Our Thoughts on the Solution
Let me start off by saying…
I’ve never been the kind of Treasure Finder—and I’ve earned that title—who insists on solving every single clue. Nor is that my goal. My approach has always been to identify the key clues that lead to a location, then solve just enough surrounding clues to confirm I’m exactly where I need to be.
And while “speed-running” a treasure hunt might be impossible in the strictest sense, I am trying to pinpoint and verify the X as quickly as possible—hopefully before the waves of other hunters racing toward the same prize.
With that in mind, this solution page won’t attempt to catalogue every possible clue, puzzle, cipher, or nuance of Collins-Black’s hard work. It’s not meant to be exhaustive.
But it is enough… So, here we go!
Where did we find it?
Photo by Greg Disch
How did we find it?
“If you played the Pokemon video game, you know it’s fairly simple.
The game is a hunt, and the Pokemon characters are the treasure.
A player is asked to find a Pokemon…
…capturing even more powerful and elusive Pokemon.”
- JCB
Translation:
It’s simple. Fine the Elusive Pokemon. Find the Treasure.
- Me
The Clues Interpreted
Google Maps
The Search Area
“It was time to depart Statesville on a two-week vacation. Our destination was Houston, Texas. Our excursion would be circular; we’d head southwest through New Orleans and then make our trek back past the Ozarks.”
Petit Jean State Park, the first state park created in Arkansas, is the most famous natural area on that exact route and was a classic 1970s–80s family camping stop.
Area Elevation
“The site of the six-story hotel might as well have been the Empire State Building or the Eiffel Tower to me.”
Implies the mountain or mesa will an elevation between the Eiffel Tower (984 ft - 1,083ft with antenna) and the Empire State Building (1,250ft - 1,453 at the pinnacle).
A relatively flat top gives Petit Jean elevations that vary from approximately 750 feet above sea level to a high point of 1,207 feet above sea level, or up to nearly 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River Valley.
The Find Method
“I spent hours turning over rocks
Photo by Explore the Ozarks
Hidden on a Mountain
“This was my first long road-trip, and I brimmed to the rim with excitement.”
Implies that the box is hidden on a mountain or mesa with overlooks. Petit Jean Mountain has several overlooks, including the Mather Lodge overlook and the Gravesite overlook at Stout's Point. Other scenic viewpoints can be reached by driving or by taking trails, such as the scenic views near the Cedar Falls Overlook Trail and other formations in the park.
A French Connection
“Our plan for the next day was to visit the French Quarter.”
The mention of New Orleans and the French Quarter imply a “French” connection to the area is some way. Mentioning New Orleans directly rules it out as a potential hide location.
According to legend Petit Jean was actually a young 18th century French woman. When she discovered that her fiancé planned to explore the Louisiana Territory, she cut her hair, disguised herself as a boy and managed to find a position as a cabin boy.
A Boy Scout Connection
“I witnessed my first American eagle