ST. GEORGE — Summit Athletic Club and Canyon Media have concluded another successful year of the Summit Rock Hunt, getting people moving and giving away cash.
“The Summit Rock Hunt is a big ‘thank you’ to the community for continuing to support Summit,” Summit general manager Cally Peterson said. “We like to give back, and the community knows Summit knows how to give back.”
This year’s hunt had six rocks and a maximum of $33,000 up for grabs. Each of the three big rocks was worth $10,000 if found while wearing the official 2022 Summit Rock Hunt T-shirt; otherwise, the payout was $5,000.
This year, hunters were given the chance to sharpen their skills before the main event with three mini rock searches on May 25, 26 and 27. The rocks were discovered by Tyson Gubler on Crown King Trail in Washington City, Tristan Kline near Shooting Star Park in Washington City and AJ Giles along the Mayor’s Loop Trail in St. George, respectively. Kline and Giles were both wearing the official hunt T-shirt and received $1,000 each, while Gubler won $500.
Then, the hunt was on for two big rocks during the weeks of May 31 and June 6. Each day of the week, one clue was revealed live on-air to listeners of 99.9 KONY Country, 95.9 The Hawk, Planet 105.1, 96X and Sunny 101.5 during the first break of the 8 o’clock hour of broadcasting.
Norman Propst found the first big rock within Washington City’s Coral Canyon trail system on June 3. Canyon Media show coordinator Colleen Rue said the discovery was extra special because Propst has participated in all 10 years of the hunt and finally earned the right to call himself a Summit “rock star.”
The second big rock was hidden roughly 15 miles away in another popular walking and biking area, the Lava Flow Trail in Santa Clara. Mike Cuff located it on June 8.
For the grand finale last Saturday, a special one-day hunt, one clue was given out on the radio and via Instagram every hour beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until the rock was found. The last lucky hunter was Erica Armstrong, who discovered her treasure near the Virgin River Skimboard Park in St. George just after the sixth clue was released at 1 p.m. All three big rock finders were wearing the T-shirt, meaning they’re each $10,000 richer.
Summit owner Joe Levine created the hunt as a way for the club to give back while encouraging the community to get outside and be active. But it’s also a golden opportunity for spending quality time with family and friends, working together to figure out the goofy riddles that could lead to a big payday.
“Marty and I go out every year with the rock hunters, and it’s so much fun seeing how excited they get and watching them get out and exercise,” said Amy Chesley, co-host of the 99.9 KONY Country morning show. “My favorite part is watching the families just laughing and having a good time.”
Over the past decade, the Summit Rock Hunt has become a beloved summertime tradition for families throughout the area. Summit sold nearly 2,000 official rock hunt T-shirts this year. That’s not to mention the hundreds, potentially thousands, of other searchers who participated without buying a shirt.
“There’s no other buzz in Southern Utah like the Summit Rock Hunt,” Rue said. “We meet families that plan a summer vacation around it every year. It’s just a fun time for everybody.”
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