TTOTC Treasure Hunt Solution

Background

In 2010, Forrest Fenn published a poem in his memoir The Thrill of the Chase, which included clues to the location of a million-dollar treasure. The hunt ended approximately 10 years later, on June 5, 2020, when Jack Stuef alerted Forrest of the find.

Jack and Forrest did not publicly provide a solution to the hunt, though evidence that the treasure was found at 9 Mile Hole in Yellowstone has come out through court and government document requests. 

The location is only part of the story. Forrest described his poem as having "9 clues." Knowing these clues allows searchers to understand how readers were intended to arrive at that location and what was going on in Forrest's mind when he wrote the poem.

The Solution

1. Where Warm Waters Halt

Nearly all rivers begin in distant headwaters, but not the Madison River. It begins mid-course as an already large river. Thermal springs create the warm water of the Firehole, which halts as it mixes with the cool water of the Gibbon to form the Madison River.

2. Take it in the Canyon Down

Drive downstream through Madison Canyon

3. Too far to Walk

The four-mile journey was too far to walk for an 80-year-old Forrest.

4. Below the Home of Brown

Stop at Nine Mile Hole, a famous home of brown trout. Forrest's family would joke about the elusive fish they could hook but never reel in, Mr. Brown.

Put into the water just below the fishing hole.

5. No Place for the Meek

Crossing the river is not for the meek.

6. End is Drawing Nigh

You are nearing the end of your journey, where the treasure lies.

7. Up Your Creek

One feature of Nine Mile Hole that attracts trout and makes it a world-class fishing hole is the creek that enters the river just upstream.

8. Heavy Loads and Water High

The treasure is certainly a heavy load that Forrest carried across wading with the water high up to his knees.

9. The Blaze

Now, look for the blaze, a notch carved on a tree.

From Jack's account, the blaze was damaged and barely recognizable.

The Location

Learn more about how the location was confirmed here.

Sources of Information

Information from Jack

The finder frequently posted their thoughts on Reddit¹ during the years they were searching for the treasure. He posted several of his direct thoughts about the poem's lines to Reddit. He also sent Forrest emails describing some details of his solution. After the find, Jack confirmed with Forrest that he had all the clues figured out.

Here are some of the details from those posts and emails:

• Regarding "where warm waters halt":

Madison Junction, where two endings meet one another ("ΩΩ", or the Firehole and Gibbon) and become a beginning ("turning Alpha", the start of the Madison).

• Regarding "take it in the canyon down":

Drive through it

• Regarding "too far to walk"

A relative distance

• Regarding "home of brown"

My home of brown was the actual hole at nine mile hole

• Regarding the next stanza, Jack commented on someone else's interpretation saying,
  this is the right interpretation of those clues

  • • • Regarding "no place for the meek"

“Obviously a river crossing is no place for the meek.“

• Regarding "no paddle up you creek"

“You won’t be going up river, but rather directly across.”

• Regarding "heavy loads and water high"

“If anyone’s ever tried crossing a river in waders, this is an excellent way to describe the heavy loads of water pushing you as the water climbs higher up your body the deeper you get.”

• Regarding "wise and found the blaze"

The search you have to do for the blaze

Convergent Solves

Several treasure hunters had searched the same area where the treasure was eventually found. Some publicly provided their solutions, which align in large part. Although ending in the correct location does not prove their solutions correct, it provides a strong contender for the solution, as at least several searchers could agree on the interpretation before finding it.

Hints and Slip-ups

There were a few hints and slip-ups that Jack is rumored to have used:

• Forrest said, "Look at the pictures and drawings" in the New Mexico Tourism Video. 

• In the California Sunday Magazine interview, Forrest said he wanted to "die at my favorite...," and Jack considered the completion "fishing hole."

• A sticky note that was visible on Forrest's laptop in the Great Big Story interview said, "INDULGENCE 59758".

• A few chapters in The Thrill of the Chase describe fishing, Yellowstone, and the photo of Forrest's father in front of the rock at Nine-Mile Hole holding several fish.

Additional Sources

Cynthia Meachum, a close friend of Forrest and his family, confirmed important details of this solution.

This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forrest Fenn, the Fenn Estate, the Fenn Family, or Jack Stuef.