Post by Domino on Feb 15, 2022 14:36:48 GMT -5
The Xi Solution
I must say, every day I look at the Xi Coin hanging on my wall (along with a bundle of deteriorated cash I found when looking for Fenn's treasure in 2012) I wonder at what could have been if the creators of this hunt hadn't turned out to be illegitimate. It was suppose to be the most valuable of the three scrollquest hunts. Value of Idol of Xi $100,000 (yikes, right!) (Gris Gris Doll remains unsolved, the other was solved a few years before this)
The back of the coin has an SQ engraved on it. Also note, the cash in the pic is a story of my hunt for TTOTC best told over beers.
Note, in 2007, I was trying to disguise who I was on the tweleve forum when posting the solutions back. I posted the solution after my second unsuccessful attempt to get the coin so I still did not have the coin in my hands. I did not want to give away who it was that was this close for many reasons. Also, I felt like beating of the chest to say, "look at me, I solved this thing" was not my style.
In total, I travelled to Robber's Cave State Park in Oklahoma a total of 3 times in order to solve this quest. Not easy. The story of the final deduction is one of treasure lore in its own right (again, over an adult beverage, it can be told).
I have a degree in recreation (yep) and I am a certified parks & rec pro, as soon as I noticed the blue dots on the scroll, I knew that I had to figure out what park and trail that was at to solve it. It took some sleuthing of all varieties to come up with it. Most of the clues did, however, reveal what was needed to find RCSP and the exact trail needed. The layered scribble on the scroll that revealed COARSE GULCH PATH was the real ticket to the solve. It was ROUGH CANYON TRAIL and that trail was the double blue dot trail. Seeing the STAR on the scroll spelled out: WHOM TOLLS? = Belle Starr, Image of Jesse James tied me directly to Robber's Cave State Park. I emailed the parks director to confirm.
Robbers Cave State Park
There are several trails in the park. The trails tend to be one person width trails, rocky, and have some change in elevation including some climbs. There are small (less than a mile) yellow dot and red dot trails around the cave area (dots are usually on trees). The head of the longer trails start to the left of the parking area from the caves. This is the single blue dot trail where, after a mile, you'll have your choice of heading towards the Lost Lake or the Mountain Trail/Deep Ford. The Lost Lake trail will loop you back to the cave area after 1.9 miles. By taking a left on to the Mountain Trail you'll be following double blue dots for half a mile keeping an eye out for the sharp turn off the trail down into the rough "canyon” trail. I knew it had to be along this area due to the clues.
I must say, every day I look at the Xi Coin hanging on my wall (along with a bundle of deteriorated cash I found when looking for Fenn's treasure in 2012) I wonder at what could have been if the creators of this hunt hadn't turned out to be illegitimate. It was suppose to be the most valuable of the three scrollquest hunts. Value of Idol of Xi $100,000 (yikes, right!) (Gris Gris Doll remains unsolved, the other was solved a few years before this)
The back of the coin has an SQ engraved on it. Also note, the cash in the pic is a story of my hunt for TTOTC best told over beers.
Note, in 2007, I was trying to disguise who I was on the tweleve forum when posting the solutions back. I posted the solution after my second unsuccessful attempt to get the coin so I still did not have the coin in my hands. I did not want to give away who it was that was this close for many reasons. Also, I felt like beating of the chest to say, "look at me, I solved this thing" was not my style.
In total, I travelled to Robber's Cave State Park in Oklahoma a total of 3 times in order to solve this quest. Not easy. The story of the final deduction is one of treasure lore in its own right (again, over an adult beverage, it can be told).
I have a degree in recreation (yep) and I am a certified parks & rec pro, as soon as I noticed the blue dots on the scroll, I knew that I had to figure out what park and trail that was at to solve it. It took some sleuthing of all varieties to come up with it. Most of the clues did, however, reveal what was needed to find RCSP and the exact trail needed. The layered scribble on the scroll that revealed COARSE GULCH PATH was the real ticket to the solve. It was ROUGH CANYON TRAIL and that trail was the double blue dot trail. Seeing the STAR on the scroll spelled out: WHOM TOLLS? = Belle Starr, Image of Jesse James tied me directly to Robber's Cave State Park. I emailed the parks director to confirm.
Robbers Cave State Park
There are several trails in the park. The trails tend to be one person width trails, rocky, and have some change in elevation including some climbs. There are small (less than a mile) yellow dot and red dot trails around the cave area (dots are usually on trees). The head of the longer trails start to the left of the parking area from the caves. This is the single blue dot trail where, after a mile, you'll have your choice of heading towards the Lost Lake or the Mountain Trail/Deep Ford. The Lost Lake trail will loop you back to the cave area after 1.9 miles. By taking a left on to the Mountain Trail you'll be following double blue dots for half a mile keeping an eye out for the sharp turn off the trail down into the rough "canyon” trail. I knew it had to be along this area due to the clues.
