Backpacker
The Lost Florence Gold Mine
Game Details: Mystery, 1997
Links: Moby Games
Walkthrough Updated: 4/6/2026
Suggested Listening: Where There's Smoke (Ash 25)
Payette Inn
Talk to the park ranger, then head left and approach the inn. Talk to the men on the left. Leave to the right, then head up along the path into the distance. Approach the large sign and take a park map from the small box on the left. You can use the map on yourself to see the landmarks you will visit throughout the game.
Return to the inn and use the door to head inside. Talk to the people in the lobby if you want, then go straight ahead to find the dining room - you will end up with a knife in the kitchen. Talk to the cook several times, then go left into the storeroom.
Use your knife on one of the sacks of flour. Take the tin cup from the shelves and use it on the flour sack. Look at the floor just to the left of the barrel to notice a trapdoor. Push the barrel, then open the trapdoor and climb down.
Pick up the fishing pole from the right, and pull the rope down on the left. Now return inside and go back to the kitchen. Give the cup of flour to the cook, then talk to him some more. Wash the dishes, then pick up the sandwich and head down. Give the sandwich to the man sitting at the bar. Look at the green book next to him, then talk to him several times. Go back up into the kitchen and talk to the cook, who will now give you a list of ingredients to find. You can use the list on yourself to read it.
Go right to the dining room and take a flower from the vase on the table. Continue right into the gear shop. After the repairman leaves, talk to Bart. Try to pick up each of the books - you will be able to read 3 and take another with you. Return left and go through the back door to the balcony. Talk to Meagan, who wants to meet with you on the other side of the lake.
Return down and left into the kitchen to see the cook has gone. Open the refrigerator and look inside, then take the cheese before closing the refrigerator again. Take the dog food from the right cabinet next to the refrigerator, and take a bucket from the cabinet beneath the sink. Go down to the return to the bar and talk to the man at the bar to borrow his botany book. Head up, right and up, then go down the stairs.
Payette Lake
Go through the door into the shed. Pick up the rope, miner's pan and beekeeper's hat. Return outside and go left, then down to the left. Use the flower to catch the bee that is flying around, then continue left twice. Use your beekeeper's hat on yourself and you will enter the hollow tree. Take the honey and you exit the tree. Continue left again.
Now head up along the path leading away from the lake, and enter the cabin. Talk to Meagan, then take some sulfur from the rocks and the hacksaw blade from the bench. Leave the cabin and go right to the lake, then right once more.
Use the green book on the berries in the bushes to the right, identifying them as blackberries. Go up and use the green book on the different berries to the right, identifying them as raspberries. Continue up to find a wolf outside a cave. In your inventory, use the hacksaw blade on the tin of dog food to open it, then use the opened tin on the wolf. Enter the cave. Pick up the stones from just inside the cave on the right, then quickly leave again. Make your way down through the bushes, then head right.
Break off one of the cat-tail plants near the shore, then give it to the porcupine and pick up the quill that drops to the ground. Go right again and use your miner's pan in the water to get a gold nugget. Head right between the trees, then continue up to the right. Combine the bee and fishing pole in your inventory, then use this on the river to catch a trout.
Go right twice, then quickly climb the tree to avoid the grizzly bear. Once it leaves, pick up the meat and bone from the ground. Also use the green book on the mushrooms from beneath the hollow log and identify them as morel mushrooms. Return left 3 times, then go down to the right, and up the stairs on the right.
Payette Inn
Head down and give the bucket of ingredients to the cook. Talk to him again, then go left and down to the bar. Save your game. Talk to Tipyalanah on the left, then give him the gold nugget as a wager. Win the game of darts - if you lose, load your game and try again.
Once you have won, go right, up and right into the gear shop. Open the small door behind the counter. Pull the lever on the cash register, then look inside and take a hiking permit. Use the lever to close the cash register, then go back through the door and head left and down. Pick up the red backpack. Move the purple armchair next to where you got the backpack, then search the moose head over the doorway to get a map. Pick up some matches from the coffee table.
Head down to go back out to the front of the inn. Talk to Tipyalanah about everything. Walk away from the inn and go right. Give your hiking permit to the ranger, then walk up into the woods.
Lost Woods
Walk up and left to reach a treacherous rocky path. Carefully go left and you will see an osprey in its nest. Throw the fish to the osprey. Now tie your rope to the dead tree. Use the rope, then while you are swinging, quickly grab the ledge on the right. Now head up along the path.
Use the map on yourself to look at it. Go right to see a rock with JF written on it. Now head left, down, right, down twice, left and down. Follow the path left and then right twice. Climb up the stairs of the fire tower. Open the drawer on the right and take the wrench and the hang glider manual. Use the table and set the angle to 18 degrees (based on the map). Use the trapdoor on the left to climb back down.
Return left twice, through the gap in the rocks and right along the path to head back into the woods. Now go right, up, right and down. You will be bitten by a snake in the meadow. Use the red backpack on yourself to open it. Now use the razor blade on your wound, then use the suction cup on it - you will stand up again. Head down 4 times and left twice to the front of the inn.
Payette Inn
Continue right and head up the path to the map, then go up the steps on the left. Give the wrench to the repairman. Use the cable car to get up the mountain, then head left and into the cabin. Pick up the blue nylon mat, glider harness, spool of wire, aluminium poles and can of air, then head back outside.
In your inventory, combine the glider book with the missing page, then use this on yourself to assemble a hang glider. Save your game, then use the hang glider on yourself and safely fly down to the island in the middle of the lake (click and hold the mouse and drag it so you stay near the middle of the screen).
Payette Lake
Take a berry from the bush on the left, then climb down the dead tree on the right. Remove the inner tube from the old tire, then use your can of air on it (you will automatically do this in the water to the right). Look at the old wooden boat here and take the broom. Use the broom on the inflated inner tube.
Payette Inn
Head inside, then go right, down, right and down to go out to the front of the inn. Give the berry to Tipyalanah, and he will be kidnapped.
Go back inside, then head up and right into the gear shop. Talk to the innkeeper, then go left twice, down and right. Continue right to go upstairs, then head left and through the open door to the far left. Pick up some pennies from the ashtray next to the bed, then take the keys hanging on the hook near the door - you will now be sent into the bathroom. Take the blue bottle of cologne from the shelf, then leave the bathroom.
Make your way back downstairs and into the gear shop again. Go around behind the counter and use the keys on the bottom right cabinet. Take the blue backpack. Leave the gear shop and go left and down twice. Walk away from the inn and go right. Walk up into the woods.
Lost Woods
Go left and use the cologne on the skunk. Now grab some bark from the bush where the skunk ran to hide. Cross over the bridge to the left.
High Mountains
Continue left, then go up the angled path. Click on the tree in the middle of the waterfall and you will swing further to the right. Now quickly enter the cave before the lion reaches you. Throw your red meat into the black hole in the back of the cave, and the lion will jump after it. Now proceed to the right. Use the stalactite hanging from the ceiling, then immediately click on the right ledge to reach it.
Take the arrow from the animal on the right and you will find a gold arrow head. Use the stalactite again and click on the left ledge to reach it. Continue left and down to leave the cave, then continue right. Use a penny on the binoculars to see a camp high in the mountains. Return left, then click on the waterfall to jump back to the other side.
Continue up the mountain, then follow the path around to the left. At the fork in the path, head right. Walk over towards the shack on the right, then when the door opens, quickly head back behind the spruce tree on the far left. Once the men leave, use your other penny in the well to make a wish. Return left, then take the path up the mountain.
Once you reach the sheer cliff, use the blue backpack on yourself. Use the boots on the vertical crack on the right to get started. Save your game, then follow these steps to climb up the mountain:
- Curved Up: Click on the horizontal ledge just above you.
- Horizontal: Click to your left to move along the ledge.
- Vertical: Click just above you to climb up the vertical crack.
- Curved Up: Click on the horizontal ledge just above you and to the left.
- Vertical: Click just above you to climb up the vertical crack.
- Vertical: Click above you to climb up the vertical crack.
- Horizontal: Click to your left to move along the ledge.
- Curved Up: Click on the horizontal ledge just above you.
- Horizontal: Click to your right to move along the ledge.
- Curved Down: Click on the ledge below and to the right to jump over to it.
- Horizontal: Click to your right to move along the ledge.
- Vertical: Click just above your left hand to climb up the vertical crack.
Take a leaf from the plant on the right, then walk up the path.
Rainbow Peak
You will be underwater - quickly use the sharp rock sticking up from the bottom to cut your ropes, then swim into the beaver hole on the left. You will then automatically reach the shore. Go up the path, then head right 3 times. Pick up a rock from near the base of the tree and use it on the men.
Enter the small hut and use your knife to cut the ropes. Pick up the bucket, then head back outside. Go left 3 times and up, then fill your bucket from the lake. Go back up the path, right 3 times and into the hut. Throw the bucket of water on Tipyalanah.
After the cutscene, give the following items to Tipyalanah:
- willow bark
- snake venom
- leaf
- porcupine quill
- bone
- sulfur
- stones
Click on the cross on the stone burial site, then take the bronze arrow head. Click on the right side of the wooden burial stand, then take the pipe and the silver arrow head. Now give the pipe to Tipyalanah. After another cutscene, climb down into the water. Once you surface again, head up the path, then go right 3 times. Use the log chute to slide down.
High Mountains
Enter the shack. Take some breadcrumbs from the plate on the stove. Also grab the mirror from the wall, and the gas mask from under the bed. Use the breadcrumbs on the mouse hole, then reach into the mouse hole and enter the secret passage. Take the lantern, then climb down the ladder.
Gold Mine
Climb onto the lower ledge to the right, then head right. Use your matches on the lantern so you can see. Walk up twice, then put the mirror on the angled stone in the water - this lights up the main path of the mine. Go right and light the lantern with matches again, then head to the right of this room. Pick up some wooden poles from the ground, then return left.
Walk down twice - when you comment the gas is getting strong, use the gas mask on yourself. Click on the stone door to see a close-up view of it. Based on the writing you may have seen on the walls of the mine, insert your poles into the holes in the door in the following order:
Go through the door and climb down the ladder. Click on the right arm of the turnstile and insert the bronze arrow head. Click on the left arm of the turnstile and insert the silver arrow head. Click on the top arm of the turnstile and insert the gold arrow head. Now click on the central part of the turnstile to see a puzzle. You need to turn the turnstile to a symbol and press set to place the symbol in the next empty slot. Put the symbols in this order from left to right:
- Sun
- Moon
- Hands
- Bones
- Deer
Go through the door that opens. Quickly pick up a bone from the ground on the right, and insert it into the small hole on the left. Light your lantern with the matches again. Use your ice axe on the gold in the back wall, then use it on the colored crystals. Quickly use the raft on yourself.