thrill of the chase treasureAlthough I have previously written a post called, Forrest Fenn Treasure Facts, which includes the known facts surrounding Forrest Fenn’s hidden treasure, I haven’t written one specifically on the known facts surrounding just the Poem.

I realize they are similar.  But as more statements by Forrest Fenn are being made and Questions are answered by him, I got to wondering what has been said concerning only the poem. I thought it might be a good idea to begin to separate them.

Sure it is still vital to know the Forrest Fenn treasure facts, like for instance; the treasure is above 5000 feet, it’s not in Idaho or Utah, it’s not in a graveyard, it’s North of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and so on.   But if one understands the meaning to his Poem, these facts become known, because it is the Poem that gives the precise location.

And, yes, the treasure facts are excellent to help confirm or disprove a possible location, but it is still ultimately the Poem which leads a searcher to his secreted bronze treasure chest filled with Gold and other amazing items.

So what has Forrest said to which could help understand the meaning behind the 24 written lines that leads a person to the end of his rainbow and this valuable treasure?

The following are some items that have been said in regards to specifically the Poem in Forrest Fenn’s The Thrill of the Chase and how a searcher can go about finding his treasure:

*All you need to find the treasure is the Poem.
*Don’t mess with his poem.
*The Poem contains nine clues.
*Begin at the beginning.
*The clues are in consecutive order.
*Where warm waters halt is not a dam.
*The book is sprinkled with hints which can help with understanding the Clues.

 

It seems the First Clue is of utmost importance. Forrest has said the following remarks:

The most common mistake that I see searchers make is that they underestimate the importance of the first clue. If you don’t have that one nailed down you might as well stay home and play Canasta. f   (from QwF 6/2/2014)

You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure. Hints in the book are not that organized.f   (from Order of clues and Hints: Featured Question with Forrest)

What surprises me is that so many ignore the first clue in the poem. Without it all the searcher has is the memory of a nice vacation. Although many have tried, I doubt that anyone will find the blaze before they have figured out the first clue. f ( from FQwF: First Clue Importance)

The poem is straight forward with no subterfuge in sight. (from FQwF: Which Clue)

 

Forrest says when he wrote the poem he wasn’t playing any games. He said it took him 15 years to write the poem, and changed it many times. He felt like he was an architect writing the poem and each word is deliberate.

He has also said that if a person reads the poem over and over again and deciphers the first few clues, they can find the treasure chest.

 

The following two quotes are from Forrest.  They were posted on Dal’s site in April 2014. They seem like great points to keep in mind when trying to understand the meaning behind the Poem:

It seems logical to me that a deep thinking treasure searcher could use logic to determine an important clue to the location of the treasure. Is someone doing that now and I don’t know it? It’s not what they say on the blogs that may be significant, it’s what they whisper. f

and

Some searchers overrate the complexity of the search. Knowing about head pressures, foot pounds, acre feet, bible verses, Latin, cubic inches, icons, fonts, charts, graphs, formulas, curved lines, magnetic variation, codes, depth meters, riddles, drones or ciphers, will not assist anyone to the treasure location, although those things have been offered as positive solutions. Excellent research materials are TTOTC, Google Earth, and/or a good map. f

 

In Six Questions More with Forrest Fenn he says, “Many are giving serious thought to the clues in my poem, but only a few are in tight focus with a word that is key.”

When asked if knowledge of US history was required to interpret the clues in the poem, Forrest says:  “The only requirement is that you figure out what the clues mean. But a comprehensive knowledge of geography might help.f  (from FQwF:Warm Waters and Geography)

The following was also part of the above linked to Question/Answer post:

There are a few words in the poem that are not useful in finding the treasure Phil, but it is risky to discount any of them. You over simplify the clues. There are many places in the Rocky Mountains where warm waters halt, and nearly all of them are north of Santa Fe. Look at the big picture, there are no short cuts. f

 

Question posted 5/28/2014 concerning the Blaze in the poem:

Is the Blaze one single object? ~ Scout Around
“In a word – Yes.” f

 

Question posted 6/25/2014 concerning the clues:

Did the same 9 clues exist when you were a kid and to your estimation will they still exist in 100 years and 1000 years? !Thanks ~Ron

Thanks Ron, thoughtful questions.
The clues did not exist when I was a kid but most of the places the clues refer to did. I think they might still exist in 100 years but the geography probably will change before we reach the next millennia. The Rocky mountains are still moving and associated physical changes will surely have an impact. If you are in the year 3,009 it will be more difficult for you to find the treasure.f

 

(All for now. Will update as more facts about the Poem come around)

 

The Forrest Fenn Poem:

As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.

 

 

Please feel free to add any other facts about the Poem of Forrest Fenn’s in comments below. Thanks!

 

And Best of Luck to whatever you seek!

 

49 Comments

  1. Thanks for the summary. I understand them except for the one about a word that is key. I just cannot identify which word that could be. My guess is “wood”. My stumbling block is look quickly down so I am soon to start practicing my quickly down to see where I should look 🙂 Some day I would like to know what the word that is key is . . . . I am not always a patient waiter.

  2. Jenny,

    Great reminders. And will add, there are many others on your site as well. Searchers should re-read these as much as the re-read the poem. This is another I like.

    “…I cannot tell you how many searchers have identified the first clue correctly, but certainly more than several. I cannot imagine anyone finding the treasure without first identifying the starting point, although many seem to be preoccupied with later clues. To me that’s just expensive folly. f”

    As much as most searchers enjoy the thought, “Begin it where warm waters halt” as the first clue… I have never seen that anywhere, although as important as it might be, I have seen many comments refer to “identifying the starting point” … ” “ignoring the first clue” … “the importance of the first clue.”

    Jenny your Q&A’s are one of the best sources for information on the chase, as well as your write ups and stories. Thanks

    1. Seeker,
      I agree this blog a very good source for information. I used a lot from it to create my 46 point fact checklist, but there is much more to add. Hopefully I will add a few more in the days to come.

      Now for the fun part:
      “To me that’s just expensive folly.”
      Seeker you are a multiple meanings kind of guy. What is your take on “expensive folly”? 😉

      1. LOL… Ok, My answer would be the same as, how important the first clues is.

        I don’t have the comment at the ready. In a Q&A, a question was asked about what clue would FF want to know most, if he was a searcher [ close enough for horses – paraphrasing ]

        “The last clue” or all you have is is an expensive Sunday picnic. And you know what I mean by all of the above… but I’m sure, that is not what you meant… so let me have it.

  3. Thanks Seeker.

    It is good to state that what the ‘first clue’ is has never been confirmed by Forrest.

    Although many have felt ‘WWWH’ could be the First Clue Forrest refers to in his statements, it is best to remain open to other possibilities.

    Most times I do like to consider WWWH as the First Clue, but then other times I wonder if the first stanza (or sentence) could be it, or even other, less common ideas, come to mind.

    Continue to think…..lol…..

  4. Hi Jenny,

    Thanks for putting these poem-specific quotes and facts, together. This is a great way to focus on the central aspect of the treasure hunt.

    There is a series of quotes, not as critical as yours, and I don’t have time at the moment to research the dates, but if any other searcher could help (E*?), then it would be much appreciated. Otherwise, I will try to return to this in the future. The gist of the quotes were:

    “The puzzle may be solved sooner than I anticipated”

    “The poem did it’s job”. Later, Forrest added a “clarification” … “The poem did, and is doing, it’s job”

    “Lost my Spot” (Dal’s site, Scrapbook)

    (followed by general slowdown in Forrest’s posting?)

    I believe these are in proper sequence.

    astree

      1. I agree, it sure did it’s job and still is. It required a lot of thought and study and testing. I thought I had it last year. Nope. I did not understand one clue and believe I was accidentally mislead by a hint in the TTOTC. For me, yes, it did its job of making me think and study and retry.

      1. The prologue to his second book tells you of a fishing trip that he took to Yellowstone. Three days and ” ten river miles.” He walked in the river towing a raft of sorts to hold his gear. Remember the poem ” Heavy loads and water high “? Remember in the poem he stated ” Not to far but to far to walk”. At the end of the prologue he states ” for me it is just to far to walk” In the poem FF wants you take the walk that he took. He wants you to see how beautiful the area is. He tells you that he finished his trip at Bakers Hole Campground. I have taken the time to backtrack from Bakers Hole 10 river miles. It puts his starting point at the bridge that crosses the Madison River. From there You will need to find WTWWH, where the warm waters (plural) halt. To me that seems obvious. That would be where the Firehole & Madison come together. Keep in mind the Firehole is a product of multiple sources of hot or warm water bubbling up out of the earth. Therefore warm waters plural. Now find and “put in below the home of Brown” Typically ” put in” would refer to putting in a boat however FF said ” your trip will be worth the cold” If most people are searching in the summer why would you be cold? Because you have to cross the Madison River at the home of Brown. The home of Brown is right in between where FF put in for his 10 river mile walk and where the warm waters halt. It’s easy to find. There is a sign there telling you all about Brown Trout. That’s as much as I will tell.

      2. Keep in mind FF has NEVER stated that the treasure was at the END of the trip he wants you to take. He does know however that everyone will assume that to be the case though. FF said that there are no manmade trails close by. He also said it is not on top of a mountain but it might be close to the top and he stated ” if you are brave and in the wood” AND don’t go anywhere an 80 year old man can’t go and a “three year old can go there safely” So the treasure is somewhere in between the Firehole River and Bakers Hole Campground, you have to cross the Madison River to get to it, it is near the top of a mountain that an 80 year old man and a three year old can climb safely and there are woods around. Now what is the Blaze? I believe I know but sorry I won’t tell. While FF stated you will not find the treasure from Google Earth he, to the best of my knowledge, did not say you couldn’t find the Blaze that way and I believe I did find it on Google Earth. That however only narrows the search. I havent gotten the “look down quickly” yet. I will be going back in May. I should have it by then.

      3. As far as “where” goes look at it this way. “I keep my secret where…… Begin it where” Now replace where with McDonalds. and you have… I keep my secret at McDonalds… Begin it at McDonalds. If I am correct the Blaze we are looking for is very close to “where the warm waters halt” It’s a double entendre. Begin it where the warm waters halt is specifically written to hold 2 clues in two different ways.

        1. T.S. Eliot quote Forrest shared in Six Questions. This was not the first time he has used it. He includes the part, “….and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know it for the first time”. Does this support my theory of ” I keep my secret where… Begin it where” ? If I am wrong I am stumped. After going to USGS and looking at all of their maps of hot spots next to the Firehole and Gibbon rivers I found that most of the way through Firehole Canyon there are no hot spots but right at Madison Junction where the Gibbon, Firehole and Madison come together the Gibbon has a hot spot that feeds into the river right at Madison Junction. Is this where FF is talking about? From there you go into Madison Canyon. After Madison Canyon is 7 mile bridge where FF “put in” on his 10 river mile walk up the Madison over a 3 day fishing trip that he wrote about in his prologue to “To Far To Walk” He ended that prologue with the same as he wrote in the poem. He said “For me now it’s just ” to far to walk””. FF stated…You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure. Hints in the book are not that organized.f ” but then why the quote from TS Eliot ?

          1. FF also gave what I consider to be possible hints. Such as his dream about searching on an island for the treasure. Was this a hint that the treasure is on an island? Or how about the latest one ” the box is wet”. Does that mean it’s wet all the time or just on the day of the interview. Did he hide in near a water fall where it gets wet all the time? It certainly does not mean he hid it underwater because he said the box could be scorched by fire. One of the hardest to figure is that his body might not be found for a thousand years if he should die beside his treasure but it’s easy for a child to go there safely and there are no trails close by. Well if his body might not be found for a thousand years and there are no trails close by it sounds like an area most people do not frequent. As a fisherman I am sure he has explored may places most have not. In one of his books he wrote about green waters being the best fishing spots. There are places like that between Seven Mile Bridge and Bakers Hole campgrounds which is where his ten river mile walk took place. But what in the poem would point me to go to them?

            1. Then there was the ONLY quote we have EVER heard from “Ramblings and Rumblings” where FF talked about how at the end of every summer his father would drive a half mile out into the woods and hide their camping gear till the next summer. When they returned it was always there. To the best of my knowledge nothing else has ever been released from that book. So why that quote? Is the treasure where they hid their camping equipment? FF stated he parked his car and walked to his spot deposited either the box or the treasure and then walked back to his car and got the rest and walked again to the spot and back out again. He was 80. It took all afternoon. I can imagine 2 miles of walking with 20 pounds on each trip in would take all afternoon. Are these two places related? Or is it back at the beginning with the T S Elliot quote?

          2. Quote –
            and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know it for the first time”

            IMO you will begin with Nature – veer off looking for fame and fortune – end up looking at Nature again in a different light, a light of reverence and appreciation. That is the real treasure. And the box/chest? it might as well just be a dream like scrap book 146!
            IMO all the way

  5. FF says we will know before we go and we will go directly to it with confidence. We will not have to look for it. I do not expect to be correct. I do believe beyond any doubt that it is in Yellowstone. I do believe that the person that finds his secret MUST cross the Madison. Everything else is conjecture on my part. I would implore everyone not to follow my solve and wind up getting hurt. If you do follow my solve PLEASE watch for BEARS. Be alert and LOUD. Remember an experienced hiker was partially EATEN by a bear this year. BE CAREFULL. BE LOUD.

    As an example of my own , in April when I was there this year, a herd of bison snuck up on me with a calf while I was to busy taking pictures. I was lucky. I slowly backed away and they moved on. It could have been much worse. PLEASE if you go be careful. If you cross the Madison as I am suggesting remember what FF said,” it’s no place for the meek,” The water is deep and fast. Carrying 42 pounds crossing back across the river can be dangerous. Take precautions. Learn the river slowly. Maybe even wear a life vest. Winter is closing in fast for the year. Not much time left this year to search. Don’t be in a hurry. Life is much more valuable than the treasure. GOD bless to all and good luck.

  6. I will be going back in May 2016. This year I went in April. There wasn’t much open. My lady and I left just as things were beginning to open. We stayed at the Evergreen Motel. Prices were very reasonable and service was great. Rooms were VERY clean and as we wanted we were left alone. I would HIGHLY recommend this as a place to consider staying. The best food , in our opinion , was on Dunraven Street. I don’t remember the name but it was a nice place with great service and great food. Take extra money for food. It’s expensive for food in West Yellowstone unless you are making $50.000 + per year then ignore me. We didn’t really care for the food anywhere else, OR the prices. $6.00 for a Big Mac?? Not a meal just the burger. By all means go see the Grand Canyon of West Yellowstone. It is a MUST SEE. Some people are impressed with Old Faithful, It’s cool but I wasn’t impressed. Be careful of the hot springs. Some are acidic. When there are signs saying DON’T ENTER take them seriously. Everything is beautiful but if you are not careful everything is dangerous…. like the bison, bears, wolves, fast moving water, THINK and be careful. Don’t be a statistic.

  7. My lady and I spent about $3,500.00 on the entire trip. Airfare hotel, food from Florida and home for 10 days. It can be done for much less if we wanted to but we figured once in a lifetime till we got there. Then we realized almost immediately we would be going back. Thanks Forrest. Sincerely. We may never find your “secret” but even so it doesn’t matter. BEING there is what matters. You MUST see this place. I understand FF’s love for Yellowstone. It IS a very special place and if you have not been there just go. Seriously JUST GO. You won’t regret it. The Bison are everywhere, they are beautiful just dont forget they are wild animals. Many people have discovered that it is easy to accidentally sneak up on bears. Carry bear spray and be LOUD, VERY LOUD and they might not be a problem. I read MANY blogs before I went. Most of the time I was in the woods ALONE. My lady couldn’t handle the altitude. Many blogs I read stated to yell out ” HEY BEAR” not that those exact words made a difference, but the yelling tells bears you are there and they WANT to avoid you…. unless they are hungry. Every 100 feet I would yell out, I have a VERY loud voice though. Trained singer here. Project VERY loud so they can hear you coming. I had no problems but I still carried Bear spray. FF put the treasure in a place where you will have less chance of contacting bears, in my opinion. Bears can be anywhere but they would choose to avoid humans and places where humans are most likely to be. That is why his secret is close to the home of Brown. Many people frequent the home of Brown. FF thought of everything in his 15 years writing the poem. My ideas above will probably be wrong but I do believe I am close. Again GOD Bless and GO. You won’t regret it.

  8. Thanks, Chris. I would really like to go to Yellowstone one day. It sounds like a must see. I have never been there. I’d like to go a lot…just to have a look…in real life. Even the best photographs can never do those places justice. You just have to be there to really feel the place.

  9. FF is a very smart man. VERY. He has given us all the opportunity to change our lives IF we can find it. One thing is absolutely true though. I keep a lawyer on retainer because of the business I am in. According to my lawyer, because FF stated he gives you ” title to the gold” he still retains ownership. UNLESS he dies before it’s found. If he passes on before it is found then it has been abandoned according to my lawyer. Then it belongs to the Federal Government and YES you can be thrown in jail for taking it. My lawyer is top ten in the USA. In some lawyer book. I don’t trust lawyers but it does make sense to me. If he has passed on how can he retain ownership? The government will not allow you to fight them. They will just take it. So if I am correct it MUST be found before he passes. OR you NEVER tell where it was found.

    1. I do not expect anyone to give me their insights.Maybe someone will take what I have stated here and use it to find it. There are so many contradictory statements from FF though. There are clues. Then there are hints. Hints and clues are TOTALLY different for FF. If he affirms a hint it becomes a clue and he has stated publicly he will give no more clues. So what do we truly perceive as hints? Take for instance….”.and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know it for the first time” and then “You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure.” The second statement FF considers a clue. Does he consider the first as a hint? If the second is a hint do they not conflict? Which should we follow? Why would he quote TS Elliot if it wasn’t a hint? But does it not conflict with his clues? Follow it to the end but return to the beginning and know it for the first time?????? To know the truth is to know the man. Or maybe he’s just toying with us. I believe he put it out there for us to find but the clues and possible hints nullify each other. Or do they? What do YOU believe.

    2. Chris, I’ve read your comments. Interesting legal interpretation of “title” and “ownership”. What good is the title fortune-wise if you do not get the ownership? None other than fame. IMO living your life as you would like and enjoy things in which you have interest is way more important than playing this game. I like puzzles and puzzles are good for my brain health. I never needed a rich person to throw a carrot out for me to become involved in hobbies. I did not need a lure of $$$ to learn about boating and boating safety, or about hunting and hunting safety, or about travel to large cities or anything else. I met a parent once – the parent did not boast about high education or mega funds. Yet this parent told his child something that I think everyone in this chase should hear. Something to the effect: You allow others to antagonize/stir you like lighting fuses to firecrackers. Then, you go off and they sit and watch the display and laugh at you. Measure your actions to his statement – you may find you take a different direction in life when you light your own fuse and direct. IMO of course.

  10. Jenny, I don’t know if you will read this or even if you do your willingness to respond but it is my opinion that FF has intentionally created a situation with different statements, such as .”.and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know it for the first time” Which is it? Follow the poem top the end and you will find it OR follow everything to the end, return to the beginning and it will be there at the.”.and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know it for the first time” and then “You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure.” . AND THEN “You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure.” These statements are conflicting. The do not agree with each other. So while I do not believe FF will tell you which way to follow i WILL ASK your INSIGHT. What do YOU believe.

    1. Sorry for my typos. 90 hrs this week. Tired and confused. Keyboard dying doesn’t help need a new one. Sorry. There is real contradiction in his statements though with no clear way to understand the correct path. If we follow his TS Elliot statement areas are significantly limited. If we deny the TS Elliot statement areas are overwhelmingly abundant and create a huge search area. I had originally wanted to return in April now my lady and I are talking about June so that I have more time. Maybe I need to simplify. The contradictions make it near impossible to know. He stated he would not make statements that would lead us astray (my interpretation). I am not so sure that is accurate anymore. I am sure he is honorable but these two statements disagree with one another.

  11. If we ignore the TS Elliot statement and remember his “home of Brown” statement the area is extremely limited. If we include the TS Elliot statement the area is much larger and in a much different place. How significant is the TS Elliot statement? Do we throw it out or is it pertinent to the solve?

  12. I loved going to Yellowstone. It’s a very beautiful place. When I searched Harlequin Lake I was terrified. Alone, listening for every possible animal sound, yelling out every 10-15 feet so that bears would know I was there. I came back with LITERALLY 40 plus ticks on me. It wasn’t that long after that an experienced hiker was partially EATEN by a bear in Yellowstone. So where is it that it is safe to take a three year old when an EXPERIENCED hiker gets partially eaten by a bear? Your damn right I was scared. Now I am MORE scared. If I consider the TS Elliot statement it is a safer area to consider. If I follow “You should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure” alone and forget about the TS Elliot statement then the search area is much larger and more dangerous to search. The two areas are MILES apart though. I would very much like to know from FF if we should follow his words or his reiteration of TS Elliot. It makes a HUGE difference as they are TOTALLY contradictory.

  13. Is FF willing to say that the proper search area is someplace where being eaten by a bear has an insignificant likelihood? I really don’t like the idea of being eaten in exchange for possibly finding money. Oh I want to go back. It is beautiful beyond comparison there. However the more remote, or more correctly stated as less traveled to by humans, the higher the probability of problems with wildlife. Do I lend the TS Elliot reiteration credence or don’t I?

  14. If it is close to Madison Junction then because of the high human traffic there is much less chance of contact with wildlife. If for instance it is in the wood between 7 Mile Bridge and Bakers Hole Campgrounds there is much less of a human presence in most areas therefore it is much more likely to be confronted by wildlife. There are no man made trails sounds like people don’t frequent the area much which gives a higher likelihood that wildlife does. Is there a higher likelihood of wildlife where it is? That is my question. I feel everyone searching should know that answer to how much of a risk they are taking. For FF and many others it may not be an issue but for those of us unwise to bear country it could be a BIG issue. I thought I was taking things seriously last trip. Yes I was loud and yes I had bear spray but a seasoned hiker gets partially eaten by a bear???? When we went in April bears were just starting to come out of hibernation. This time we are going or considering going later. And they will be hungry. I feel everyone, EVERYONE deserves to know is the area remote or well traveled by visitors.

  15. Maybe at the very least FF can give some personal insight of how to avoid bears and other wildlife. With all of his years of experience there any information is considered by me relevant to my safety.

    When I was there last year the Bison had a calf they were protecting. My lady told me the herd was heading in my direction. I was taking pictures of the islands at Madison Junction. I never heard them. I turned to my left and there they were. Standing still and quiet not ten feet from me. Seriously not even 10 feet away. I never heard them they were so quiet. I slowly backed away and they moved on. I heard a few weeks later an Oriental girl was gored by one of them. Growing up in an area such as this you know things. You are taught daily as you grow up in these surroundings. If I told you I hid a treasure in Cherry Hill Baltimore you would be in danger if you went there because you don’t know the area. I know it because I lived it. FF lived Yellowstone. I did not. What is obvious to him is not to me. I would NEVER send you on a search for treasure to Cherry Hill Baltimore without explaining to you what to do and what not to do. What is second nature to me seems simple and everyone should know but it isn’t simple. After hearing about the experience hiker and the Oriental girl I would like to know more from FF perspective on safety in the area.

    1. Well, Chris, you are a person who cares about others. How can ff give safety on the area when the area is so large and each spot is distinctly different. It just is not a good idea to venture out doors without any preparation ahead of time. — and take children! Safety is not mentioned – searcher beware. I would think that for anything new (travel, outdoors, boating/fishing/hunting, driving, etc.) that the intelligent person would investigate the adventure first. However, many are rushing out in the hopes of being the “winner” and getting the fame and fortune and the “genius” designation. The blogs mention their concerns about taxes, being ‘jacked’ if they find it, the value of the box, etc. before they venture out. They do not mention the work to prepare for safety (food, water, shelter, road hazards) until later. It sounds more like ‘go out and find fortune’ than go and learn fishing or whatever. Come back with ‘being in nature is a wonderful thing’ as a consolation prize. It appears to be similar to the latest remake of “Rat Race” than sharing an appreciation and reverence for nature.

      1. Hi Jdiggins, I think the message is to take the time to learn about the adventure and the intended location before hand. The important thing is to venture into things because of your own interest and desire to enjoy the event/hobby. Nature is unlike other places – there are safety precautions that should be taken and to know what they are requires communication with someone or some organization or some written material. I do not think Chris is wildly paranoid – just reasonable upset. I wonder if ff would have been able to “get people off the couch and outside” without the lure of a chest (fame and fortune). I doubt it. IMO

  16. I can’t help wonder, do the clues in the poem lead to one specific spot, or many, which then must each be searched afoot? For instance, will the most important, wwwh, if understood correctly, in conjunction with the other clues lead you to THE spot, or a list of spots, each of which must be searched?

    docscottgs
    1. It could refer to the high desert but Pinon Pines are found as far north as southern Wyoming. Interestingly, this eliminates Montana and the Yellowstone area of Wyoming from contention. What intrigues me is his comment about seeing animals from where the treasure is placed.

      Jay
      1. Jay, even a bird is an animal, so this is not much help, Piñon is some help, but notice he said “You would see TREES, note he did not use Pine Trees, perhaps Aspen? Many searchers do not know that an Aspen Wood is truly one root with many Risones or trees growing and that root has many shoots, they can withstand forest fires, droughts, and the life of some groves are approximately 100,000 years old. See oldest pines are more like 5,000 https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/29/top-5-oldest-trees-in-us/

        Tom Terrific

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