Who came up with the clues for the Central Oregon region of this year’s Hidden Bottle Hunt — and how did they do it?
The clue master is Kelly Luzania, a Portland attorney. She used local history to come up with the first three clues.
Luzania visited Bend for three days and explored the Deschutes Historical Museum, where she found inspiration.
The Day 1 clue reads
Reduce the field down to two
To find Zone 4’s hidden bounty
Seek Seek Qua-t you want to,
But not in this namesake county
Don’t get stuck in a porcine battle
Cut Mad Bear’s county that’s replete with cattle
“So the Seekseekqua, the Native American name for Mount Jefferson, and Jefferson County’s name for Mount Jefferson and Harney is named for Lieutenant General Harney. And so just wanted to carve those off so people would know it’s either in Deschutes or Crook County,” said Luzania.
After narrowing it down to Deschutes or Crook County the first day, she used the second clue to give the correct county.
The Day 2 clue reads
You’re one step closer to mining the gold
This county’s Aunt took them in from the cold
She charmed Sourdough with stylish flair
Last wishes fulfilled by Abigail’s heir
This hunt impels you to use your wit –
Come on now, Yukon do it!
“The next one, trying to figure out a way to get people to Deschutes County, I read about ‘Klondike Kate,'” said Luzania. “She had a homestead out near Brothers and she lived in Downtown Bend.”
Now, even more specifically, which city was the bottle in?
That’s where Clue 3 comes in
The Depression hit, and finances dried up
This town looked for a way to keep its chin up.
Dutch floated a grand plan to bring in the masses
An event that hailed the town’s finest lasses.
Queen reigned supreme, court on cygnet dreams,
Designs and arches each year surpasses.
“I wanted to keep it in Bend just because that’s where most of the population is,” said Luzania.
She saw the Bend Water Pageant exhibit at the museum and thought it was a good way to give bottle hunters a city.
Days four and five focused less on history and more on location.
The Day 4 clue
Moira’s Johnny is no appleseed
Butlers and pilots for every need
Apples don’t grow in this district anymore
But Johnny would be at home in this store
The very last one on earth of its kind –
A place where time and technology can rewind!
“I really wanted to pull off the puns on Schitt’s Creek where they were this wealthy family who owned those chain of video stores and they all went bankrupt, parallel to the story of Blockbuster that is the only one left,” said Luzania.
While the word Blockbuster isn’t in the clue, the reference the last of its kind on Earth where technology can rewind is about Blockbuster Video in Bend — the last one left on the planet.
Referencing that plus “pilots,” and “appleseed” would lead participants to the Orchard District.
The final hint
Travel the lane to a former timber ranch homestead,
Where crops were shared and dairy cows bred.
A life began in an atomic blast
Peaceful cultivation will help it last.
Your spirits won’t be dragging –
Lily’s shed helps with the conceal
Keep those tongues from wagon –
This treasure is for wheel!
The last clue would make people look for a “timber ranch homestead,” right to Hollinshead Park.
The final clue on Day 5 let hunters know that this treasure is for “wheel” or in this case, a wagon wheel, which is where the bottle was found by Shane Chatham of Bend. In addition to keeping the bottle, Chatham chose the Deschutes Watershed Council to receive a $1,000 donation from BottleDrop.
