Three clues in and after 15 minutes of searching, a Bismarck man found the golden egg in the Tribune’s first Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Moritz Sport and Marine in Mandan.
Paul Olson, a Tribune subscriber, was awarded $1,000 after locating the egg in the cavity of a tree near the south side of the Bismarck Expressway bike tunnel shortly after noon Tuesday.
Bismarck Tribune Publisher Gary Adkisson, who hid the egg, said the tree was located “outside of the fence” between Riverwood Drive and Riverwood Golf Course Loop, near the golf course’s 18th tee.
Olson, accompanied by his wife and son, said the three of them searched the area by the tunnel before he decided to wander off toward the golf course on his own, with Tuesday’s clue fresh on his mind. It read, “Three trails have tunnels, two with a dog leg. Pass through the correct one to find the gold egg.”
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“As I walked up, there was an old broken branch and I looked inside there and I didn’t see it on first look. But as I turned away, the sun actually reflected off of it and that caught my eye,” Olson said. “I looked back in there and there was just enough there to see it.”
Once he found it, Olson said he held the golden egg up in the air and hollered over to his wife and son, who remained by the tunnel, letting them know the search was over.
“I was pretty excited, actually,” he said, noting he plans to use the $1,000 to “do something with the whole family,” which includes grandkids.
Clues meant to direct participants to the golden egg began running Sunday in the paper and also appeared on the Tribune's contest and Facebook pages. Up for grabs was $1,000 for a Tribune subscriber or $500 for a nonsubscriber.
The first two clues read, “If it’s the golden egg you seek, it is no lark. It resides in a nest not far from a park” and “On foot or on bike, just stick to the trail. It will lead to the egg without fail.”
On Monday night, Olson said he and his wife spent about 45 minutes searching the Johnny Gisi Memorial Park, but came up empty-handed.
Had the egg not been found, the final clues would’ve read:
- “Going in circles following clues? Here’s the scoop: This trail is the longest that makes a loop.”
- “This trail is not straight or narrow. Users beware of ball and arrow.”
- “A cozy situation: a bird’s nest on the ground. Our nest and egg is eye level, easier to be found.”
- “The egg will be found in the ‘V’ of a tree. Out of bounds, but a chip shot from the 18th tee.”