Unearthing Whistill: A Treasure Hunt Triumph Using OSINT
Embarking on a treasure hunt, whether in the pages of history or the vast landscapes of our imagination, has always held an irresistible charm. The thrill of deciphering clues, piecing together fragments of information, and venturing into the unknown mirrors the very essence of exploration. However, in our digital age, the art of treasure hunting has evolved, expanding its horizons into the realm of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). Much like the intrepid explorers of old, modern-day treasure hunters now rely on their digital prowess to uncover hidden gems buried within the vast expanse of online data.
This was the beauty of the Tri-State Hunt for Whistill. A perfect combination of old and new. In this story, I am excited to share the journey of our team and how we used a blend of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and boots-on-the-ground techniques to find Whistill, an online treasure hunt. This thrilling combination of modern technology and age-old exploration will demonstrate how OSINT and boots-on-the-ground methodologies synergistically coalesce, proving instrumental in unraveling the enigmatic puzzle of The Hunt for Whistill.
“You now have the opportunity to spend time with friends and family members while working through the clues and exploring the Tri-State area. Go find things you never knew existed and explore places that you normally wouldn’t go to. When you add in the experiences and stories you will create along the way, you will take out of it so much more than you put into it. Good luck everyone and remember to have fun. This one is on us.” — Jeff Raveaux
Clue 1 | Setting The Boundary
Good luck on your journey
and have fun along the way
Solve the clues to find the loot
or hidden it will stay
Setting the boundry
should be your first task
Then solve the clues to answer
the questions you will ask
Solve:
Setting the boundary was the first task in this hunt. Each of the grey lines really started to look like borders and because they were all the same color I attempted to puzzle them together.
The resulting image was created and with my previous study of the local maps it finally dawned on me that it was multiple counties combined into one single outline. Our boundary had been set and clue two was here to confirm it.
Clue 2 | Not With The 5 Figures
Around the Tri-State Area
I’ve combined a 2, a 3, and a 3
Roughly 3286 when rounded up
this I can guarantee
It’s not with the 5 figures
captured in time forever
Only one will hold the prize you seek
but to find it you must be clever
Solve:
The second clue was a great way to reinforce the boundary and also narrow down our search.
“I’ve combined a 2, a 3, and a 3”
2 counties in Ohio (Jefferson, Columbiana), 3 counties in West Virginia (Hancock, Brooke, Ohio), 3 counties in Pennsylvania (Washington, Allegheny, Beaver)
“Roughly 3286 when rounded up, this I can guarantee”
To solve this one we need to find the size of each county. Jefferson = 411, Columbiana = 535, Brooke = 93, Hancock = 88, Washington = 861, Allegheny = 745, Beaver = 444, Ohio = 109. Adding all of these together you are left with 3,286 square miles.
“It’s not with the 5 figures captured in time forever”
This was one of the easier clues to figure out. The 5 “figures” captured in time forever are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock , Robert Brooke, and Christopher Columbus. Each figure frozen in time because of the representative counties being named after them.
With the “5 figures” eliminated from our search area this left us with Ohio County, Beaver County, and Allegheny County. It was time to move onto Clue 3.
Clue 3 | A Real Hot Dish
Once in time a fine river
from generations past
Now a hiding place for Whistill
So wonderful and So vast
Once known for a real hot dish
using two main ingredients on each occasion
The summation of a weight
must be used for multiplication
Solve:
Clue 3 was one of the more difficult clues during this entire hunt. Learning to really pay attention to the wording became apparent as the hunt started to come together.
“Once in time a fine river from generations past”
The remaining 3 counties are all named after rivers which made this clue difficult at first, but after a little digging I was able to find the exact wording of the clue. Finding that specific phrasing sealed the deal narrowing down our search to Allegheny County.
“Once known for a real hot dish, using two main ingredients on each occasion”
Looking through a vast majority of famous meals from Allegheny County that used two main ingredients lead to nothing which made us have to try and think outside the box. This led us to “Steel.” We all know the history of Steel in Pittsburgh and it just happens to be made with two main ingredients: Carbon and Iron.
“The summation of a weight must be used for multiplication”
Now that we know the two main ingredients we have to figure out their atomic weight. Iron’s atomic weight is 55.845 u while Carbon’s is 12.011 u. Adding both of those together we are left with 67.85615. Now that we have figured out the “summation of weight,” we have to figure out what to multiply it against. My first thought were the blue and green numbers but nothing was making sense until I realize we needed to overlap the clues to find the exact numbers to use for multiplication.
Multiplying 67.85615 against both of the numbers now revealed in the clue leave you with these coordinates: 40.5299138, -79.8332626. This lead us to a location right next to Oakmont Country Club named Falling Springs Run.
We originally thought the odds of these coordinates taking us to somewhere in Allegheny County meant that this had to be the location of the treasure, but unfortunately for us we had not found that spot yet. Although the name these coordinates pointed to would become important in the next clue.
Clue 4 | The Seven Trees
Without a sudden jump
or any form of fortification
a name within a name
shared with your destination
Regardless of which season it is
if your back is against the wall
You must find the seven trees
that will appear after Fall
Solve:
Clue 4 felt impossible to solve for the longest time. It was actually one of the last ones that we solved and required a “Bonus” clue to finally realize what this clue meant. (Bonus clues are ones that are not apart of the original 7 and were added throughout to aid in the hunt.) Paying extreme attention to the wording and capitalization was key to solving this clue.
“Without a sudden jump or any form of fortification, a name within a name shared with your destination”
This is where the last clue is very important. Remember the name Falling Springs Run? If we remove a “sudden jump’ ie: “spring” we are left with Falling Run. And since the clue also tells us that it is a “name within a name shared with your destination that leads us to search “Falling Run Allegheny County,” giving us a result that leads us to “Fall Run Park”.
Regardless of which season it is if your back is against the wall, You must find the seven trees that will appear after Fall
Since the clue states that the season doesn't matter we can assume that the word “Fall” doesn't actually represent the season, rather a name. If you take a look at the picture above, what do you notice? How about the roads Elm Street, Beech Street, Linden Street, Oak Street, Hazel Street, Willow Street, and Maple Street. These are our seven trees that appear after “Fall”, Fall Run Road that is. This was one of my favorite clues of the entire hunt especially since it leads to where we need to get our boots on the ground (BOTG).
Clues 5–7 | One Truth and Two Lies
More than half through your journey
now it’s time to finish the rest
What seems like random scratches
will help you on your quest
You will need to face due South
while centered in the midst of a gap
Utilize the clues you have
study them and recap
One truth will mark the container
while two lies each guard an empty hole
Picking the one you have seen before
will land you inches above your goal
When standing on the 3rd
the picture will be complete
however, only when aligned
the next challenge you will meet
The key is truly Whistill
holding the coin in which you seek
Another puzzle in a puzzle
something that is unique
Solve:
I have decided to showcase clues 5–7 together as they all have to do with each other and are mostly clues to be used once you have BOTG.
“More than half through your journey now it’s time to finish the rest, What seems like random scratches will help you on your quest”
As you can see from the random drawings on the clues it really does look like “random scratches.” Using the knowledge that some clues overlap with each other we decided to combine all 3 drawings revealing the most important clue of the hunt.
After we had put together this image it is obvious we are looking at a drawing of trees and what seemed to be the hiding place of Whistill.
“You will need to face due South while centered in the midst of a gap, Utilize the clues you have study them and recap. One truth will mark the container while two lies each guard an empty hole, Picking the one you have seen before will land you inches above your goal”
This is where the fun came into play; it was finally time to make the journey to Fall Run Park and find this location. The night before, however, I was able to find this image on a Google review of the park:
As soon as I saw this photo and noticed a couple similarities to the drawing and really felt like this was the final location. Now, I just had to find where this location was in Fall Run Park. With the help of this Youtube video I was able to pinpoint the exact location and also confirm another clue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gj3t9Kz_9M&t=316s
“When standing on the 3rd the picture will be complete, however, only when aligned the next challenge you will meet. The key is truly Whistill holding the coin in which you seek, Another puzzle in a puzzle something that is unique.”
Watching the video above provided insight into this next clue as well. When standing on the third. It just so happened that the 3rd bridge was located in the exact spot as the trees from the Google review picture, so I felt even more confident that this was the location. It was time to get to Fall Run Park and find Whistill.
BOTG | Finding Whistill
Once we got to the park it was time to trek to the 3rd bridge. While standing on the 3rd and facing due south — confirmed by a compass at a perfect 180°— I knew this was the location as soon as I saw the trees. Here is the picture from my vantage point:
The dead giveaway for me was the “X” in the tree which confirmed to me that this was the location. The next step was to start looking. The three purple dots seemed to be our 1 truth and 2 lies, and because there was a path up to the two closer trees I thought it had to be the dot set back into the woods more. I took off up the hill and this is what happened:
I had jokingly said, “What if it takes 5 minutes to find this once we are there?” Well, that is exactly what happened. My first attempt was the “Truth.” Lying between the trees, up against the base, was a stone with “the one you have seen before,” which was an outline of Fort Duquesne that had been drawn on Clue 3. After a little digging I finally saw the “container” and knew 100% that we had found Whistill.
Afterwards, we found out that the two other dots on the drawing also had etched rocks. So after we ate lunch, we went back and found both of them. To be honest finding the “2 Lies” was harder than the “Truth!” (Also a big shoutout to my wife for finding both of them!)
In the end, The Hunt for Whistill proved to be an unforgettable and long adventure. (Almost 4 months to complete!) I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in helping solve these clues. This includes my wife, Emily, and members of our team: Bob and Johnny. Without you guys, Whistill would still be out there waiting for someone to find it.
And of course, the biggest shoutout to Jeff Raveaux for making this experience possible. You crafted an intricate and well-researched hunt that lead to a summer full of memories. Like Forrest Fenn said, “It is the thrill of the chase,” and I am grateful for you bringing all of us our “Chase”.
And to everyone who participated in this hunt, I highly recommend buying Jeff Raveaux’s book “One Millisecond” as a show of appreciation for such a great hunt and bringing us a summer full of entertainment.
The Bonus Clues
This collection is all of the clues that were released throughout the hunt to aid in the progression. These clues proved to be a key factor in determining the exact location of Whistill.
Bonus Clue 1 | The Code
The first bonus clue was this number code. The way to solve this clue is to use the 3 number sequence to find a specific letter in the original 7 clues. The first letter stood for which clue, the second letter stood for which line, and the third letter stood for which letter to pick. Although this was the “easy” way to do it, I decided to just brute-force it letter combinations until it made sense. Here is what the clue said:
With five removed from the area,
it narrows the search down to three.
Finding the meaning behind a name,
will help determine where it could be.Once a leader of its time,
find the answer to reveal.
That there is no food involved,
and you are not looking for a meal.
Solve:
This clue was very useful in validating the answers we had come up with on the first 4 clues. “Five removed” are the five counties removed because they are named after someone. “Finding the meaning behind a name” represents finding the meaning behind the name Allegheny. The final part of the clue is indicating steel, a “hot meal” with “no food involved.” Also, in the background this clue, there is a silhouette that would prove to be the outline of the bridge railing from Clue 6.
Bonus Clue 2 | The Trees Have Been Leveled
The trees have been leveled
laying upon the ground
from above they appear
to be scattered all around
The trick is also the point
when the time is just right
you should find the loot
well within your sight
Solve:
The following clue was tough and wasn’t one that we used to solve the hunt but makes more sense once you have found the location.
“The trees have been leveled laying upon the ground, from above they appear to be scattered all around”
This clue points to the “7 Trees After Fall” as they are “laying upon the ground” and “appear to be scattered all around” because they are streets.
“The trick is also the point when the time is just right, you should find the loot well within your sight”
The “point” in question for this clue is the one located in the final 3 original clues. Within those clues are 3 roman numerals that represent a time that each have a point inside them. Rotating the image to put those times together in the correct position helped get the final “Tree Map Drawing”
Bonus Clue 3 | To The South, To The West
To the South of a structure
that utilized a design by two others
This 754 stretch bares a different name
just like most wonders
To the West of what once WAS
that paved the way for power
It’s shocking results made history
but now just a toppled tower
Solve:
“To the South of a structure that utilized a design by two others, This 754 stretch bares a different name just like most wonders”
This clue was tricky and actually took a future clue to solve it. The “structure” in question in this clue is the Jennings Randolph Bridge. It is 754 feet in length and is a Pratt Truss bridge (Bonus Clue 4 Answer).
“To the West of what once WAS that paved the way for power, It’s shocking results made history but now just a toppled tower”
This was actually the easiest clue of the entire hunt. A clever use of “WAS” as it also stands for the Westinghouse Atom Smasher. It was originally made by Van de Graaff (Bonus Clue 4 Answer) as an electrostatic nuclear accelerator.
The 1 & 4 on this clue are also important and are used in the next clue.
Bonus Clue 4 | Between The Space
If you were looking for guidance
this is not the place
I have given you the clues
in between the space
Solve:
Using the numbers 1 & 4 from the previous clue we are able to determine that we have to overlay this clue on top of those two. This results in the following.
With it overlayed on the correct clue we can see two things that are spelled out. The two things are the names Graaff and Pratt. The layout of the clue also gives us the idea to apply it to Bonus Clue 3. In the end we learn that both of these names are related to the creator of the structures in Bonus Clue 3.
Bonus Clue 5 | Twofold
What if one image could be used
to house a meaning that is twofold
to help illuminate a path
that the other clues foretold
Solve:
This was the clue that sealed the deal for us. Like the previous clues it is important to pay attention to the wording.
“What if one image could be used to house a meaning that is twofold, to help illuminate a path that the other clues foretold”
The key to this clue is the word “twofold”. Not only does this image hold two meaning but you are also supposed to fold it as well revealing the following image.
The colored maple leaves had two on the left side and eight on the right side. This could either be interpreted as “To 8 (route 8)” or “Route 28” both of which are next to Fall Run Park. The big key for this clue was the road like branches that created a very similar pattern to the “7 Trees After Fall” area.
Juvfgvyy jnf bayl gur ortvaavat
