Two Friends Bury $10,000 And Share Clues To Treasure Hunters To Raise People’s Spirits Post Covid

Thrill-seekers from across the US have swarmed the mountains of Utah in search of a hidden treasure chest containing $10,000 in cash.

David Cline and John Maxim started the Utah Treasure Hunt in 2020 to cheer people up during the Covid situation. They buried $5,000, but it was uncovered in a matter of just 4 days, David told Fox News.

“We just kind of sensed that morale was down as a community, just because everyone had been locked in for everything for a long time,” he said. “And so we were like, man, what would be a safe, fun way to get people outside? And we just kind of thought, what about a treasure hunt?”

“We had no idea what kind of response we’d get,” he added.

And for the second season of the Utah Treasure Hunt, the prize money has been increased to $10,000, along with a 10-ounce silver coin and “some fun stuff we threw in there,” David said. The start signal was given last week along with a poem with hidden clues that were shared on David’s Instagram page.

David said:

“It’s just blowing up.”

The two will also be sharing clues every Friday on social media.

Also, people who post photos of their hunt will be given clues a day in advance, David said.

Hunters have already been informed that the cash is not located at a ski resort and it isn’t buried somewhere deep underground.

A map was also made available showing the area where the chest is located.

According to David, up to 1,000 people are currently taking part in the adventure, with some coming from as far as Atlanta and Hawaii. 

“There’s a lot of people out there that just love a good treasure hunt,” David said. “It’s kind of exciting that … it’s like one of the only things in all of our society that kind of transcends, you know, political lines and everything. Everyone loves a treasure hunt.”

Although David and John are not giving any more clues on top of their Friday updates, they told ABC 4 that the chest is “as accessible as possible” for treasure hunters. Also, it was made clear that the cash is not hidden on private property, so trespassing should be avoided.

David said he and John hope the chest stays hidden for the rest of the summer but added they doubt that it’ll last that long undiscovered. 

“I think that the response and just the genius of the community is way too powerful for that, so we’re hoping for at least like maybe a couple weeks,” David laughed.

“For us, the joy of it is just kind of watching families and friends and couples and everybody just get out into the mountains and discover new places and have a great time doing it,” David added. “There is something fun about kind of sitting back and just seeing, you know, thousands of people try and solve your riddle as they wander the mountains.”

What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you’ve enjoyed it.