Outwoods events attract the best people. This was once again proven true at the 6th Annual Outwoods Hunt held July 31 at Como Park. Thirty-seven enthusiastic individuals showed up on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to participate in this unique scavenger hunt.

The object was to solve as many of the 20 rhyming clues as possible within the two-hour time limit. In order to discover the answers hunters needed to take part in some out-of-the-ordinary activities: counting the bees painted on a large mural in the conservatory, questioning the lifeguard at the swimming pool, and inspecting both the men's and women's bathrooms near the playground. A favorite clue directed teams to a bench at Seal Island where they were to "Wait patiently and you will see the answer fits you to a 'T'". Observant hunters noticed that the answer was written on the back of a T-shirt worn by a man (a friend of the hunt master) who walked back and forth in this area.

Despite the devious nature of the hunt, ALL teams performed admirably. Two teams tied for top honors with remarkable scores of 16 correct answers each.

Once again the organizer was impressed by the friendliness, good humor, and sportsmanship displayed by all those who took part. He is proud to belong to a group that attracts such high quality people.

If you missed the hunt and would like to try your hand at solving one of the riddles, see if you can unravel this clue the next time you visit Como Park:

	hsiT luce aws naket rof a drie,
	tBu hhciw erid saw ti - uoy cieedd;
	fI a iotr vgae ti a ytr,
	owH amny ciettsk hulods yeth ybu?

On July 25 thirty-three people (and one dog) took part in the Fifth Annual Outwoods Hunt. This year it was held on the U of M East Bank. Twenty cryptic clues sent participants racing throughout the campus, Dinkytown, and Stadium Village. After two hours of searching, teams returned with answers.

Here is a sample clue:

 
    This mighty castle we can view,
    But we're not wanted on their crew.
    If the place was used for dance,
    How many couples could gaily prance?

The answer was located on a plaque outside the armory (home of ROTC), which stated that when the building was used as a ballroom over 300 couples could dance there.

Everyone seemed to have a great deal of fun, both in the hunt and visiting with other participants after the hunt was over. The friendliness and high spirits of all who took part made this one of the highlights of the summer for the organizer.