Emerald City Search: We have a winner

Near midnight, another contestant had combed over the rock wall area in search of the medallion. Her boyfriend did too. No luck.

Sleep-deprived but determined, Leigh Ann Johnson still searched there, the only place at Cal Anderson Park she hadn't looked yet. With one hand on a flashlight and the other through a rock crevice, she felt something wooden, a disk shape.

In the third annual Emerald City Search, Johnson, 30, of Madison Valley, found the medallion behind the park's wading pool at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night to win $2,500 in cash and prizes.

An equipment developer for REI, Johnson had been Googling and searching after work, sometimes out as late as 2 a.m. with a flashlight.

"I've barely slept," said Johnson, moments after finding the medallion. "But it's worth it."

The daily clues in this citywide treasure hunt were inspired by the Woodland Park Zoo's "The Year of the Frog" campaign to raise awareness about the high death rate of amphibians in the Northwest and around the world. The clues were written by the faculty of the UW's College of Arts & Sciences, which organized this contest with the Hillel Foundation and UW Alumni Association.

Johnson plans to donate part of her prize to the frog conservation efforts.

A puzzle fan who fights the urge to subscribe to Games magazine, for fear she would be doing puzzles all day, Johnson figured the prize was hidden at a reservoir after Tuesday's clue.

The yearn to discover may soon be quenched,

Structure your goal with respect to the French.

The bottom line is your right to reserve,

A soothing place to relax and conserve.

Johnson and her boyfriend arrived at the Capitol Hill park after 10:30 p.m. — only to see 10 others there.

They made a pact: The winner must tell everyone at the park. Otherwise, said Johnson, "we would have been there all night."

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com