Five Questions for Jennifer Mahe of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Wed, 09/04/2019 - 3:28pm
The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt has been going strong for nearly 20 years in the capital city, and for this installment of 5 Questions we spoke with Jennifer Mahe, one of the current organizers of the Hunt.
The Hunt has become an honorary Nevada Day tradition for Carson City and the surrounding areas, during which clues are released to the community with the goal of finding the mysterious Treasure Hunt medallion before the other hunters. From Mormon Station to Rancho San Rafael to the Nevada State Museum, you'll never know where the end of the hunt will be, but searching is half the fun!
1) When did the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt begin and why?
The hunt began in October of 2000, nearly 20 years ago! Our family was not involved in the original hunt as we took over running the hunt from the Olson family in 2015. However, it is our understanding that the Olson’s modeled the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt on a similar hunt that happened during the Portland Rose Festival Hunt, which the Olson’s had participated in and enjoyed when they lived in Oregon.
2) What is the fastest someone has ever solved the clues?
In 2001, the second year of the hunt, the medallion was found on the 4th clue. This is a very early find since on average the medallion is found on the 11th clue.
3) How do you choose your locations?
Choosing the location is always a challenge. In a way, we run our own hunt, though in a bit of a reverse order from the normal hunt. We start by identifying a variety of different public locations or a general area in which we want to hide the medallion. Then, we go out and look at the different options before narrowing down the choices until we find the place. Once we have picked a location that is when we start writing clues and really put together the hunt.
4) Is there a particular hunting year that stands out to you and why?
I think everyone in my family would identify different years that stand out to us. For me the year that stands out the most, since we began running the hunt, was 2015. That was the first year we ran the hunt, so we had to figure out all of the steps to run it, which was a challenge. Though we obviously don’t have the opportunity to get a lot of feedback from the various hunters, those hunters that we have heard from seemed to have had a very good time.
5) Has anything changed in the way the hunt is conducted now that the internet and instantaneous searches are involved?
The internet and instantaneous searches have been around since we took over the hunt in 2015 so there hasn’t been much of a change to our process as a result. Though of course we do have to take into account the effects and options that instantaneous searches provide to the various hunters as we prepare clues, organize the various clues and decide which of the approximately 40 clues that get written actually make it into the 16 clue lineup.
To learn more about the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt click here, and get ready to hunt this October! Clues will begin on October 8.
