water on their hikes. And most of all, the hunt is about having fun, they said.
For hunt tips and updates, individuals can follow @the.cline.fame and @onthejohn on Instagram and sign up for the weekly email.
