Chasing the Thrill by Dan Barbarisi offers an excellent account, though not always glamorous glimpse, into the world of treasure hunting. In his book, Dan chronicles the pursuit of an extraordinary treasure hidden by Forrest Fenn. In 2010, The Thrill of the Chase was published by Forrest, which included a poem with 9 clues. That poem lead to a secreted chest of gold. It was this Chase, with its creator, Forrest Fenn, and its treasure valued at around 1 million dollars, tucked somewhere away in the Rocky Mountains, that had all the ingredients of becoming a legendary treasure hunt. Maybe it has become legendary in another way, but…..unexpectedly….. the chest was found in June of 2020. The location of where it was exactly hidden, remaining a mystery to most involved today.

I met Dan a few years ago. He, along with a few others, and with my husband and I, were gathered around Forrest in his den. Forrest always displayed a unique presence about him. He reveled being the center of attention, knew how to play a crowd, and in my opinion, enjoyed testing reactions to what he would say and do. For what purpose, he alone only knew. That day was no exception. In the following Six Questions, I ask Dan about that day, what spurred him on to write Chasing the Thrill, (even after the chest was found), and what has been happening since the book’s release. Enjoy!

Six Questions with Dan:

  • 1Q) Congrats on the publishing of your book, Dan. It’s a fascinating account of the Chase, and more. From initially being about an incredible treasure chest hidden in the Rockies, to one which was found, the writing of the book had its major twist and turns. However, you persevered, and have provided one of the best perspectives on the whole ordeal. What made you continue writing, with the treasure found, and feel this particular story was important to share? What strikes you as your overall book’s main purpose? What do you want readers to go away with?

When I started the book, the aim was to capture the story of what happens when a treasure hunt is dropped into the modern world – the things that go right, go wrong, the unintended consequences, the human element. And I hoped to place Fenn’s hunt in the larger historical context of treasure hunting – to establish how it fits into that bigger story, of all these hunts in all their forms that have inspired people throughout history. The treasure being found wasn’t something I could count on happening, obviously – but once it did, it provided me with a fantastic opportunity to largely complete the story of the hunt, and to tie a bow on it, for the most part. I can’t even imagine the idea of NOT writing further or completing the story once that happened! The way I looked at the tale, I was writing for an audience 10, 20, 30 years from now, who might hope to have a full understanding of what took place here, and what it meant to so many, and I hope I succeeded in doing that.  

  • 2Q) Since its release, you’ve been chatting with those that have read your book, promoting it via guest appearances, and have been asked lots of questions, many about Jack, the Finder. Is there something you are surprised no one has asked about? Are there tidbits in your book that are being overlooked? Is the book being perceived the way you had envisioned it would be?

I’m certainly not surprised that those in the hunting community care most about the final parts of the book, the pieces about Jack and the treasure being found; that’s no shock to me, and I get it, though to me that’s only one part of a much larger story. People outside the Fenn community are much more curious about many of the other parts, and honestly, those are probably the ones I find the most interesting as well – they’re more the human element, rather than just relating the story of the end.

  • 3Q) In the introduction, I mention meeting you at Forrest’s house. Unlike the earlier times my husband and I met with Forrest, I left there that day with a sense the Chase was not going as Forrest planned. There was a displeasure in what the Chase, and some of the community, had become. Some of which is described in your book. Forrest seemed concerned about the perception of the Chase and he was realizing his once beautiful creation, had acquired some ugly features. It was turning into a monster, and there was no controlling it. If you recall, what were your thoughts of that day? Had you felt the sense that a poison was seeping into something once beautiful as well?  Did you get the sense Forrest was noticing it too? If so, how do you feel Forrest felt about that?

I had only recently entered the chase at that time; that week was really my first true chance to meet searchers in person, and the same goes for Fenn. So it’s hard for me to make a comparison to how he might have treated it or spoken about it before that. But I certainly had the impression that it had grown unwieldy and beyond his control, and that he was struggling with elements of that. As that was early June 2017, the events of later that month certainly speak to that (It’s also very likely that by that time, Fenn was aware Jeff Murphy was missing, and that may have been weighing on his thoughts). He and I talked a fair amount about these issues at various points, and certainly it seemed like at times he was wistful for the earlier days of the chase, when it had been a much smaller community. But there was no going back, obviously.  

  • 4Q) While following the leads and digging into the story of the Chase, what surprised you most? And I should differentiate- What were you most pleasantly surprised with, and what were you most unpleasantly surprised with?

I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming everyone in the chase was, especially once I explained that I was actively searching, and trying to understand them in doing so. I think that prompted a lot of people to view me differently than as “just some reporter,” in that they could see that I was willing to let the chest have a hold over me, also.

The level of anger and mistrust that could be found online certainly could be disappointing. While that can be found in any community, I think the fact that most people conducted most of their chase-related interactions on the Internet – where usernames and anonymity dominate – could tend to strip much of the humanity and empathy from what could, in person, be a truly kind and friendly group of people.

  • 5Q) As with all books, when the last page is read, the cover is closed. However, that doesn’t mean the story is over. From interviewing the many searchers and others involved in the Chase, why do you feel many hunger to know the exact location of the chest? Are you content with the hunt’s, and ultimately your book’s, ending? Forrest once mentioned the location will eventually be revealed. From all of your investigations, would you agree? What did you sense from chatting with Jack on this?

I think the reasons that people want to know can be specific to each individual. That said, a lot of people invested a lot of time and a lot of money in this. They want to feel like that was well-spent, and I think that in some cases, there can be thoughts that someone is denying them what they feel they “deserve” out of this ending. I certainly understand that. While to me it’s mostly over, there are certainly elements that remain unknown or yet to be determined. Hey, that’s what epilogues and paperback editions are for!

If you’re referring to Fenn’s comment, via Doug Preston, that he expected the location and the finder would eventually become known, then conceptually, I agree with it; it’s just hard for so many people to want to know something and, one way or another, not have it become public eventually. Now, eventually can be a very long time. In the case of the finder’s identity, it happened quickly. In the case of the location? Hard to say. I do think Jack takes his convictions on this very seriously, and his sense of responsibility to what he believes is right very seriously. To me, this isn’t some lark, or quickly-considered decision on his part.

  • 6Q) I think Life includes a multitude of treasure hunts- of all kinds. The Thrill of the Chase being only one facet of it now. The world is full of stories and tales yet to be told, and lived. No sense getting bogged down on one. What topics or subjects are calling on you now? What might be your next ‘Thrill of the Chase’?

I like the new and different. I like to learn new things, find different worlds, come to understand varied kinds of people. That’s the true pleasure of what I get to do – I get to expose myself to new and interesting situations, and (usually!) get people to take me in and shepherd me through what their unique worlds are really like. The last time, it was professional gamblers, this time, it was treasure hunters. I don’t know what I’ll do next yet, but I can guarantee you it will be something that has very little to do with either of those groups or their pursuits!