Part Four: Yellowstone Theory Number One
On August 22, 2015 — ironically Forrest Fenn’s 85th birthday — Brian, Zach, and I set out on our own adventure to look for Forrest’s treasure. Though we didn’t end up as millionaires, we certainly had the experience of a lifetime! Annnnd we are still quite certain our theories are solid, but we just couldn’t make them fit. A little background, and then we will jump right into the details of theory number one.
We started out by choosing a general geographical area and then deciding whole-heartedly to center our research on that one location in order to use our week-long trip most effectively. Of the four states Forrest claims might contain the gold: Colorado isn’t mentioned at all in either of his two memoirs. New Mexico is mentioned only in regards to Taos and Sante Fe (neither seemingly significant in his life, though he currently resides most of the time in Sante Fe). Montana has some mention of Gallatin National Forest and a car trip he took with his brother, but even these references pale in comparison to the endless references and sentimental stories centered in and around Yellowstone National Park.
Since we believe the treasure is on public land (see PART SIX), we all settled on Yellowstone National Park, wrote up a contract and plan of action in the event we found the treasure, and got to work devising a few workable theories. Here was our first (and arguably our strongest) theory:
Theory One
Forrest Fenn wanted to die with his treasure, right? This means he had to find some sort of grotto, crevice, or area behind a waterfall that would be big enough (yet hidden enough) for both his body and the treasure chest. We envisioned Forrest writing this as though he were actually in the process of going into the grotto/crevice to die with his treasure (remember, the poem was written when this was still his intention).
As I have gone alone in there — “in there,” in the grotto/crevice/etc, in order to die
And with my treasures bold, — It takes guts to go somewhere with the intention of dying.
I can keep my secret where, — He has said he wasn’t going to tell anyone he was going off to die, it was going to be his “secret”…in this case, his final secret.
And hint of riches new and old. — Reference to the treasure, the riches of nature, etc.
Forrest always has and always will be a fisherman at heart. His memoirs paint stories of his long summers fishing and the fond emotions that fishing still brings to him. In particular, Forrest was known to frequent the Madison River. In “The Thrill of the Chase,” Forrest writes, “And when my tackle box is closed at last, and the cadis hatch is gone, I will rest through all of time and space, pillowed down and scented in, and with a smile that comes from remembering the special things that brought me to that final place, many of which were knowing you were there, somewhere, waiting for me.” Soooo….it makes sense, then, that a special fishing place is the place where Forrest planned for his body to spend the rest of time (and where he hid the treasure!).
Begin it where warm waters halt — We took this to mean the one road through the western side of Yellowstone NP, beginning at the Madison Junction, where two warm (in terms of fishing) “waters” — the Gibbon River and the Firehole River — meet to form the cold Madison River.
And take it in the canyon down, — Take the road along Firehole Canyon, which stretches between the Madison Junction and Firehole Falls. “Down” indicates directionally south on a map. Alternately, it could mean you literally climb down the bank into the canyon, but we assumed we would drive at first.
Not far, but too far to walk. — Tells you how far to go. After much thought and a bit of trial and error, we believe Forrest is giving you a fairly exact reference of how far to go — either TO the canyon or WITHIN the canyon (the poem isn’t clear). In the prologue of “Too Far to Walk,” Fenn tells a story about a fishing trip he took along the Madison River, one in which he spent 3 days fishing a 10-mile stretch of the river. He says he wishes he would have taken that trip again, but for now, “it’s just too far to walk.” Is he telling us to substitute an approximate 10-mile distance for this line of the poem? Or is it merely poetic? We tend towards the fact that Forrest has to give you something tangible to work with or else the poem is useless. For our theory, if you measure the curves of the Firehole from the Junction to the Falls, you will have waded a few miles, but really this area would be nigh impossible to wade, as the cascades are massive. We assumed this was “too far to walk” because you can’t walk it at all. I know, I know, it’s a bit of a stretch since it doesn’t fit the 10-mile theory, but it was the only part of our theory that didn’t match our sub-theories perfectly.
Put in below the home of Brown. — Notice the punctuation change here. “Not far, but too far to walk” again is in reference to the distance either TO the canyon or WITHIN the canyon. This line starts a new thought. “Put in” is a fishing term, meaning to wade out into the water. We assumed we needed to either get into the river or, more likely, a small tributary off of the river (based on the next stanza of the poem). We took the “home of Brown” to be a reference to brown trout, which are not native fish to Yellowstone. We did some research, and it turns out the places where brown trout were first introduced to Yellowstone were just above and below Firehole Falls. Which means, even in a thousand years from now, these two places will always be the “home of Brown,” because this was their original “home.” Make sense? Good. Keep going.
We honestly weren’t sure whether the “home of Brown” meant above or below the falls, so we decided to look for small tributaries off of the Firehole River both above and below the Falls.
From there it’s no place for the meek, — The journey gets harder from here, as you have now “put in” and are traveling in the water.
The end is ever drawing nigh; — Perhaps a poetic line to indicate you are getting closer to the treasure? We took this to indicate a tributary, as eventually these bodies of water do have a distinct end. NOTE: We now have a separate theory for “ever drawing nigh.” See PART SIX.
There’ll be no paddle up your creek, — Hike up the creek.
Just heavy loads and water high. — There is a (likely small and unnamed) waterfall up the creek. “Heavy loads” indicate the weight of the water falling on you as you search behind the waterfall. “Water high” is a fancy name for a water fall. We were further encouraged in this theory, because Forrest has a very sentimental story in his book about finding a few forgotten headstones of deceased French soldiers at a waterfall in Vietnam. He talks about the tragedy of lying dead and forgotten against the beauty of such a wonderful force of nature. He also talks about the gold “at the end of my rainbow.” What creates a rainbow in the sun? The arch of a waterfall. And where can one’s body (and gold) be hidden safely — both from nature and prying eyes — for many years? In the crevices/grottos behind a waterfall.
If you’ve been wise and found the blaze, — This is something we believe you won’t know until you see it, but once you see it, you will know it. We personally believe it might be a bronze horseshoe, but more on that in PART SIX.
Look quickly down, your quest to cease, — When you see the blaze, look quickly down with your eyes. He has said a child would have an advantage in finding the treasure, so that reinforces our belief that the treasure is likely hidden in a crevice or under some sort of rock overhang that is low to the ground. Why else would a child — who is not certainly anything but short — have an advantage in finding such a well-hidden treasure chest?
But tarry scant with marvel gaze, — We find this mostly poetic. Don’t stay long. Maybe it’s wet, maybe it’s directly under the weight of the water from the falls, who knows. But don’t just stand there.
Just take the chest and go in peace. — Just what it sounds like.
So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek? — Literal meaning.
The answers I already know.
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak. — Again, back to the reference where Forrest meant to take his treasure and die. We believe this is a line left over from the original intent of the poem. Forrest is speaking as though inside the crevice/grotto/whatever, saying he has “done it tired” [the journey, the hiding, the path towards death] and now he is quite literally weak.
So hear me all and listen good, — We’ve seen some compelling arguments that, since “good” is clearly improper grammar here, Forrest meant you to substitute the obvious alternative of “well.” This would fit quite well with the hint Forrest gave about “begin it in the Spring” if, indeed, he meant Spring to be a natural water source and not the season. But the more we thought of it, the more we didn’t like messing with his poem. He meant what he said, I think, and he needed a word that rhymed with “wood.”
Your effort will be worth the cold. — The only way to guarantee being cold is being wet.
If you are brave and in the wood — We feel these are “hints” to the location of the treasure. Not clues, mind you. Remember we said “clues” were the 9 distinct steps for how to get to the treasure, and “hints” were things that helped you find the clues but aren’t necessarily a path to find the gold. “Brave” emphasizes the need to wade/hike up a creek, being outside (with the freaking Grizzlies, etc.). “In the wood” means amongst the trees. Seriously, read his book. As great of a writer as Forrest is, he doesn’t seem to mince words. Perhaps we sometimes overthink the obvious.
I give you title to the gold. — In other words, you find it, it’s yours. :)
Our theory was a workable option both by starting from the Madison Junction and working our way south (“down”), or by starting from Old Faithful and the geyser basins and following the Firehole “down” (as in downstream). The “not far, but too far to walk” actually made more sense working our way from Old Faithful because the distance of the canyon (i.e. from the geyser region to Firehole Falls) is closer to 10 miles. But the problem with anywhere within the Caldera boundary (the “loop” of the park within which all the geysers, paint pots, and thermal features are located), is that you can’t leave the path. It’s not just illegal, it’s legitimately dangerous. Most of the land off of the boardwalks within the Caldera boundary is merely a thin crust, underneath which boiling water/lava is lurking. There didn’t seem to be much workable territory between the outside edge of the Caldera boundary (where you can leave the path again) and Firehole Falls.
A Few Problems with Theory Number One
We already mentioned the Caldera boundary and the perils (and rules) that dominate those parts of the park. But there were a few more issues with theory one as well. When you envision waterfalls, grottos, and the like, what do you absolutely have to have? Sturdy rocks. And where might you find sturdy rocks? Rocky mountains. If you’ve ever been to the western side of Yellowstone National Park, however, you’ll notice it doesn’t really have rocky mountains, cliff faces, or anything that could seemingly house $2 million worth of gold safely from rock slides, flooding, or other natural disasters. In fact, most of the mountains (hills?) are frequented by rock slides and are devoid of structures that would support waterfalls.
Another MAJOR issue we ran into? There are no tributaries off of the Firehole River, at least not any that are accessible, especially for an 80-year-old man. We barely found breaks in the riverbank that would indicate a dried-up tributary, but even when we did, Firehole Canyon was completely inaccessible with it’s sheer cliffs and then sudden-open-prairie-devoid-of-all-rocks.
There is one creek I wish we would have explored. It’s called the Nez Perce creek, and it’s a tributary of the Firehole that creates a backcountry trail in the general area between the geyser basins and Firehole Falls. But the problem once again? Most of the trail falls within the Caldera boundary, a no-no for off-trail searching or getting in the water.
That’s when we moved onto Theory Number Two…
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Actually, I searched all up the Nez Pearce Creek...plenty of land that is safe to explore off of the trail. Didn't find anything. By the way, the Nez Pearce Creek is the exact location that Brown trout were first introduced into the lower Firehole river in 1890.
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