Yule log fun isn't only in the hunt

Arlene Cleary has taken her daughter, Lea, to the Morton Arboretum's Annual Yule Log Hunt for the past couple of decades or so.

"It's a tradition," said Cleary, a Glen Ellyn resident. "I'm pretending she's seven."

Lea Cleary, 28, said she always has a lot of fun and finds the activity to be challenging.

"It's fun to watch all the kids and see them get involved," she said. "You have to have some tree savviness to get it."

Sunday, several hundred area residents gathered at the arboretum for the 30th annual yule log hunt. After a brief introduction, dozens of volunteers led herds of people through the arboretum.

Rhyming, poetic clues are what led Marcia King of Willowbrook to the yule log first during the 12:30 p.m. hunt.

Rob Harris and his children Grace, 7, and Alex, 5, of Lombard, won the 2:30 p.m. hunt.

Carol Doty, the 35-year arboretum employee who founded the hunt, spoke to the crowd during the introduction.

"It's wonderful to see so many people out here," said Doty, of Downers Grove. "So often, something gets started and it gradually fades away. This seems to be an idea that captures people's imagination and has a sticking power."

Though she didn't participate in the hunts Sunday, she was thrilled to see how much the event has grown.

"It's, in a way, a public game," she said. "It's always been fun."

The yule log's hiding spots are usually chosen by volunteer and event organizer Tom Von Hoppe. During the hunt, he said he enjoys seeing the smiles on the visitors' faces.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people don't find the log, but they're all always happy," Von Hoppe said.

Dan and Marsha Dock of Naperville were assistant trail leaders for the first time Sunday.

"It's fun to be outdoors in a beautiful place like this," Dan Dock said.