A Mystery Trapped in Time
A Mystery Trapped in Time
Enchanted Mountains Challenge Launches Third Season
For Shaun and Kristen Thomson, experiencing local history isn’t just about admiring the architecture of an older building or noticing historic street markers. For them, history is an immersive experience and the core of a community’s identity. This passion laid the groundwork for the first Enchanted Mountain Challenge, which was held in 2022. Now, the Thomsons are thrilled to share the third season of the Challenge, which runs from May 25th through October 14th. With elements of a scavenger hunt, an escape room, geocaching, and hiking, the Enchanted Mountain Challenge is designed to be a weekend-long adventure, although participants can begin on any day of the week and return to continue at any point until October 14th.
Each challenge takes participants on a journey - historically and geographically - through Ellicottville, Franklinville, and Olean to solve riddles and discover clues related to historical people and places in these communities. “Every challenge we create relates to our local history,” Kristen Thomson explained. “It is really important for us to highlight the history of any area we work with. Was your house custom built two years ago? Awesome! But I can assure you that your very plot of land was something very different 100, 200, 300 or more years ago! Let’s embrace the amazing history of our area. Let’s see how our current existence interacts with and corresponds to our past.”
This year’s Challenge involves two mysteries and the history of two local artists, beginning with Franklinville’s own Norman Maffei. “There are a lot of twists and turns this year,” she said. “We work so hard to try to create something that is challenging, but also super fun and engaging. We create our clues with all kinds of brains in mind. You don’t have to be a crossword puzzle fan to enjoy this Challenge. There is truly something for everyone, and the more minds, the better your chances are to solve the mystery!”
Whether you’d like to attempt the Challenge on your own or gather family or friends together, you can register online now at www.enchantedmountainchallenge.com. Upon registering, participants will receive information on how and where to get started. The Challenge can take a full weekend to complete; however, participants can begin on any day of the week and return to finish the Challenge if they’re not able to spend more than a day working through the riddles and clues. “The Challenge this year, like those in the past, involves visiting different businesses as well as exploring our outdoors,” Thomson noted. “Our hikes/outdoor clues are of easy to medium difficulty, but we always have plans in place to make it accessible to anyone who cannot or doesn’t want to complete the more physical parts of the Challenge.”
For those who may be new to the area, the Challenge is a fun opportunity to explore the region and discover local businesses and points of interest. Thomson said, “We constantly try to highlight new businesses in our towns, and the majority of our clue stops this year are brand new destinations! But we have an incredible amount of support from our past and current sponsors and work hard to incorporate them into each Challenge.”
Everyone who successfully completes the Challenge by October 14th will be entered into the prize drawing, and their participation also supports the community. “This year, we will continue to provide a donation to our local historical society as well as offer a prize to our finishers, using a randomizer,” explained Thomson. “This is not a race; it’s about enjoying the experience and embracing the storyline. That’s why all finishers are entered into the final contest from which our winners are chosen. But this year we are adding another benefit by providing a scholarship to a senior at Ten Broeck Academy/Franklinville Central School District who has a passion for the arts.”
Thomson is pleased to share that the Challenge grows each year. During its inaugural year, the Challenge had 40 groups of one to four people each; in the second year, they had 400 groups participate! Kristen and Shaun are already hard at work planning next year’s Challenge and have half of next year’s clues finished! “Our favorite part about developing the Challenge is when our minds align and our creativity flows,” she reflected. “It is such an incredible feeling! I wish I could explain the euphoria when we agree upon a clue. It’s way more satisfying to create a clue than to solve it, but we work hard to try to mimic that same feeling for our participants.”
Intrigued? Learn more at www.enchantedmountainchallenge.com, where you can view the full 45-minute run-downs of the first two Challenges. This is a great way to understand the type of clues and outdoor activities participants can expect to see in this year’s Challenge. These videos can also be found on YouTube.
Soon, the fun won’t be limited to Cattaraugus County. Thomason said, “We are also excited to announce that we will be expanding the Enchanted Mountain Challenge to other areas of Western New York, Upstate NY and parts of the Northeast within the coming few years!” She and Shaun are thankful for the support of Cattaraugus County for their award of the Bed Tax grant and their clue sponsors and partners who help bring this challenge to life. For more information, visit www.enchantedmountainchallenge.com or email enchantedmountainchallenge@gmail.com.