Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2022

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-14

Chapters 15-24

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Connecting to One’s Family Legacy

Connecting to one’s family legacy is a personal process that underlies Jake’s motivation in the scavenger hunt and in exploring the 10 parks set out by his grandpa. Jake’s story begins with him waking up on the morning he is to leave for the trip, and the first thing he does is look at a photograph of him with his grandpa after they had finished planting an orchard together. It is clear that Jake’s grandpa made him feel bigger, stronger, and more proud of himself. He believed in Jake and gave him things to accomplish. Even after his death, Jake’s grandpa continues to do this, and by entrusting him with the scavenger hunt, he demonstrates just how much potential he sees in Jake. Jake’s grandpa planned the two-month trip for the family, suggesting that not only was he an expert on the parks himself but also that he planned this scavenger hunt for Jake well in advance. Jake feels a deep sense of pride whenever someone considers him to be like his grandpa, which hints at Jake’s desire to grow up and become just like him.

Jake’s first clue is a note his grandpa wrote him before he died, and it is almost like his grandpa is talking to him again. The note contains important advice about friendship and adventure, but Jake skips past it straight to his first clue. Jake then discovers the scrapbook, which he assumes was first started by his grandpa but actually dates back to the late 1800s when Abe first began it. At the time, Abe was likely unaware that he was creating such a legacy, but time stretched on, and Abe’s actions in 1880 continue to have a direct impact on Jake’s life in the present. Jake’s clues lead him to a box that won’t open but likely contains the silver spearhead that Abe found in his youth. He is also entrusted with Abe’s journal, the last artifact Jake finds before leaving Rocky Mountain National Park. Jake always felt like he was on more than just an ordinary scavenger hunt, but he doesn’t realize just how much his own family legacy plays a role in what he is doing until he starts making these discoveries. Every place that Jake, Amber, and Wes visit is somewhere that his grandpa or great-great-grandpa was before, and each clue leads them closer to some thus far unknown connection to Jake’s familial past.

Finding Freedom Through Adventure

For Jake and his ancestors, freedom is found through adventure, and the national parks have played a role in the family’s quest for adventure. The sense of adventure is something innate to Jake, and when he reaches Rocky Mountain National Park, he instantly feels drawn to its vast wilderness. He has the urge to see everything and to experience a new world. Jake feels “invited, drawn into the immense space by its beauty and by the sounds of water” (32). He has an appreciation of nature and its majesty, and the scavenger hunt that was left for him is the perfect vehicle through which Jake can discover the freeing experience of finding the unknown:

He had hidden clues to create a scavenger hunt stretching over thousands of miles of wild places, through lands filled with waterfalls tumbling over massive cliffs, where windswept sand dunes met snow-capped mountains, immense canyons stretched beyond the horizon, and forests of redwood trees reached to touch the clouds. A scavenger hunt in the most beautiful and rugged places on earth (20).

Even Ranger Musgrave, who barely knows Jake, can tell he has the heart of an explorer. She gifts him a topographical map that becomes an essential tool in feeling safe and in the experience of feeling free in the wild. The trio’s parents also support them in their quests, allowing increased responsibility and independence, balanced by teaching moments and distant supervision. Jake, Wes, and Amber are entrusted with the freedom to explore on their own, making the experience much more powerful and formative. Together, they prove they can care for one another, plan logical excursions, and solve difficult clues.

Jake inherited the scavenger hunt and all its secrets from his grandpa and his great-great-grandpa before him, and his experiences in the present are in many ways shaped by the experiences of Abe in the distant past. Like Jake, Abe found a feeling of true freedom when he climbed mountains, overcame his fears, and found himself on top of the world: “Well, I’m here. They were wrong. And I guess this is what being free looks like. Like risk. Like trust” (194). Furthermore, Abe also found freedom in his bond with Abner, who showed Abe that he could trust in both Abner and himself. For these reasons, Jake is the perfect person to take on the task of the scavenger hunt and become the Keeper of the sacred silver spearhead.

The Power of Sharing Responsibility

Responsibility is learned as a person matures and experiences the world. Sharing responsibility is something even more powerful because it involves blending responsibility and trust in one’s teammates. Jake, Amber, and Wes share the responsibility of the scavenger hunt, not knowing just how important it is but with the vague sense that they are taking part in something extraordinary. At first, Jake doesn’t want to share his adventure with Wes and Amber; instead, he wants to keep it personal between him and his grandpa. He ignores his grandpa’s advice from the first note: “Always try to inspire curiosity. Seek help early. Learn from friends” (8).

When the scavenger hunt begins, Jake’s grandpa tells him to “inspire curiosity,” meaning he should share his adventure with others. He also urges Jake to be unafraid of relying on support and to utilize the strengths of his friends. Jake eventually does all these things, but not before deciding to share his adventure with Amber and Wes. At that point, it becomes “our mission” (106) rather than “Jake’s mission.” Jake is still primarily responsible for keeping the precious objects left by his grandpa (and by Abe before him), such as the scrapbook and the box with the arrowhead. Abe was the one initially entrusted as its Keeper, and “he felt a calling. A responsibility” (225). Jake feels this same sense of responsibility and willingly shares that experience with Amber and Wes.

Amber, Jake, and Wes unite their minds and work together to solve each clue as they discover them. They all become fully immersed in the scavenger hunt and invested in every aspect of it. Engaging in the scavenger hunt also gives the trio reasons to go exploring, which provides them opportunities to demonstrate their ability to be responsible, safe, and logical. When something goes wrong or they make a mistake, they learn from it. Jake owns up to being the reason the group comes back late one day, illustrating his willingness to acknowledge what he did wrong and strive to change it. The kids must learn how to create an itinerary, use a topographical map, and account for surprises. Along the way, they help each other succeed, like when Amber and Wes pull Jake out of the snow or when Jake and Amber help Wes climb up the Twin Owls. Teamwork and shared goals drive the trio to their success and allow them to stay safe together.