2024 Photo Scavenger Hunt – Rules and Alternate Words

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  • #923063
    Kbikeva
    Participant

    2024 Photo Scavenger Hunt – Rules and Alternate Words

    Alternate Words

    1/6/2024   STONE

    1/13/2024      PIANO

    2/6/2024    WITCH

    We are very excited to host the 2024 Photo Scavenger Hunt Pointless Prize. We welcome back our seasoned veterans and extend a special welcome to our newbies.

    Because Freezing Saddles players are the smartest cyclists in the region, this year the Scavenger Hunt is leveling up with a twist. You’ll have to solve the daily Wordle game in order to discover the photo clue.

    Wordle is a logic guessing game, hosted by the NY Times (no subscription or log-in required to play). Each answer is a five letter word. All the rules for Wordle are at the site provided. If you’re not familiar with it, we encourage you to practice playing a couple of times before the scavenger hunt begins. Here is the link: https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html

    <b>Rules:
    </b>
    Like in previous years, we have two competitions this year: the main competition and participation prizes! You can compete in both simultaneously or just one.

    To compete for a participation prize, you must (1) upload one or more photos of the item to your Strava ride for that day AND (2) title your Strava ride with the hashtag #scavhunt. Please only hashtag ONE ride per day with #scavhunt. This hashtag will ensure you automatically show up and get ranked on our scavhunt leaderboard (https://freezingsaddles.org/pointless/hashtag/scavhunt). This is simply a numbers game – do it each day, and you’ll have the maximum number of entries. If you use the tag more than once in a 24-hour period, one of them will be disqualified.

    To compete in the main competition (with one or more points awarded daily based on photo creativity, beauty, and/or the capricious whims of Serdar and Kelley), your entries must be posted HERE on the Forum in this thread. To view the MAIN competition Leader Board, this is the link:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eaqadtiSwKlWYHUox3yrEexTudfUls2c/edit#gid=1392046455    Please note that this is an active document – don’t rest on your laurels until the competition ends.

    <b>Detailed rules:
    </b>

    1. You should be a participant in Freezing Saddles ’24. Friends of Freezing Saddles can post, but only actual participants can win prizes.
    2. It has to be on a bike ride on the day it was requested
    3. For the main competition, it has to be posted in the Forum on the day for which it was requested, i.e., 12:01 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST for the day it was requested. Sorry, we won’t count the ones that aren’t posted for the day it was requested. That is part of the challenge.
    4. We are embracing the random nature of games and life by using Wordle as the clue generator.
      Each day, you will go to https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html and play the provided. The solution word is the clue. You do not have to have a subscription to NYT or log in to their site. Wordle is provided free with the link above. If the Wordle game is too difficult or frustrating, there are two options – keep going until you run out of clues and the solution will be revealed. Or visit https://tryhardguides.com/wordle-solver/ which will help you figure it out. The new Wordle drops at midnight.
    5. Sometimes Wordle answers are abstract words – if one seems particularly difficult to illustrate AND it’s a really sucky weather day, we will post an alternate you can use for that 24-hour period. We will post it on the forum by 8am of the day for which the Wordle clue is awful. If you want to wait to see if the alternate word is better, this gives you options. It is your decision – if you ride before 8am, you get the Wordle word. Roll the dice and wait . . . or not. <b>On any day, do not wait for us if you’re ready to roll! This game is about finding the item, not about being first to solve the Wordle. If you don’t want to see the Wordle before you’ve solved it, don’t come to the forum before you solve it yourself. Someone may have gotten out there at midnight +1 minute (Hello cvcalhoun) </b> Posting an alternative is entirely within our discretion. If this occurs, the alternate clue will be on the very first page of the forum with the date. It is your responsibility to see if there’s one there. (And you can always post the hard word photo, go out again and find the alternate word photo and post it – but make sure you DELETE the first post).
    6. The word for the day will be posted on the forum as a new post, and will be added to the list on the first page (this one) of the scavenger hunt forum. Go to that page if you don’t want to search through the recent posts. Hint: Use “wordle“, “scavenger”, or “photo” to search if you can’t find it.
    7. Just as in past years, when you post your photo, use the format mm/dd/year – word. (Example 12/13/2023 – SPENT)
    8. Extra points for doing hard words, doing hard words in sucky weather, and being generally entertaining are within the discretion of the judges – but they MAY happen!
    9. Description, short backstory, or location are optional (but nice).
    10. It has to be a picture you took. You don’t need to be in the photo, but if you are in it, it either has to be a selfie or done with a self-timer
    11. Only one picture per day should be posted in the Forum. More than one, no matter how cute or engaging, will disqualify the player for that day. One photo means one photo – not two squished into one or any permutation thereof.
    12. You can include as many photos as you wish on your Strava ride but each Strava ride with the hashtag #scavhunt will be worth exactly 1 point.
    13. It has to be a picture, not a video.
    14. Let’s stick to things you find out there during your ride, not things you bring or make yourself (unless otherwise specified). Example 1: Don’t build a pile of dirt, snow, or rocks if the Wordle clue is “MOUND”; Example 2: if the Wordle clue is “FRUIT” don’t bring a piece of fruit with you on your ride, and take a photo of that. This takes the fun out of looking for things, which is the whole point.
    15. Your bike does not have to be in the photo, but we do love seeing them used creatively in context.
    16. Found item needs to be clear and discernible (or legible if text) in the picture.
    17. The Ricky Rule: Filters are OK, but no obvious/blatant photoshopping…. and no AI-generated images, please. Not that we would know anything about such things.
    18. 2024 Rule for Forum Access Challenges: We have set up an alternate place to post your photos if you prefer to not jump through the current hoops and headaches with the Forum. It is on Strava, a club appropriately named, 2024 Photo Scavenger Hunt .  If you decide to post there instead of here, all other rules apply. In other words, one photo only, before midnight the day the Wordle drops. Be sure to use the correct format, date followed by word. Be sure to post only one photo. And do not post both places for the same entry. We realize that from day to day your forum access might change, so it’s okay to go back and forth for posting. But don’t post on the forum and in the Strava club for the same day/word.

    <b>Scoring</b>

    Scoring will be similar to FS23, and there are two different prizes you are competing for simultaneously:

    Main Competition: To compete in this prize you must post in this thread complying with the rules above. Scoring will be arbitrary and capricious, and only one person per day is guaranteed to get the point each day. How will you be the lucky point winner for the day? Impress us with your creativity. The rider with the most Main Competition points at the end of the competition is the… winner of the Main Competition.

    Participation Winner: There will also be one or more participation award(s) for the top daily participant(s). Tag one ride each day with #scavhunt, add your photo(s) of the item, and watch this leaderboard https://freezingsaddles.org/pointless/hashtag/scavhunt. If you tag your ride with the hashtag, make sure you upload a photo. The leaderboard will score this automatically (one point per daily #scavhunt ride) and is honor-based. Please do not tag more than one ride per day with the hashtag and please do not use the tag without a photo. The top rider(s) (based on the number of rides, not mileage!!) will get a special prize at the end of Freezing Saddles!

    And last, but not least. Remember to be respectful of private property and obtain any necessary permissions when taking photos, especially in private areas. Additionally, try to capture unique angles and perspectives to make your scavenger hunt photos more interesting and creative. Have fun exploring your town and interpreting the theme in creative ways!

    Good Luck!
    Kelley and Serdar

Viewing 15 replies - 2,011 through 2,025 (of 2,311 total)
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    Replies
  • #1134428
    Indiana
    Participant

    3/18 spelt – Cherry cyclists under Cheery blossoms – should I have spelt that differently? Maybe not!

    #1134445
    Aaron bikes
    Participant

    3/19/24

    Thanks Kelley and Serdar for a great game.

    Thanks to my awesome competitors for keeping it interesting and challenging.

    The Dude ABIDEs.

    And today, after 76 of 78 days, and 1003 miles, my bikes ABIDE. 😀

     

    #1134456
    Nadine
    Participant

    @Indiana you went! You go, Girl! 💪🏼🎊🚴🏼‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴🏼🤩

    #1134457
    Nadine
    Participant

    @Aaron bikes nice idea. This is the first photo scavenger hunt where it’s possible to continue the game after FS is over. I hadn’t appreciated that before!

    I think some people might do it actually…. I don’t play wordle but  I bet I could get a friend or 2 to help me put with the daily word. I wonder, could we do that here? Or maybe on Strava & all follow each other 🤔🤷🏻

    #1134460
    Nadine
    Participant

    3/19/24

    Thanks @kbikeva & @Serdar for running the contest this year, & for responding kindly & helpfully to my disgruntled comment/s. The wordle thing made it quite a different contest from what it used to be – especially from what it was the first year when @drevil led it. I guess it took me awhile to learn how to play it this way.

    I hope making it wordle based made it easier for you guys to manage the contest, and makes the wrap-up simple. I loved @drevil’s contest its first year, & I’m STILL finding purple houses and pink cars 😆 but I know it took Ricky a lot of time, both during and after the contest, & that he ended up getting a lotta help from @JoM that he hadn’t realized he’d need – and I’m thinking they were probably the first ones to applaud your attempts to simplify the game & make it more manageable to lead. And of course we ALL appreciate your efforts to make it more sustainable 🤩

     

    #1134466
    cvcalhoun
    Participant

    @nadine, sounds like a wonderful idea!  One of the issues I have is finding places to go outside of Freezing Saddles, since I want to bike every day all year, but it gets boring without a destination.  I’ve used the previous year’s scavenger hunt (back when there were specific objects to find) or the previous year’s bingo list, but that gets repetitive after a while.  I’d love to have something ongoing–and something with others playing, which tends to give me more motivation.  Shall I set up a thread for it?  Even if it were just the two of us playing, it would help–but I bet others would join.

    As for not playing Wordle, I don’t either. But the answer can always be found at https://tryhardguides.com/wordle-answers/

    #1134521

    I have to admit, @kbikeva & @Serdar, I was a tad annoyed when I saw that the photo-of-the-day would be illustrating the Wordle-of-the-day because I’d never played it. BUT I have to admit that the longer I played #photoscavhunt, the more I appreciated and enjoyed that you used it for the game this year. And as with previous years, I thoroughly enjoyed all the creative explanations folks come up with for their photo illustrating the day’s Wordle. The one downside is that now I’m hooked on Wordle!  Thanks so much for all your hard work and dedication, I truly appreciate it!

    #1134525
    Nadine
    Participant

    @cvcalhoun yes! And thanks for the wordle link. It’s so helpful how you seem to know how stuff works – or how to figure it out 😁

    Ima hafta start on Tuesday though – at least by bike.

    I’m going outta town tomorrow am through Monday night. It’s a HS reunion, but since they made it in Orlando, and everything about Orlando seems to be crazy pricey, and I’m not gainfully employed, I’m driving down & camping on the way, & again on the way back. That’s why I’ll be gone so long for a 2 day reunion. Not bringing the bike…. Walking & hiking will be good for my bone density anyhow, which probably suffers during FS.

    I can see if I can get others interested in  playing too. And I could probably play some while I’m away without the bike if it helps you – this is no prize time, after all

    #1134538
    Serdar
    Participant

    Thank you for your kind words! I like the idea of continuing to play Wordle. How about posting photos on this thread? I will play but I will not ride every day.

    #1134554
    cvcalhoun
    Participant

    I’ve been riding most days (and have even noted the Wordle words on my Strava, although only after midnight to avoid spoilers), but figured I’d wait to post until @Nadine came back.

    3/26/24 MAYOR

    Rockville City Hall is where the mayor’s office is. I did try to explain to the one in the trailer (foster dog) that a) he is not the mayor, and thus not the boss of me, and b) he was brought from home and thus ineligible anyway. But he just barked at me.

    #1134561
    cvcalhoun
    Participant

    3/27/24 STUNG

    I was thinking Bee America would be a good place for this one. But I was stung when I got there to discover that it had neither a sign in front of it nor any way to see the bees from the road.

    #1134562
    Nadine
    Participant

    😆 good luck with that @Cvcalhoun…. Pretty sure your foster dog knows thinks he is the boss of you…..

    #1134563
    Nadine
    Participant

    3/27/24 – stung

    I picked up a too-good-to-go share from this local organic farm this afternoon in the (mostly) rain hole. It’s an indoor farm, so the farmers never hafta worry about getting STUNG.

    Here’s an inside view of the same farm. I thought it would be cool to show you a bit of the inside of the place – but if you want me to keep it to one picture, Carol, lmk, and I won’t post 2 again. I have a better pic of the inside of this farm actually – on an earlier post in the game…

    #1134567
    cvcalhoun
    Participant

    3/28/24 SPEAK

    A teacher speaks to students in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

    #1134568
    Nadine
    Participant

    Oooh good one @cvcalhoun!

Viewing 15 replies - 2,011 through 2,025 (of 2,311 total)
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