Fenn says his treasure was found in Wyoming

Posted 8/6/20

Though much mystery still surrounds Forrest Fenn’s decade-long treasure hunt, the 89-year-old entrepreneur says the treasure was found in Wyoming.

“Because I promised the finder I …

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Fenn says his treasure was found in Wyoming

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Though much mystery still surrounds Forrest Fenn’s decade-long treasure hunt, the 89-year-old entrepreneur says the treasure was found in Wyoming.

“Because I promised the finder I would not reveal who found it or where, I have remained mostly silent,” Fenn recently penned on a blog dedicated to the 10-year search for the treasure. “However, the finder understands how important some closure is for many searchers, so today [July 22] he agreed that we should reveal that the treasure was found in Wyoming.”

Fenn has said he hid a bronze chest filled with gold and jewels worth more than $1 million in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. In late July, he gave up the state in which it was found on Dal Neitzel’s “Thrill of the Chase” blog — after many hunters voiced displeasure with the lack of facts. Some searchers have turned on Fenn, saying the treasure hunt was a hoax or a friend was steered to the site.

Fenn said he hoped that disclosing Wyoming as the location would “bring some closure to those whose solves were in New Mexico, Colorado or Montana.”

But comments are still being posted on various searcher sites.

“I think if we are being honest with ourselves, true closure will only come with knowing the solve/final resting spot,” wrote frequent commenter, Geysergirl. “And we have to come to terms that we may never know that.”

Another commenter said that, “Full closure will come when the finder publishes his book and documentary,” adding to speculation that the hunt was merely a public relations stunt. Fenn has written several books and there is some speculation that the details will be released in a way he can capitalize on the information monetarily.

Fenn is currently hawking a revised edition of his memoir, “Once Upon A While, Revised.”

“This revised third memoir showcases the original 39 mini-episodes in the life of Forrest Fenn, plus a new 40th story. Forrest corrected some text and included more of his stick-figure drawings,” says an ad for the book at Fenn’s company, the Old Santa Fe Trading Company.

Fenn hid clues in a poem he wrote as part of his 2010 autobiography. Thousands of people soon worked on “solves” for the riddle, searched the Rocky Mountains and purchased books and collateral material from Fenn in hopes of discovering more clues.

“I do not know the person who found it,” Fenn said after announcing the prize’s discovery in early June, “but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.”

Many hunters targeted Wyoming in their searches, with a few running into physical danger or legal trouble. Between 2013 and 2016, Park County authorities assisted a pair of Virginia residents multiple times after they got lost and injured on the North Fork; in January, park rangers had to rescue an Indiana man who illegally rappelled into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, convinced the treasure was stashed on the canyon floor. One treasure hunter from Illinois fell to his death while searching in Yellowstone in 2018. In total, five people reportedly died while pursuing the treasure.

Since Fenn’s announcement that his prize was found in Wyoming, hunters have been speculating on where in the Cowboy State the treasure was found. More than one dedicated seeker posted on Neitzel’s website that the treasure was found near Owl Creek, close to the Sunshine Reservoirs outside of Meeteetse.

“I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search,” Fenn wrote, “and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries.”

Fenn has refused to comment further to the Powell Tribune and other media outlets.

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