Game Summary:
Though this hunt was in fact the 4th installment of the annual YABA Treasure Hunt, its format and clue style bore little resemblance to the previous years' hunts.  This time around, instead of handing out all 16 clues at the outset, the clues were given in groups of 4, and the clues were numbered to provide a clear order and route.  The style of the clues were slightly more puzzle-y, there was less reliance on local San Francisco area knowledge, and the scoring system was more focused on finishing as quickly as possible.  There was also a system in place that would allow teams to get hints, but each hint cost teams the equivalent of 30 minutes.  It is my opinion that all of the changes in this year's hunt were absolutely for the better.  The format was greatly improved, the clues were interesting and challenging, and as usual, it was lots of fun and an absolutely unforgettable way to spend a Saturday with some friends.

As for us, several of the Blood & Bones "regulars" were not available for this hunt, so we had some debate as to which division to enter between Regular and Masters.  After some team discussion, as well as some feedback from the YABA staff, we decided that it was time to take on the Masters Division for the first time.  Well, needless to say, the Graham brothers literally ran away with the competition for the second straight year.  The masters of the on-foot San Francisco treasure hunt beat every team in every division due to their unparalleled combination of puzzle solving ability, footspeed, and endurance.  We finished a respectable 4th place out of 9 Masters teams, though we felt we could have done as well as second if we had done any two or more of the following:  a.) not wasted a full hour on a clue whose license plate had been removed, b.) had the resourcefulness to just ask someone on the street to identify a picture of Paul Anka, c.) been able to recognize prime numbers on a bingo board, d.) looked carefully through a deck of cards after playing baccarat with them, or e.) convinced Kate that YABA was more important than her upcoming qualifying exam.  I guess this showed us that we are still inexperienced enough to make some rookie mistakes, but each time we make one its another thing that hopefully won't happen again.  In the end, we improved on our 5th place finish in the Regular Division to achieve a 4th place finish in the Masters Division, and most importantly, we had a great time in the process.  Based on that, I don't think YABA4 could be classified as anything less than another successful endeavor for Team Blood & Bones!

Team Members:  Rich Bragg, Kristen Bragg, Mike Holzbaur, Scott Krueger, Sarangan Narasimhan, Nathan Whiteside
Phone-A-Friend:  Kate Saul
Start Time:  Saturday, August 24, 11:00 AM
Finish Time:  Saturday, August 24, 5:32 PM (6:32 hours elapsed)
Score:  120 (150 max - 15 point time penalty - 15 point hint penalty)
Clues:  Solved 16 of 16 clues  (we used hints on three of the clues, and one clue was thrown out for all teams)
Awards:  4th Place- Masters Division
Result:  4th out of 9 teams, Masters Division