Project Skydrop treasure found in Wendell State Forest

The Project Skydrop treasure was found in the Wendell State Forest using maps of beech trees and cloud movements.

The Project Skydrop treasure was found in the Wendell State Forest using maps of beech trees and cloud movements. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JON FLIS

The trailcam placed next to the treasure caught the exact moment the treasure was found

The trailcam placed next to the treasure caught the exact moment the treasure was found CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JON FLIS

The Project Skydrop treasure was found in the Wendell State Forest by an anonymous treasure hunter Tuesday night.

The Project Skydrop treasure was found in the Wendell State Forest by an anonymous treasure hunter Tuesday night. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JON FLIS

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Staff Writer

Published: 10-02-2024 4:12 PM

Modified: 10-02-2024 4:33 PM


WENDELL— The treasure has been found.

Eleven days after the hunt began for a four-inch-tall golden statue, an anonymous treasure hunter has claimed the Project Skydrop prize deep in the Wendell State Forest.

At 5:19 p.m. on Tuesday, those watching the live treasure cam would have seen a pair of gray and green Adidas sneakers approach the statue, created by video game designer Jason Rohrer.

Rohrer and his creative partner Tom Bailey created Project Skydrop in pursuit of the “perfect treasure hunt.” A small gold statue, designed by Bailey and forged by Rohrer, was left in the woods, with the only hints to its location coming in the form of a shrinking circle on a map and daily aerial photos.

There were a number of close calls, said Jon Flis, owner of Flis Market in Erving, which sits near the forest. As the circle zeroed in on Franklin County being the location of the hidden treasure, Jon and his wife Liz saw more and more hikers and treasure hunters in the area.

Tuesday evening, after hearing numerous hunters say the treasure has to be nearby, Jon and Liz decided to wander up to the trailhead and met a man holding the treasure.

“He came out of the woods and we just started clapping for him,” Liz said.

The hunter told the couple that he grew up in the area and now lives in Boston, working as a scientist. He found the treasure using weather tracking tools, tree maps and a bit of luck. He recognized the trees on the trail cam and aerial photos as beech trees and used maps of beech tree groves on public land to narrow down his search.

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“He said that he almost gave up. He went out searching yesterday around 3 p.m. and almost gave up until he saw this big cloud,” Liz said. “He was watching the cloud and the live camera and he was able to narrow down which patch of trees it was in and that was how he found it.”

The hunter told the couple that he found the spot but did not immediately see the treasure. This time of year beech trees look golden, making spotting the small statue difficult. But he eventually saw it after nearly stepping on it, and the hunt was over.

“It’s a huge area, the Wendell State Forest is 7,500 acres...” Jon said.

The hunter showed them the statue, which broke when he slipped on some mud while hiking out of the forest.

The couple said the treasure hunter did not give them his name. Rohrer added that the hunter has not reached out and did not post a video of him finding the trophy on YouTube, so per the games rules, he will not be receiving the cash prize of more than $80,000.

Jon and Liz said the hunter “could not have been more genuine” and believed he was telling the truth when he said he did not care about the prize money and was just excited about the hunt and getting to spend some time outside.

“It wasn’t about the prize, it was cool to feel like we knew the woods it was maybe hidden in and to explore,” Liz said.

“It was about getting people out of the computer seats and putting boots on and getting into the mud and the woods,” Jon added.

Rohrer said he had a feeling the treasure would be found in the second or third week of the hunt, but was still impressed with the hunter.

“He used all the available data and was a few days ahead of everyone else,” Rohrer said.

Rohrer said he does not plan on announcing the exact location where the treasure was hidden – at least not yet. He still has to go out to the trail and pick up his cameras, and was considering putting a guest book and some other souvenirs and prizes so that other treasure hunters could continue to search the area until Oct. 10, when the game was scheduled to end.

A second place prize is up for grabs. The circle will continue to shrink, and aerial images will be released for the next few days. Treasure hunters who believe they know the location where the treasure was hidden can submit their guess to the Project Skydrop website. The closest 20 guesses will receive a $100 prize.

Jon and Liz said the man told them he had no intention of coming forward and would remain anonymous.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com