Here are some tips from Forrest with interpretations by Dal..Take the magenta text as fact but take the interpretations as suggestions from me…not from Forrest…
1. HE NEVER SAID HE HID IT IN NEW MEXICO He originally said its in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe. That includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho as well as British Columbia and Alberta…and New Mexico. Possibly even Alaska. Since this post was written in March of 2013 Forrest has eliminated all states and provinces that the Rocky Mountains rest in except Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and northern New Mexico.
2. HE SAID, “I NEVER SAID IT WAS BURIED.” He said he hid it. That means it might be buried but since he never used the word buried it might also mean that it is not.
3. HE SAID, “IT’S NORTH OF SANTA FE.” Don’t bother looking at areas south of Santa Fe, NM. It’s not there. He does mean SF New Mexico. Not SF Texas or SF Mexico or any other SF you come up with.
4. HE SAID, “I WAS 79 OR 80 WHEN I HID IT.” So it’s probably not some place terribly difficult to get to. So don’t expect to have to use advanced climbing techniques or kayak through Class 6 whitewater to find it. He wants you to have fun looking for it so although it’s difficult to find it should not require you to put yourself in danger. That being said you are responsible for the decisions you make looking…so be careful.
5. HE SAID, “START AT THE BEGINNING”. He has told us over and over that the smart place to start is at the begining. Starting in the middle of the poem, for instance at the home of Brown, is not a good strategy.
6. HE SAID, “IT’S DIFFICULT BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.” Forrest has said it takes brain work and research to figure out the clues. He also said “If it was easy anyone could do it.” Don’t head out to the first Brown Hotel you find. Don’t head for the first place to catch Brown trout. 9 out of 10 folks who have looked have already been to those same places you just found on the internet. Do serious research and start with where warm waters halt. The poem is a puzzle.
7. HE SAID, “IT’S ABOVE 5,000 FEET.” This was Forrest’s first clue on the Today Show. Duh…It’s in the mountains. Not much of that swath of peaks and plateaus known as the Rockies is below 5,000 feet. However you can eliminate those places that are at 4,999 feet or less.
8. HE SAID, “THE BOOK CONTAINS SUBTLE HINTS.” Forrest has said that the poem is all you need to find the chest and also has said that the book contains subtle hints that will help. So, if you cannot find the treasure after just trying to decode the poem, then maybe you should read The Thrill of the Chase”.
9. FORREST SAYS THAT HE WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN IT HAS BEEN FOUND. Forrest says that it is still there. Some people feel they know where it is by playing with Google Earth and other mapping programs in their own homes. They boast that they have found it. But apparently they have not, no one has so far. Some folks have never left their homes but like to come here and announce that they have found it. Don’t be put off by these foolish boasts from people who like to hear themselves talk. Ignore them and get out there and enjoy the countryside. Your ideas are as good as the next persons…If someone does find it you’ll read about it here and on Forrest’s blog.
10. HE SAID, “BRING A FLASHLIGHT AND A SANDWICH.” Folks have been agonizing for a couple of years now about Forrest saying this. Why would we need a flashlight? Is it in a cave? Underwater? In the basement of Brown’s home? Maybe we need a flashlight to throw at a bear guarding the chest…who knows? Recently Forrest sent me an email in which he said “A flashlight isn’t necessary unless you are searching at night.” So why did he say this to begin with? It’s just a saying…a reminder. My dad used to tell me, “If you are going to be late, take a flashlight.”
11. HE SAID,”THERE IS NO NEED DIGGING IN THE OLD OUTHOUSES. THE TREASURE IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY STRUCTURE.” Since the beginning searchers have had questions about the “Home of Brown”. Is it an actual house or a hotel? Some have thought it was an outhouse or municipal sewage treatment plant. On the Today Show airing on March 27th Forrest made the above statement.
12. HE SAID, “THE TREASURE IS NOT IN A GRAVEYARD.” This is the clue from Forrest’s May 3rd, 2013 appearance on The Today Show. It’s an important clue since people have been digging in a lot of inappropriate places including graveyards.
13. HE DIDN’T SAY, “THE TREASURE IS MORE THAN 8.25 MILES NORTH OF SANTA FE.” Forrest actually said something else over on Richard Saunier’s blog: “The Treasure chest is full of gold and precious jewels and is more than 66,000 links north of Santa Fe.” and we know that a link is 1/100th of a chain and a chain is 66 feet. So:
100 links = 1 chain 66,000 links = 660 chains (66,000 ÷ 100) 1 chain = 66 feet 660 chains = 43560 feet (660 x 66) = 8.25 miles
14. HE SAID, “THE TREASURE IS NOT HIDDEN IN UTAH OR IDAHO.” Forrest announced this on his Today Show appearance on June 28th, 2013.
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