Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 13 by KELSEY SINCLAIR THERE'S GOLD IN THE HILLS… BUT WHERE? Fenn published the poem leading to the treasure in his autobiographical book The Thrill of the Chase, and has stated that the book also has other subtle hints. He later published another book of his life stories called Too Far to Walk. Fenn has stated that each line in the poem must be solved in consecutive order, starting from the first line. Think you have what it takes to solve the riddle? 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, e end is ever drawing nigh; ere'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? e 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. Popular locations for Montana searchers include Hebgen Lake, various spots across West Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. Fenn has stated that it is above 5,000 feet and below 10,200 feet, is located in an area with pine trees, and is not in a graveyard, cave, or mine. It's also not in a house or associated with a structure. In a Huffington Post interview from February 2015, Fenn stated that searchers who had emailed him their route went within 200 feet of the treasure. This comment has led some to believe that it is within 200 feet of a road. I N 1988, FORREST FENN WAS PREPARING TO DIE. e millionaire art dealer had been diagnosed with cancer. Until then Fenn led an adventurous life and he wanted an adventurous death. After soul searching, he hatched a plan. He would stuff an antique bronze chest with some of the artifacts he spent his life collecting: 265 coins, pre-Columbian animal figures, gold dust, an antique dragon coat bracelet fixed with 250 some odd rubies, several diamonds, a 2,000-year-old Colombian necklace, and more—all valued at anywhere from one to five million dollars. He would carry this 42 pound chest into the wilderness—to a spot special to him—and then lay beside it, and die. Fenn hoped someday, another wild-eyed adventurer, would stumble across this remote spot, and find his bones, treasure, and autobiography. But a miracle happened and he was cured. However, the idea of such a wide-scale treasure hunt stayed in the back of his mind. Finally in 2010, he traveled somewhere in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana and hid the trove. He released a six stanza poem in his autobiographical book e rill of the Chase that leads directly to the chest. Searchers from all over America have flocked to the Rockies, each confident that they will return home a millionaire. Despite Fenn spending much of his childhood in Montana, many searchers skip the treasure state in favor of New Mexico or Colorado. But could the treasure be hidden in our neck of the woods? Hebgen Lake? Glacier National Park? Lamar Ranger Station? ese spots and more have been theorized to hide the chest, and yet have not been combed over because of fewer searchers throughout Montana. X As Fenn himself has said, the treasure isn't anywhere that an 80-year-old man couldn't get to.

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