I visited my daughter and son-in-law in Grand Junction, Colorado last week. Mary had been sick with pneumonia. Her sister, Amanda, and I spent a week with Mary and her husband, Matt. It snowed almost everyday. One evening, at a local restaurant, talk turned to the
Forrest Fenn Treasure. The news had reported that
a searcher for the treasure went missing on the Rio Grande River. I knew nothing about the Forrest Fenn legend of a treasure map poem and the hiding of a bronze treasure chest with more than a million dollars worth of gold and jewels somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.. In discussing the meaning of the poem with its 9 clues, my curiosity was definitely piqued. I've traveled a lot through areas of the Rocky Mountains and I love a good word puzzle.
On our way back to New Mexico, we came south on Hwy 550 through the Rocky Mountains in all their winter glory.
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Just south of Ouray, Colorado |
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My daughter, Amanda, and her dog, Tinder |
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The mining town of Ouray |
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Hwy 550 heading toward Red Mountain Pass |
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Where might have Forrest Fenn hid his treasure? |
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It certainly would be difficult to find it in the Rocky Mountains in winter. |
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Of course, the Thrill of the Chase brought many people to see the natural "treasure" all around them.... |
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...which is one of the primary goals of Forrest Fenn's efforts to get people to search for his treasure. |
I was hooked and and I began to search the internet for information about Forrest Fenn and the hunt for his treasure. Here's
Forrest Fenn's Poem with all the clues you need to follow precisely and find the treasure which he placed in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe:
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.
And here is the Treasure Map that Forrest Fenn provided in his latest book,
Too Far to Walk:
In reading
Dal Neitzel's Blog, Thrill of the Chase, where the Forrest Fenn treasure hunters gather in a virtual discussion of the search, I found
a posting by The Wolf, a Canadian searcher, who wrote a Three Part account of his search in New Mexico and Colorado over a two year period. His posting was intriguing and quite a thrilling account of his own quest.
Part 3 left me hanging as he was on the verge of discovering the treasure in a marble quarry in Colorado. His entire 120 page story is called "Finding Forrest Fenn" and can be purchased for $4.95 at
The Wolf's website. It is worth every penny. I think he solved the poem but did not find the treasure for reasons you will read about in his story.
On the other hand, perhaps The Wolf DID find the treasure. He wrote
this post on January 6, 2016 on the Dal Neitzel Blog:
Update: Treasure Has Been Found
It has been reported by Forrest Fenn that the Treasure has been found in June, 2020, where he had hidden it 10 years ago in the Rocky Mountains. The discoverer is unnamed but is apparently from "back East" of the United States. Apparently "free money" remains quite litigious.
Update: The Discoverer Revealed: