Treasure hunters across North America were left devastated in early June when Santa Fe art dealer Forrest Fenn announced his long hidden prize had been recently discovered. Nearly a decade earlier Fenn had self-published his memoir ‘The Thrill of the Chase’ which contained a cryptic poem that supposedly would lead searchers to a treasure chest containing roughly $2 million in valuables.
Now a month past the announcement that the treasure has been found and with few details surrounding the discovery being announced, even Fenn’s most loyal fans are beginning to question if there ever was a treasure stashed at all.
In the ten years since the treasure hunt was announced, online communities flourished in the collective attempt to locate the epic prize. Fenn himself even regularly responded to fan inquiries and updated a blog with clues, as searchers hunted most every corner of the Rock Mountains from Montana to New Mexico.
Fenn however has stated he would only allow the finder to announce the final location of the treasure. This provision allows the finder opportunities to capitalize on a book or movie or retain the secret for themselves. The refusal of Fenn to reveal the treasure doesn’t bode well with searchers, who spent thousands of dollars and years of their lives trying to piece together a viable solution. For the families of the 5 searchers who died in their quest to find the Fenn treasure, the lack of closure feels especially hurtful.
With all the increased media attention and scrutiny surrounding the hunt, surprisingly little information has still been released surrounding the treasure’s location. Many searchers have debated whether legal action, liability or a host of other issues are preventing Fenn from fully disclosing the secret. Since the initial announcement the treasure was found, the public was first issued a picture of the treasure followed by a major announcement in the past few days that Wyoming was in fact the state where it was discovered.
The Fenn treasure hunt was an exciting and unforgettable part of many of our lives for the past decade. To Forrest; we at Unofficial Networks eagerly await more details and are holding out hope that it wasn’t a hoax after all. Either way we will never forget that damn poem.
“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.”
