5 Tips on “How To Properly Decipher A PITPC Clue” by Digger BADGER®

5 Tips on “How To Properly Decipher A PITPC Clue” by Digger BADGER®

Digger BADGER® MascotHey! Digger here. I’m the Badger Paddles mascot. You know, I may just be a stuffed toy but I think you will find me pretty useful after you read this. You see… Being a stuffie has its advantages. People just forget I am there and say all sorts of things in front of me. Especially Fiona. She talks about the Paddle In The Park Contest secrets when I am in the room with her, all the time. Which is how I came to know how to properly decipher a Paddle In The Park Contest (PITPC) clue… And because I am such an awesome little Badger mascot and I dig all paddlers, I am sharing my knowledge with you.

“How To Properly Decipher A PITPC Clue by Digger BADGER®”

 

1) Those aren’t just pretty pictures.

The accompanying clue image usually includes a hint of some sort. Make sure you seek it out. It could be a picture of the actual location, an image run thru a filtre and/or flipped/turned upside down. For example, the image below shows a partial (stylized) map of Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park for a clue from 2013. The lake is the pink area, with the north arm showing on the left. You can see Opeongo Island there as well, and the actual portage (where the paddle was hidden) is somewhere around the PITPC logo. Plus the text that went with the image referred to “Opie”. I’m telling you, these PITPC people can be tricky!

Paddle In The Park Opeongo 2013 Clue Image Example

 

2) Look for the hidden meaning.

Sometimes they play around with the wording a bit to keep you on your toes. Definitely make sure to look for that hidden meaning. Pair that information with the clue picture, and you are getting somewhere!

Example clue from 2013:
PIPTC Rain Lake Clue from 2013

Part of a route tried many times,
Look near a lake where the sun never shines.

Break down:

The real clue is found in the one section of the second line: “a lake where the sun never shines“. This actually translates to “Rain Lake” in Algonquin Park. Plus, a second hint was given with the accompanying image for this clue which shows falling rain. See how tricky these PITPC people can be?

 

3) Pay attention to the capitalization.

Okay, this one is important. From what I have heard, they don’t capitalize the first letter of a word in the middle of a line unless there is a good reason to. That’s all I know.

 

4) There is much to be said about the PITPC Sponsors.

Not only did they provide some great prizes but the title sponsor of a paddle may actually give an indication as to where the paddle could be hidden as well. For instance, from what I can tell, it doesn’t make sense for the paddle hiders to hide an Algonquin Outfitters paddle in Killarney…. But then again, who really knows?

Paddle Progress

 

5) Pay attention to who hides the paddle as it is usually pretty important.
We alluded to this once already, in this clue found at Paddling Instructor. But to give you a more concrete example, paddle hider Conor Mihell is from the Lake Superior area. So naturally he hid the Canadian Canoe Museum Paddle somewhere in Lake Superior Provincial Park.

Clue #3

 

In conclusion:
You may have already figured this stuff out on your own, but I am only a stuffed toy so you cannot blame me for not knowing that. I will, however, leave you with the last bit of information I heard just this morning: There are less than 60 days left to seek those hidden paddles. Last tip! Review all clues to date here: PITPC CLUES. Now, I have helped you all I can. (I don’t even know if they will let me keep this post up here, now that I broke my cover. But that is the risk I took to get you this information.) So go on…. Don’t make me badger you! Get “Out There”!

 

 

 

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