Looking for Fenn’s Hidden Treasure

Article #17, Published June 25, 2017 by Elijah Wasson

A quote for the read:

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
— John Muir

I only recently found out about a ‘hidden treasure’ that has captivated tens of thousands of people into looking for. Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains lay a 10” x 10” x 5” bronze-casted box full of treasures said to be worth more than $1 million. With only a map and a poem, Forrest Fenn has influenced friends and families to explore the great outdoors, of course with the incentive that they might find a fortune.

Just some background for those who don’t know about Fenn’s hidden treasure:
Born in 1930, Forrest Fenn is an author, collector, and outdoors enthusiast. All his life he has explored many lands and found many artifacts. He really loved nothing better than finding a good stream or pond to go fly-fishing. Over his many years, Fenn collected precious artifacts, gems, gold, and memories. Now in his old age, he decided to put some of that into a custom-made bronze chest worth about $25K alone. Fenn then went out in the shadows of the great Rockies and placed it somewhere only he knows of.

He sure does seem like an interesting man. I just ordered one of his books, The Thrill of the Chase, to read more about him. He really loves the Rocky Mountains and being outdoors, which is why I am debating whether or not this gold of his is a real object, or if the real gold that he’s leading us to is a fishing spot with a scenic view. Either way, I wouldn’t mind. :)

Knowing some history of Fenn from his many blogs, part of me is thinking that there is no real chest full of gold, but a different treasure – one that everyone can find. After going through many of his scrapbooks online about searchers who have written him about their search, I noticed that every single one of them said they came back from their search empty-handed but that the best part of the whole thing was trekking through the mountains with their friends and family.

But then again, the other part of me thinks that there is a real bronze chest full of rare valuables. In all his interviews and clues, Forrest has made it seem as if he is talking about a real object. I have studied Fenn’s provided poem and map over and over again, though I feel I am no closer to solving it than anyone else. Honestly, I just think it’s kind of fun to figure out this riddle that’s involved with the mountains and a poem. I guess that’s why he called this “Thrill of the Chase.”