OGDEN, Utah, August 14, 2026 – After a suspenseful 5 weeks, one lucky treasure hunter has found our hidden wallet worth $20,000! It was at the Point of the Mountain on Alien Tower Trail between Draper and Alpine.
Our winner is Aiden Jonkman
Now for what you've all been waiting for, the Solve:
Clue #1: Salt Lake County AND Utah County . . . with a Little Misdirection
The clue:
Last year was our fault you found the wallet so fast,
so this year our hunt is built to last.
This time it rests in a place of connection,
don’t think the wrong motive or you’ll find misdirection.
While dreams find wings as you think of your winnings,
take a moment to ponder on Utah's beginnings.
The sweetest answers may leave you unsettled,
for what joined is remembered as more than just metal.
How the clue was solved:
“Last year was our fault you found the wallet so fast”
This was a clue pointing to the geology of the area. The word “fault” was a hint that the search area was located along the Wasatch fault line.
“so this year our hunt is built to last”
The word “built” was a nod to Utah County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, signaling the general direction hunters needed to head.
“This time it rests in a place of connection”
“Place of connection” refers to Point of the Mountain as the geographic link between Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley. Rather than focusing on a single county, this clue narrowed the hunt to a specific shared area. It serves as a historical transit crossroads where trail systems connect from both sides, while also paying tribute to the old Deseret Telegraph line that once linked Utah County towns back to the main network in Salt Lake.
“don’t think the wrong motive or you’ll find misdirection”
There was some intentional misdirection in Clue 1 that, at first glance, would lead people to the Golden Spike in Box Elder County. This line was meant to inform you that if an answer seems too simple, it's probably wrong. “Motive” was referring to a locomotive, but in this case, it was the Farm Fun Express at Thanksgiving Point. So don't think the wrong train or it will lead you astray. (Though props to the Golden Spoke trail network theory from Cache Me Outside, because that was awesome.)
“While dreams find wings as you think of your winnings”
Silicon Slopes is where many dreams take shape, and the “wings” referred to the paragliders launching from the Flight Park at Point of the Mountain.
“take a moment to ponder on Utah's beginnings”
Since we were steering searchers to a specific spot between two counties, “Utah's beginnings” was meant to point to Brigham Young. This led you either to his home in Salt Lake County or the university named after him in Utah County.
“The sweetest answers may leave you unsettled”
On the Utah Valley tourism site, Utah County is branded as the “Sugar Trail” because of the region's prominent dessert culture, with a large concentration of specialized soda shops, ice cream parlors and other sweets. “Unsettled” references how Point of the Mountain sits precisely at the boundary between two major segments of the Wasatch Fault.
“for what joined is remembered as more than just metal”
Silicon is more than just a metal. It’s officially classified as a metalloid, meaning it has a mix of properties from both metals and non-metals. It looks shiny like a metal, but behaves differently.
Clue #2: Narrowing It Down to Point of the Mountain
The clue:
Let’s narrow it down to what’s established and new,
Where the land holds what’s pretty and the power’s in view.
Are you after a spider or a bug?
Ask someone salty who still feels like a hug.
Or what is amidst solidarity and a smile,
Where you can push the mind and do it in style?
How the clue was solved:
“Let's narrow it down”
“Narrow” is another quick nod to the stretch of I-15 where Salt Lake and Utah counties meet. The freeway there narrows and creates that infamous rush-hour bottleneck.
“established and new”
Except for the final line, each phrasing pair in this clue has a Salt Lake County hint on the left and a Utah County hint on the right. For example, in this one, Salt Lake is the more “established” because it was the first incorporated city in Utah, while Utah County is considered “new” because it's ever-changing and the fastest-growing county in the state.
“pretty and power”
“Pretty” on the Salt Lake County side refers to precious metals mined at Kennecott, including gold and silver alongside copper — elements tied to beautiful jewelry, coins and other shiny things. “Power” on the Utah County side ties to Silicon Ridge, a major discovery west of Utah Lake packed with critical minerals, including lithium and halloysite, that could help power the future of technology and electric vehicles.
“spider and bug”
“Spider” references The Widowmaker hill climb in Draper on the Salt Lake County side, where motorcyclists used to race up the mountain, playing on the link between a ‘widow’maker and a black widow spider. “Bug” refers to a Box Elder bug and, in turn, Box Elder Peak that can be seen from Alpine on the Utah County side.
“solidarity and a smile”
“Solidarity” on the Salt Lake side references the solid granite peak of Lone Peak standing firm over the valley. “Smile” on the Utah County side points to “Happy Valley,” since you smile when you are happy.
“salty and a hug”
“Salty” points to the Salt Lake side, while “hug” is another push to Happy Valley in Utah County because a physical embrace boosts levels of the feel-good chemical oxytocin.
“push the mind and do it in style”
“Push the mind” refers to Silicon Slopes, where it’s all about cutting-edge technological advances, as well as the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. “Do it in style” is a reference to the Outlets at Traverse Mountain. Unlike the other phrases in Clue 2, these both point to Utah County.
Bonus Clue #1: It's Time to Let the Box Elder Solve Go
The clue:
Follow the Big Cats
How the clue was solved:
Knowing many hunters were searching in Box Elder County, this clue was meant to move them south along the Wasatch Front. The “big cats” point to mascots found along the way: the Weber State Wildcats, Real Salt Lake’s Leo the Lion and the BYU Cougars.
Clue #3: Getting to Alpine
The clue:
When your joy of treasure hunting reaches its peak hour,
Don’t forget the lonely soul who danced among the flowers.
He will walk you to the barrow that’s placed below the hill,
that helped to find and cultivate this very muddy ville.
How the clue was solved:
“joy of treasure hunting”
A quick nod to being “happy,” pointing hunters again toward Happy Valley, or Utah County.
“reaches its peak hour”
Peak hour” refers to a period of especially heavy traffic, something the Point of the Mountain knows well!
“Don't forget the lonely soul who danced among the flowers”
Lots of hunters got this one. It’s a reference to William Wordsworth’s poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, where he danced with the daffodils. A different William Wordsworth led the settlers who founded the city of Alpine.
“He will walk you to the barrow that's placed below the hill”
Barrow can mean many things, but the one we were looking for was an old word for a wheeled cart. In this case, we were referring to a handcart. There is a pioneer handcart on display at Moyle Park in Alpine, below the “hill” that is the Point of the Mountain. The “walk” reference was also a nod to the “Walker War”, which reached Alpine while it was still Fort Wordsworth.
“that helped to find and cultivate this very muddy ville”
“Muddy ville” was a callout to Fort Wordsworth and Mountainville, early names for the settlement that became Alpine. Fort Wordsworth had thick mud walls built for protection. The settlement was originally named Mountainville because conditions at the base of the Wasatch Mountains were thought to be ideal for raising cattle and “cultivating” crops.
Bonus Clue #2: Reinforcing Alpine
The clue:
Narcissus
How the clue was solved:
Narcissus is a genus of plants in the amaryllis family that includes the daffodil. William Wordsworth’s famous poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is also commonly known as Daffodils.
Clue #4: The Trailhead: Maple Hollow
The clue:
What’s something that’s sweet that you always want ample?
Solve for M and you’ll have something for the old hippocampal.
Look for a place that’s in the wrong spot,
That’s pretty and fun and feels like a plot.
How the clue was solved:
“What’s something that’s sweet that you always want ample? Solve for M ...”
"Solving for M” has a double meaning. In a linear equation, m represents the slope, another reference to Silicon Slopes. But solving for “m” also helps identify the trailhead. Move the “m” in “ample” to the front and you get “maple.” Maple trees are known for their sap, which is used to make maple syrup.
“a place that’s in the wrong spot, that’s pretty and fun and feels like a plot”
Maple Hollow Trailhead is technically in Draper, but it sits on the Alpine side of the mountain, so it could be argued that it’s in the “wrong spot” because it’s on the wrong side of the mountain. “Feels like a plot” refers to the many fictional hollows that serve as settings in literature and TV, including Sleepy Hollow, Godric’s Hollow and Stars Hollow.
Bonus Clue #3: If You're Not In Alpine Yet . . .
The clue:
Is it M or is it m
How the clue was solved:
This one was for all those hunters who weren’t in Alpine yet. If you didn’t catch the slope formula reference in the “m” of Maple, this was another hint to start thinking about Silicon Slopes. Once you made that connection, the rest of the clues should start to make more sense.
Clue #5: Trail System: Maple Hollow to Eagle Crest to Deer Ridge, Telegraph Trail
The clue:
Now if you’re starting to feel in a state of dysphoria,
think of a Ghostly line and a hotel in california.
if you’re feeling Stranded, lost or alone,
hike really hard until the far side is shone.
How the clue was solved:
“ghostly line and a hotel in california”
Starting at the Maple Hollow Trailhead, there are several trails that can lead you toward the wallet. One route follows Maple Hollow South Trail to Eagle Crest, a reference to the Eagles and their song Hotel California. Another follows Maple Hollow Trail to the Telegraph Footpath, named for the historic telegraph lines and utility poles that once connected Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley across Traverse Ridge. The line is “ghostly” because the wires are gone, leaving only the poles and the memory of the connection.
“stranded, lost or alone” and “NGS”
If someone is stranded, lost or alone, one historic way to call for help was Morse code sent by telegraph. N, G and S were also intentionally capitalized in the clue. NGS stands for the National Geodetic Survey, which pioneered the historic use of electric telegraph signals and was also responsible for the building of Alien Tower.
“far side is shone”
As you can see, these clues are leading you up the mountain toward the final destination. If you follow Eagle Crest or the Telegraph Footpath, you’ll find yourself on or near a series of trails in Draper that are named after The Far Side comics.
Bonus Clue #4: Getting You To The Right Trail
The clue:
NGS
How the clue was solved:
This clue was meant to reinforce Clue #5. If you didn’t catch the capitalized N, G and S in that clue, this was another hint that those letters were important to finding the final trail.
Clue #6: Alien Tower
The clue:
As you get to the top be thankful not cynical,
you’ll know you’ve arrived when you get to the pinnacle.
once there find the points that line up with the branch,
then walk 46 paces and from there carte blanche.
Go down the Rocky hill from the 360 View,
Lastly, it’s important, find the t-bone steak Two.
From there it is easy, just look under and boom,
Now commence in celebration and let happiness bloom.
How the clue was solved:
“pinnacle”
A pinnacle is typically the highest point or top of a mountain, but it can also refer to a pointed architectural feature. Here, it was meant to point you toward the top of the trail system and Alien Tower. As a bonus, Pinnacle also happens to be the name of our new Business Credit Card. Learn more about the card here!
“find the points that line up with the branch”
We recently opened a new branch in Lehi. From Alien Tower, find the points at the base of the triangle that face south toward the branch. That gives you the direction to follow.
“46 paces”
From the points of the Alien Tower triangle, walk 46 paces in that direction toward the scrub oak.
“Rocky hill from the 360 View”/“t-bone steak two”
Rocky is the well-known alien from the Project Hail Mary book and movie and, in this clue, is another hint that you should be at Alien Tower. The 360 View pulls together the visuals from previous clues, including Lone Peak, Box Elder Peak, the mines and both counties. Did you notice that “View” was capitalized and “Two” was used instead of “too”? View Two was the original technical name for Alien Tower. The “t-bone steak” is a T-bone-shaped rock. Underneath that rock was the wallet.
