Puzzle 28: The Firewood Frenzy

Puzzle Walkthrough

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Start with the heaviest haul: the Hillside collection was heavier than all others, so the 27-lb total must be at the Hillside. Omar’s bundle weighed 24 lbs, which is less than Harper’s but more than the Jungle Edge, so Harper must be the Hillside collector at 27 lbs and the Jungle Edge must be below 24. Natasha’s details are fixed: she gathered Twigs & Brush at the Clearing. The Riverbank was Vines and weighed exactly 3 lbs more than Tree Branches, so that pair of weights must be one of the 12–15, 15–18, 18–21, or 21–24 ladders; it cannot be 24–27 because 27 is already the Hillside weight. Jane gathered Palm Branches, and her haul was heavier than Mina’s but lighter than David’s. The Mangrove weighed exactly 6 lbs more than Mina’s total, and the Beach was exactly 6 lbs lighter than Jane’s total. Omar is fixed at 24 lbs and also must be heavier than the Jungle Edge, so the Jungle Edge weight is in the set 12, 15, 18, or 21.

Now link Riverbank and Tree Branches using the 21–24 option. If Vines are 24, Tree Branches are 21. That immediately places Omar at the Riverbank with Vines at 24. Since Jane must be heavier than Mina but lighter than David, the only weight still available to sit between a lighter Mina and a heavier David is 18 for Jane and 21 for David. Setting Jane to 18 makes the Beach weight 12 because the Beach is exactly 6 lighter than Jane.

The Mangrove is exactly 6 more than Mina, so the only way to place the Beach at 12 and still keep all weights unique and aligned is to make Mina the 12-lb collector and the Mangrove 18. That also makes Jane the Mangrove collector, which fits her 18-lb total. With the Jungle Edge needing to be lighter than Omar’s 24 and 21 still open for Tree Branches, David fits perfectly at the Jungle Edge with Tree Branches at 21.

That locks in the Riverbank’s Vines at 24 for Omar and satisfies the 3-lb difference with Tree Branches. The fixed entries now consume four wood types: Vines, Palm Branches, Twigs & Brush, and Tree Branches, leaving Bamboo and Driftwood for Harper and Mina. Bamboo cannot be from the Beach, and Mina is the Beach collector at 12, so Harper must have gathered Bamboo at the Hillside, leaving Driftwood for Mina at the Beach.

Every clue is now satisfied: Hillside is the heaviest, Omar’s 24 sits between Harper’s 27 and the Jungle Edge’s 21, the Riverbank Vines and Tree Branches differ by three, Mangrove and Beach are six above and six below the correct people, and Jane’s Palm total sits cleanly between Mina and David.

Answers

Mina gathered Driftwood at the Beach weighing 12 lbs.
Harper gathered Bamboo at the Hillside weighing 27 lbs.
Omar gathered Vines at the Riverbank weighing 24 lbs.
Jane gathered Palm Branches at the Mangrove weighing 18 lbs.
David gathered Tree Branches at the Jungle Edge weighing 21 lbs.
Natasha gathered Twigs & Brush at the Clearing weighing 15 lbs.

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