Scavenger Hunt

VEXILLOLOGY

In 1990, the Alpine Lake Property Owners Association encouraged resort residents to fly the American flag on their properties, and that tradition continues today at many houses on the land.  But it is not just Old Glory that waves in the breeze off the water — WVU flags, Steelers flags, state flags, and even flags of other nations (as a nod to the owner’s heritage) can be seen throughout the resort.  Of course, the most common decoration is still the Stars and Stripes, of which there are at least a few dozen.  And by the way, “vexillology” is the study of flags.

For this task on the scavenger hunt, count how many total flags, how many American flags, and how many different types of flags (countries, states, teams, etc.) you see on an expedition through the streets of Alpine Lake!

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PAR-PA BEAR

In 2018, a unique project was started on the resort by the Alpine Lake Ladies Golf Organization (ALLGO) when one of its members was inspired by the momma bear and two small bears carved into old tree stumps at the back of the 13th green (nearest the tennis courts).  So the ALLGO group began an “Adopt-A-Bear Program” to put more carved bears throughout the golf course, and through donations from property owners, freshly-carved bears were soon appearing all over the course.  A few bears were even added in other parts of the resort, and if you are paying attention on your drive in, you will see the biggest bear of them all.

For this task on the scavenger hunt, count how many carved bears you can spot around the golf course and resort!

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DEER BY THE DOZEN

There are literally hundreds of deer that roam the lands of Alpine Lake, making up a sizeable portion of the abundant wildlife in the area.  The easiest place to see them is on the hillside below the lodge at dusk, when they come in droves to find food in the grass.  These deer generally do not scare easily or run off very quickly, so you can view them from nearby distances and may even find yourself in a staring contest with a few.

For this task on the scavenger hunt, count how many deer you can see in a span of only 3 minutes!

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EIGHT SPACE

There are several octagon-shaped houses in various places on the resort, adding some unique architecture to the many varieties of home styles on Alpine Lake.  Their octagon configuration allows for a maximum use of living space, brings in more natural light, is easier to heat, and remains cooler in the summer, all of which are ideal for an Alpine Lake lifestyle.  These types of homes also do not require a foundation, helping to keep more of the precious land in its natural state.  One of these houses sits not too far from the Deklewa property, and another technically has 7 sides because it connects on one side to a standard-shaped house.

For this task on the scavenger hunt, count how many of the octagon houses you can find on the resort!

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HOUSE MOUSE

You don’t even need to leave the house for this one!  Somewhere in the Deklewa Lake House, a Mickey Mouse keychain is hidden for you to find.  It was placed in its hiding spot by a previous guest of the house, and those guests should have left you some clues in their entry into the guest book.

For this task, find the Mickey Mouse keychain in the house by using the hints written in the guest book, then hide it somewhere else for the next guests to find on their scavenger hunt.  Don’t forget to leave your own creative and mysterious hints in the guest book!

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WILDLIFE WATCH

While deer are the most common animal on the grounds, there is a wide variety of other wildlife species that occupy Alpine Lake Resort.  Some may take your breath away in shock; others may take your breath away in awe.  The four unique types that draw the most amazement are eagles, beavers, foxes, and the (rare) black bear.

For this task in the scavenger hunt, look high and low for each of those four living creatures and see if you can spot one from each group.  List which ones you were able to see in the guest book, but try not to give too many clues on where to look.  If you’re doing this as a contest, you may also need to provide photo evidence to your opponent!

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NAME GAME

It is quite common throughout the country for owners to give names to their cottages, cabins, and vacation homes, especially if it is also used as a rental property.  Alpine Lake is no different in that regard, but it is easy to see the signs with the names in this resort because of the proximity of most of the homes to the paved roadways.

For this task, count the number of homes you see that are marked with a name, and also list your personal favorite among those names in the guest book.  Because even a silly moniker like “The Place at the Lake” is a lot more fun than just calling it something plain, like "110 Pine Drive!"

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