Revisiting Nine Clues, Nine Sentences

In the spring of 2016, Fenn did an interview and it's contents are available online here:

Spring 2016 Interviews

The interview is broken up into shorter segments and the one I'm interested in for this post is San Lazaro - Part 1.  It is about writing and in it, Fenn says 

"...you can't end a sentence with a colon, so down there by the page number I put a period..."

What's interesting about this is that in the book, The Thrill of the Chase, before the poem is a sentence and it ends with a colon, then the poem.

So I wrote a poem containing nine clues that if followed precisely, will lead to the end of my rainbow and the treasure:

There aren't many people who are including that sentence as part of the poem, but I believe the colon connects the sentence to the poem and is part of what is necessary to solve the poem!

What normally follows a colon?  A list.

How is that list usually formatted?  Bullet points.

So I wrote a poem containing nine clues that if followed precisely, will lead to the end of my rainbow and the treasure:

• 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, 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.
• So why is it that I must go And leave my trove for all to seek?
• The 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.

First Clue Confirmed!

Back in April 2013, Forrest Fenn was interviewed on a radio program in New Zealand.  At the time, two people had figured out the first clue, but had walked past the other seven.  In that interview, Fenn noted that the first clue IS "where warm waters halt"!

Listen here!

Unlocking the Clues

“Many have given serious thought to the clues in the poem but only a few are in tight focus with a word that is key.”

Serious = deliberate, thoughtful, significant, skillful, thorough, critical
Thought = attention, thinking, understanding, concentration, care
Clues = suggestion, hint, proof, solution, idea, cue, definition
Tight = narrow, solid, strong, close, compact, familiar, constant
Focus = target, heart, center, adjust, core, gist, compact, converge
Key = access, entry, answer, legend, base, central, primary, crucial, telling

Deliberate attention to definitions of familiar words you adjust to get the gist of where they converge for the answer.

Forrest Fenn is a wordsmith, he used words to hide the answers to the clues in the poem, and now you have to use words to unlock those clues to reveal the answers!

Fenn Quotes on Finding the Treasure

"If you're really serious about looking for the treasure, get TTOTC and read it, and then go back and read the poem over and over and over again, and then go back and read the book again but slowly, looking an..looking at every little abstract thing that might catch up in your brain, that might be a hint to help you with the clues. Any part of some is better than no part of any. f"



"Some searchers overrate the complexity of the search. Knowing about head pressures, foot pounds, acre feet, bible verses, Latin, cubic inches, icons, fonts, charts, graphs, formulas, curved lines, magnetic variation, codes, depth meters, riddles, drones or ciphers, will not assist anyone to the treasure location, although those things have been offered as positive solutions. Excellent research materials are TTOTC, Google Earth, and/or a good map. f" 


“There are hints in my book that will help you with the clues, but a clue will point you toward the treasure chest and a hint will just help you with the clues, if you can understand that. f”