Sorry guys, he left.
>> [gasps]
>> Just kidding. Okay.
If we could put together a warm Seeker
Summit welcome for the one and only
Justin Posey.
>> [cheering]
[cheering]
>> Why don't you have a seat? Hi friend.
Hey JP, how you doing?
I'm doing good.
I'm glad to hear it.
>> It's a good day.
Are you tired yet?
A little bit. A little bit?
That means you guys have a better chance
of getting real clues.
That's what I was hoping for.
Uh we have Howard grabbing us a book
just in case we need it. So, he may just
run up here and hand it to us at any
moment. Is that your water?
It is.
Thank goodness. Okay.
I think that the best part of not the
best part, there's so many best parts,
but one of the most unique and coolest
parts of this event was
the Q&A with the votes.
So now, oh look at that, the delivery
system is here.
Uh so now, we're going to start
with the number one requested question
from everybody here with the most ups,
which means people wanted it.
Has anyone
located or correctly identified
the bride?
I'll answer this, but before I do,
there's
actually somebody I want to wish happy
birthday to. Hayden, if you're out
there, Hayden.
Happy birthday to you.
You sure you don't want to sing?
I mean, I'll stop. I'll pause.
>> people to leave early.
Um
has anyone correctly identified
>> Has anyone located or correctly
identified the bride?
Yes.
Oh man, don't you guys wish you'd added
a little bit to that so I could do a
follow-up?
Here's the follow-up. Who? No, just
kidding. Um
I agreed to not ask follow-ups, but
maybe at the end. You know, he's known
for being a little uncanny.
The second most asked question was, does
timing have anything to do with finding
the treasure? For example,
do you have to be at a specific spot at
a specific time of day during any point
following the poem in order to find the
treasure? 20 people would like to know.
Okay, one more time.
Does timing have anything to do with
finding the treasure?
For example,
do you have to be at a specific spot at
a specific time of day during any point
following the poem in order to find the
treasure?
That's an oddly specific question. It
seems very very specific to me, too.
Uh
what I will say is that um
the the
the element of
time, if it wasn't already obvious
through the Netflix series, is
is important.
That's fair. I mean, I think it makes
sense. You did touch a clock.
Right?
>> of time, there's actually something I
want to clear up.
Oh goodness. I have to get my notes
here. One moment.
>> lose your coin, though. Don't lose your
coin. Thank you. I'll set it right
there. Okay. Okay, speaking of time,
uh in the Netflix series, clearly there
are
some times shown.
And I feel that
there were a few Well, there were a few
times that slipped in that were
not by design. And so, I'm just going to
eliminate those specific times
uh to make things what I hope is
clearer.
I think Jim's going to fall out of his
chair.
>> [laughter]
>> There are two times specifically that
uh don't matter.
And
it's okay if you're off by a minute or
so. I know it's a little hard to tell on
that clock, so
uh at approximately 4:02 p.m.,
that does not matter.
And at approximately
5:26 a.m. or p.m.,
uh that does not matter, either.
I hope that helps.
I mean, how could it not, right?
I also have uh some updated statistics
that people may or may not be interested
in.
>> You know I love a good statistic.
So, I think the last time I sent this
out, boy, I don't recall when it was. It
was
pretty early in the hunt. And I I posted
some stats, and I'll read them off here
for a refresher, and we'll talk about
what they're at now.
Uh the number of people that have asked
me to verify their solution
before heading out,
uh that was 24,101
people.
And the updated number as of
last night,
let's see if I can find the note.
Where did I put that note?
On your treasure hunt.
My goodness.
There it is.
Uh it is now at uh 277,428.
Oh my gosh.
Uh the next statistic,
uh the the number of people that have
conveyed to me they are 100% sure
they know where the treasure is.
Um I
to be fair, I I
I appreciate the confidence. That's
That's really cool.
Uh
it was uh 13,388
people.
And as of last night, it is now
119,644.
Half of those people have also told me.
>> [laughter]
>> Uh
the next one was uh bribe attempts. Oh.
That stood at 32.
We are now at
1,221.
I appreciate the effort, you guys. I
mean,
a lot of
>> [laughter]
>> a lot of enthusiasm. Um
uh blackmail attempts.
Uh that was at three.
We are now at uh 80.
Oh, wow.
Uh again, valiant effort. Valiant
effort. Uh
tracking attempts. This is a new
category
uh that didn't exist.
Uh that is at 19.
Oh, wow.
Uh search and rescue operations. Uh
unfortunately, people that have required
uh search and rescue assistance,
uh that was at one.
And uh we've grown a little bit since
then. Uh it's at 16.
People.
We We're smarter than this.
Um I think it's exuberance um and I can
relate, so.
Uh anyway, updated stats, there you have
it. There we go.
Well, we're not going to bribe you
today. We're just going to ask nicely.
How about that?
I appreciate the honesty. Uh I'm here
for you.
At which stanza does boots on the ground
become absolutely required? Meaning,
no amount of at-home research or mapping
can substitute for being physically on
site.
We're going to go to the book for this
one.
Sure. He's going to read be reading
that. Let me read to you.
At which stanza does boots on the ground
become absolutely required? Meaning, no
amount of at-home research or mapping
can substitute for being physically on
site.
It's kind of a big one, and it looks
like he might answer it.
This is a very specifically worded
question.
One more time. I want to make sure I get
it right.
>> have it as many times. I'll keep reading
it.
At which stanza
That means paragraph, just so you know.
does boots on the ground become
absolutely required? Meaning, no amount
of at-home research or mapping can
substitute for being physically on site?
Stanza four.
Write that down, Jim.
Hey.
That was huge.
Is checkpoint
is the checkpoint a physical object that
can be moved?
Yeah, I told myself tonight I'm going to
try to not punt on any question. Oh
gosh, I hope
This is um
>> [clears throat]
>> I'll say that it's it's not something
you need to worry about.
Okay, you don't have to worry about it.
But there was somewhere you said you
were going to clarify the checkpoint in
a in a recent interview. I think it was
X marks the spot, wasn't it?
What what specifically was I going to
clarify? Refresh my memory.
You said
Okay, I'll pull it up. Jim, text me.
Okay.
Is the Is the something we find along
the way something you placed there or
something that was already there?
Both.
>> [clears throat]
>> Oh my gosh, I love these answers.
Sure. Is the something you we find along
the way something you placed there or
something that was already there?
Okay.
Are the majority of the hunt items and
locations located in the same state /
county
as the actual treasure location?
You know,
I think about the Forrest Fenn treasure
hunts and pretty much any treasure hunt
and it seems that it's almost like
sports teams form.
I'm team Montana.
I'm team Wyoming. I'm team New Mexico.
Uh I've always found that interesting.
Um they are somewhat arbitrary lines on
a map.
Uh
So I I would just generally be less
concerned about the borders.
I mean it is beyond the map's edge,
right? That sounds like an edge.
Okay, I understand the photographs in
the book reflect your life and therefore
provide general context. My question is
were any of the photographs, not
illustrations, placed to function as
explicit clues, meaning
they contain specific deliberate
information meant to help solve or
interpret the poem?
I think they are useful, yes.
Oh my gosh.
I I can. I hope I'm not reading too
quickly. I'm trying to be very
I'm trying to annunciate a lot for you.
I understand the photographs in the book
reflect your life and therefore provide
general context. My question is were any
of the photographs, not the
illustrations, placed to function as
explicit clues, meaning they contain
specific deliberate information meant to
help solve or interpret the poem?
Okay.
Justin, you said "As hope surges clear
and bright" is the first actionable
clue.
You haven't specified, but what is the
last actionable clue?
Let me check. To the book.
See, I should have just bookmarked that
page.
Does that book have a bookmark in the
front? No?
No. Okay, sorry.
Uh which stanza has the last actionable
clue?
>> clue, but what is the last actionable
clue?
I don't want to cop out answer.
Uh it does somewhat depend and depending
on your interpretation, it's either
stanza
four or five.
Okay.
Okay, I'll behave.
Yeah.
>> [laughter]
>> For the first time in my life. Um you've
said the first Oh, wait, I just read
that. Did you make the container
yourself?
I
It's probably more accurate to say that
I
I made targeted
and deliberate modifications.
My gosh, these answers are so good.
Okay. Is the number 42 relevant to
finding the treasure?
>> [laughter]
>> Um
I I I guess the short answer is yes.
That's a pretty short answer. And I like
it.
Has any searcher or searchers been in
the small kitchen-sized area where the
treasure is hidden?
To my uncertain knowledge, no. Oh, okay.
Has the container been correctly
guessed, but the cipher just has not
been solved correctly?
There have been people who have guessed
what the
container is uh correctly.
Bravo. Not you, Jim.
You knew that was coming.
>> [laughter]
>> Do you have the ability to view
searchers if they are near the treasure?
I am going to punt on that question. Um
I'm sorry. No.
They want
>> Do you have the ability to view
searchers if they are near the treasure?
Punt.
There you go.
The first punt, boys and girls, that's a
lot of questions answered so far.
Does her face belong to the bride?
Does her face belong to the bride?
That sounded like Sandal. It did sound
just like Sandal.
Depending on your interpretation,
yes.
Uh but you know, there are actually two
different ways to interpret this and the
answer depends. So it's a no or yes. I
know that's a strange answer, but that
is correct.
Way to confuse us, JP. Way to confuse
us.
So I What I heard was yes, no, maybe so.
Yeah. Okay.
I work Okay, perfect. So good at
interpreting these words.
Um
Go ahead. Actually, I'm I'm going to
revise I I think it's probably fair to
just say yes there. Yes. Oh goodness,
there you go.
Okay, are the place and the sacred space
the same location?
Not necessarily.
Okay.
Does return her face imply a physical
rotation?
Guys are killing me here.
Don't you wish you didn't say that you
were thinking about not punting earlier?
Repeat it one more time. Okay.
Does return her face imply a physical
rotation?
Boy, that's a semantically challenging
question.
Welcome to treasure hunting.
And people might rake me over the coals
for this one later. Um
but the the
the technically correct answer is yes.
Okay.
Is the cipher contained in a single
section of the book or across multiple
sections?
Who says the cipher's in the book?
It's a good day.
Do you need to move a rock or anything
else to see the container and would a
flashlight be useful during the day?
Gosh, these are tricky questions.
We've gotten a lot better.
>> there's there's technicalities here that
I
uh that are a little I guess
slightly nuanced.
>> [clears throat]
>> I mean I suppose
depending on the conditions,
technically yes, maybe a flashlight
could be helpful.
It's hard to say. I mean
that that's a tough one.
Uh what was the other part?
Do you need to move a rock or anything
else to see the container and would a
flashlight be useful during the day?
Um
Uh something will be need Something will
need to be manipulated in order to see
the treasure.
Oh.
Are transition Are transitions between
clues
meant to represent movement across
meaningful geographic separation
or
are they simply conceptual steps within
the same area?
One more time.
>> I was about to say, should I read that
bad boy again?
Are transitions between clues meant to
represent movement across meaningful
geographic separation or are they simply
conceptual steps within the same area?
This is another one of those questions
that are toughly worded.
That's fair. Hmm, um
Gosh.
I feel like I'm kind of hosed no matter
how I answer this.
I wonder who that was. I can't imagine.
Thank you, cousin Lori.
>> [laughter]
[sighs and gasps]
>> Um
I mean, it's
Each clue
in the poem
is not meant
to convey
great distance.
Oh, wow.
Does the hole referenced in the poem
correspond to a place that actually
includes hole in its name? Ergo, Jackson
Hole or Big Hole River?
That's an on-the-nose question. Um
>> I got to punt that one. I'm so sorry.
Sometimes you got to punt.
How many searchers have sent you a photo
of the correct checkpoint?
Zero.
>> [sighs]
>> Oh my gosh, I want to do follow-ups.
Okay, you mentioned there's another book
that could help you find your treasure.
Is that book your grandfather's memoir?
If so, he speaks a lot about vantage
points overseeing people and places. Did
you incorporate that into your hunt?
Did I incorporate vantage points into my
>> about a question.
What if I read it again? Okay. Let's do
that. Okay, you mentioned there's
another book that could help you find
your treasure.
Is that book your grandfather's memoir?
That's really the first question of the
two here.
That is a little too specific, so Okay,
so then here's the fun follow-up.
I just lost the question. Hold on.
How could I lose a question when it's on
the website?
>> [laughter]
>> Found it.
If so, he speaks a lot about vantage
points overseeing people and places. Did
you incorporate that into your hunt?
Did I incorporate vantage points into my
hunt? Um
That's that's a weird one to answer,
too. I mean
the
There is a I guess you could say a
vantage point involved.
Um
But it's not that any of the clues are
necessarily
talking about that vantage point.
Okay.
I figured out why the question moved.
It's cuz apparently I just upgraded I up
arrowed it. Oh. Like how could it have
moved?
>> You up voted it. I up voted it, so it's
good.
Would a solver make more progress by
searching for hidden thematic or
symbolic rules governing the poem or by
treating it more like Forrest Fenn's
poem where carefully but largely literal
interpretation of each line leads the
way?
Probably roughly both in equal measure.
Okay.
I don't like that look.
If we don't hit 2,000
>> [laughter]
>> I know where this is going.
What are the two states you would have
eliminated?
Thank god he said he's not going to
punt, right?
>> [cheering]
>> Oh, boy. This is a tough moment for your
moment for your friend.
>> I I think better when I pace. It's going
to have to be
>> all the time you need.
>> [cheering]
>> God, I love you people.
>> [cheering]
[cheering]
>> Where are these bribers when we need
them?
Okay,
um
Who was that?
An easy and a hard one.
Uh
>> [laughter]
>> Ah,
all right, let's do this. LET'S DO THIS.
>> [cheering]
>> OKAY,
UH YOU KNOW, I
wasn't prepared for this question.
I really didn't think we're going to
make 2,000. Now it was a kind of a trick
>> He really didn't. He bet against me and
he won and now I've lost and I feel sad
about it, so I don't know what I've lost
yet, but I feel like I'm going to pay.
I'm glad you feel better.
Okay, uh first state.
Uh the the treasure
and the treasure is not in Colorado.
That's big.
>> [cheering]
>> And the second state.
Uh
I was not prepared for this.
But in your gut
there's probably a state
that would really help.
That you'd feel so good tonight when you
went to sleep about.
And so would we. All right, um the
treasure and all associated clues is
not in Oregon.
>> [cheering]
[cheering]
[cheering]
[applause]
>> If he just broke your heart, no he
didn't mean it. I Okay. I feel like it's
time for comic relief, so
um
I'm going to tell a short story.
Thank you.
And you can blame my cousin Lori for
making me
>> you asked me for?
Okay, never mind. I might have a
question later.
We're so excited about the possibility.
>> the story.
Uh
Netflix was coming to film at my house
and it just so happened that within the
prior month or so, as I was out of town,
my sprinkler system died. And it was
very hot. It was in Texas and uh
pretty much everything around my house
perished. Uh
not almost nothing was spared. And
the Netflix crew was still coming and
there was an
very good chance that they were going to
be filming outdoors uh around my house
and it was just kind of embarrassing,
frankly.
I struggled with what to do about this
and I hatched this genius plan.
Um
And that plan consisted of
This actually exists. Uh
um
a biodegradable
grass paint.
I've heard of it.
Uh and so I yeah, I whipped this up and
I thought, well, I'll just go out there
and
I
paint a section of the grass cuz who
does that, right? Uh and so I whipped up
the the um
it's like a pack you wear on your back
and kind of like a weed sprayer. And I
go out there and spray it.
But it was so hot out and so I waited
until like 2:00 in the morning. Plus I
didn't really didn't want the neighbors
seeing I'm painting my grass.
That's the level of my vanity.
And so I embarked on this
2-hour expedition to
paint the grass and and it worked,
right? And I had the
flashlight out. I'm looking at this and
I was like, wow, that looks really good.
So I went back in feeling very proud of
myself and I heard a noise and I
realized that
the sprinkler system that was fixed
earlier that day had just turned on.
And so with
no hesitation, I pulled out my phone and
it's one of those Rachio systems. You
can control it, you know, and I hit the
off button and it wasn't working.
And I thought, oh my gosh, this I'm so a
sweaty mess in the middle of the night.
All my
biodegradable paint is washing away. And
so I made a run for it and I mean run.
And I came tearing out the front door
and
Okay, well, I was going to leave that
tidbit out, but
>> was an important point. You should not
have left that out.
>> removed my clothes, so I
I have my boxers on. Um
And so I was in this full bore run and
for whatever reason in that moment, I
completely
forgot
about the large oak tree
branch that was right about head height.
And I hit that thing hard, like face
first, and kind of close pinned myself
and on the ground and
knocked me out for a few seconds,
knocked the wind out of me.
And I woke up and I looked like the
Jolly Green Giant. I was
I was covered in green paint and the
sprinklers were going on me and I crawl
over and turn it off. I'm like, "What
have I done?"
And I came back to the house and I had
this raging black eye. I mean, just I
couldn't even open one eye.
And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, Netflix is
going to be here in 9 hours."
And I recall if Jared is here, I think I
sent a picture to Jared saying, "Would
you mind if we reschedule?"
Uh which uh actually the timing ended up
working out for a number of reasons and
we did end up rescheduling, so it was
okay. Uh but yes, that is the the grass
paint story. So, there you go.
Do you still have that picture?
I I have the picture of my black eye. I
>> I think he should post it on his face or
on his website. I think that'd be fun.
Well, stranger things have happened.
We'll see.
>> [laughter]
>> Back to the fun and unbelievably
uncomfortable questions.
Are national parks ruled out?
Uh I'm not I'm not going to say yes or
no to that, sorry. Okay.
That just got bumped for some reason.
Okay.
The key to one direction lies in
another. Does this relate to the
asimuth?
No.
Oh.
Lucky number 10 on the checkpoint
questions.
Is the checkpoint essentially
to its core
and finally connected related to a
topographic feature?
Wow, read that one again.
>> I figured we were going to go for a
double on that.
Is the checkpoint essentially to its
core and finally connected {slash}
related to a topographic feature?
Let me take a look at that. Good luck.
And finally connected. That's really
tricky wording. I'm not quite sure how
to answer this. Um
I mean, probably the most accurate
answer based on how I interpret that
question is uh
yes, there is there is some implication
there.
Okay.
Can you tell us how you know a searcher
was near the checkpoint? Follow-up.
Does it have to do You want to Oh, I
thought you were going to answer in the
middle. I'm like, "Okay." Does it have
to do with the technology or similar
concept as layer five via personal
confession {slash} contact or something
else?
Shall I read that four more times?
>> Yes, please.
>> Okay, good.
Can you tell I'm going to read the
question and then I'll read the
follow-up. Can you tell us how you know
a searcher was near the checkpoint?
I'm not going to say the exact way, but
there are a number of ways that
people have conveyed to me where they're
searching. Uh that can be through
email, it can be through messenger, it
can be through Discord, I can see it on
a uh a Facebook forum, I can see it uh
in a number of different venues.
And uh some additional avenues beyond
that as well. And so, in one of those
hemispheres or spheres, uh
I have
come to learn that at least or there
have been more than one person that have
been close to the checkpoint.
The follow-up will help with this.
Does it have to do with the technology
or similar concept as layer five via
personal confession {slash} contact or
something else?
It is true to say that layer five has
some bearing on the treasure hunt.
Okay.
How many searchers
Nope, that's what we've already asked
that. It got moved down. Don't down
arrow, guys.
They're messing with you.
>> I know. I'm like, "Don't you know I'm
just trying to read like a big girl?" Um
is there a specific Nope. Is it No, I'm
just messing myself up. Is there a
significant clue visible if the treasure
seeker is standing 15 ft away from where
the treasure container is buried buried
or hidden?
Okay.
Is there a significant clue visible if
the treasure seeker is standing 15 ft
away from where the treasure container
is buried or hidden?
Tricky wording again. Boy.
>> We're becoming known for it.
The most accurate answer is
no.
Okay.
You're going to love this question
primarily because the answer is today to
date, we have sold 1,006
tickets between cash and the website.
If we don't hit 11:11,
what is the scene you would have
eliminated from Golden Greek?
I actually feel like we kind of did this
earlier and that is the
the lawyer's office, Carl's.
Uh that that whole scene
uh no intentional clues at all. That was
just uh
uh something that the crew did, you
know, the Netflix crew, Jared and so
forth, and I was had zero involvement
and zero influence on that whole scene.
Excellent.
I didn't think we were going to get that
one.
His realm. Is he living or was he ever
living?
That depends on your perspective.
Someday we're going to learn how to ask
that question.
When you ruled out a state, does that
mean it's ruled out for clues {slash}
stops along the way and or final
location or would it only pertain to the
only the final location?
That is an excellent question.
I'm going to read it again.
Good job, Rogue.
When you ruled out a state, does that
mean it's ruled out for clues {slash}
stops along the way and or final
location or would it only pertain to
only the final location? Who Who asked
this question?
>> That would be Rogue.
Was it?
Well, wherever you are, Rogue.
>> there. Oh, I see.
Um
I'm glad you asked. And I don't want
this to spin out of control in any way,
so
the when I say eliminate a state, I mean
that
you don't need to worry about it. Like
there are no clues in that state,
there's no treasure in that state.
It's complete elimination.
Oh, that's big.
That's actually a big big big one in my
opinion.
You've mentioned it took multiple trips
to inconspicuously hide the treasure.
Was this achieved in a single day or
multiple days? Summit rules say no
punting.
>> [snorts]
>> Summit rules, huh?
It's like Fight Club.
Fight Club. I mean, who who am I to
break Summit rules and and ask you to
punt when you want to?
The
all of the trips
to hide the
the treasure
were done within a 24-hour time span.
Okay.
Are the clocks part of the cipher?
Are the clocks part of the cipher?
>> Yes.
Are the clocks part of the cipher?
Are the clocks part of the cipher? Yes.
Okay.
I don't like that look.
Was the animal scene one that made you
feel free?
Oh, fear. Sorry, fear.
Was the animal that I saw
>> remember how you talked about in I
recall
>> Sandal's episode. Was the animal scene
on that
one that made you feel fear? I read that
wrong.
>> Yeah. Mm.
Uh no. The animal I did not I did not
get any sense of fear in myself by
seeing the animal, no.
Okay. Oh, and for those that don't know,
uh
I know there's a lot of interviews and
stuff out there. It's hard to keep up on
this stuff, so
>> [clears throat]
>> what I mentioned in the interview
actually with Sandal uh
is that
upon along the way of hiding the
treasure
hiding the treasure, I saw uh
an animal that I had never seen before.
And it was uh
a very surprising experience to me. I
felt uh
I felt
a lot of gratitude to see that. Um
felt to me like almost like a
once-in-a-lifetime thing.
And uh anyway, that's that's the
backstory. And no, I didn't feel any
fear
when I saw it. It was actually quite the
opposite. But did you feel free? No,
just kidding.
Um
during your interview on X Marks the
Pod, a question at
15 minutes and 8 seconds
of possible trinkets that might be found
along the way, you answered in the
context of trinkets, there is something
along the way that will help
significantly. Would you elaborate?
Boy, what else can I say? I mean, that
was pretty valid though. Like, they had
the timestamp, but
Um
wow, how how else to phrase this? Uh
it's it's pivotal.
It's pivotal to your
to your journey.
Are the ancient gates a very obvious
location, or is it possible to locate
the bride without being certain of the
ancient gates' location?
Hm.
I think it would be a little strange
for you to discover
the bride without understanding
the gates.
Is it possible for a searcher who is
actively working on the hunt and boots
on the ground for their solve to be at
the checkpoint location and not
recognize it?
I suppose that depends on how close you
are to the checkpoint.
I I don't mean to be obtuse.
Sorry.
I hear you say no.
>> [laughter]
>> Uh but it is the it is the correct
answer. Yeah.
Do your rules rule out railroad tracks?
Do the rules rule out railroad tracks?
Uh which rule in particular are we
talking about?
>> suspect the man-made part is what
they're going for. I see.
Yeah, [snorts] I mean, I think we I I
talked a little bit about this concept
of it's it's true to say that some
people could interpret one of the clues
as having a man-made implication
uh depending on how you interpret the
poem.
Um but it is it is um
uh I think based on how the rules are
described, uh railroad tracks are are
ruled out.
Yeah.
Do you need to move any rocks?
Do you need to move rocks? Any rocks?
Any rocks?
Uh I'm
I'm going to I'm going to punt on that
one. Oh. Yeah.
What pep talk would you give to a seeker
who is very close to either the
checkpoint or the location? I feel like
I know who asked this question.
Hm. Tell me who you think it is, and
I'll tell you if you're right.
At the risk of sounding cliché,
uh
the night is darkest before the light.
And if you are confident
in the location which you're searching,
I see little reason to stray.
Uh but I suppose it really boils down to
how you built that confidence.
Are there any clues in the Tucker poem?
That's a pointed question. Are there any
clues in the Tucker poem?
Uh I mean, I think a reasonable person
would say
that
that poem is helpful.
You've met Oh, see.
Would the clock in the documentary have
been as equally effective if the numbers
on the face were not Stop up roaring.
Were were not Roman numerals? Was the
using Roman numerals purposeful? I see.
So, just to rephrase to make sure I
understand, uh were the the numbers on
the clock
um
Were the Roman numerals helpful, or did
it matter?
>> It makes no difference whether or not
the clock had Roman numerals or uh
traditional digits in the American
culture.
Are numbers in the poem ever indirectly
encoded? Ergo, word play, homophones, or
hidden within words? And if so,
does this assist either directionally
and or
help with measured paces?
All right, we're going to have to parse
this one. Hold on.
>> Okay. Let's go by Let's go point by
point. Are numbers in the poem ever
indirectly encoded?
Are numbers
in the poem indirectly encoded?
Boy,
uh indirectly, that's a tricky one.
>> you options. Word play, homophones,
Yeah, yeah.
Well, so so Hold on. We're talking about
numbers, but now we're talking about
homophones. Are we talking about a
homophone that represents a number?
I mean, ergo.
It's a tricky question.
I'm not trying to be as too much of a
stickler, but I know I know how this
goes in the sense that afterwards people
will pick this apart and say, "You said
this." You know?
>> [laughter]
>> So, I want to make sure I get it right.
You want to hear the second part again?
Huh? You want to hear the second part
again? So, let me let me just break it
down a little bit, and I'll I'll try and
answer it the best that I know how. Um
Are there numbers indirectly associated
with the poem? Regardless of what the
question is, this is the one I'm
answering. Okay. [laughter]
Uh
and I think
uh the answer is is yes.
And
the other question about homophones and
so on, I'm not going to touch that. But
what was the other part? Okay, the other
part is and if so, does this assist
either directionally
and or help with measured paces {slash}
distance to the final locations while
boots on the ground?
Yeah, I mean, there there there is a a
distance element in terms of following
clues in the poem.
Um
but I'm not going to rule rule out
things like homophones and whatever
whatever else was mentioned.
>> options. It was like word play, hidden
numbers were hidden within words.
>> No, I think I'd like to keep those in
play. Okay.
>> Yeah.
I feel like you answered a big chunk of
this earlier, but there's some
specifics, so I'm going to read it.
There are multiple word and numerical
discrepancies between the book versus
the audio {slash} ebook within specific
sentences. Are these intentional? If so,
can you This is long. If so, can you
explain their significance whether
they're related to the cipher {slash}
container, physical boots on the ground
solve, or part of the armchair solve
prior to the boots on the ground? Here's
your examples.
Big hill mentioned in Idaho book versus
Utah.
Yeah. Doc's death,
1940 versus 1949.
Running down the hill, 6 and 1/2 miles
versus 3 miles.
Grandpa Fitzwater's age, 83 versus 86.
So, the
for those [clears throat] that don't
know, I I did publish an errata that's
on the website treasure.quest,
and it is a running tally of the things
that people have found that were
unintentional inaccuracies in the book.
And I the the purpose of that is to make
sure that people don't spend time on
things that don't matter, that were
truly just mistakes.
And so, [snorts]
I'd encourage you to look at that
errata,
and it's possible that people have maybe
emailed me new things that should be
part of the errata that I missed.
Uh so, feel free to re-email those. But
I I heard a couple specific ones here.
There was a question around the
discrepancy in my grandfather's age. Uh
that is that is not intentional. It's If
if it's there, it's a mistake.
And then I think you mentioned something
else around uh
Utah versus Yeah, in the big hill
in the book, it's Idaho, and in the
audio, it's Utah.
>> That was uh surprisingly an an audiobook
uh narrator error.
So, that is not intentional.
Doc's death, 1940 versus 1949. If
there's a discrepancy there that's not
in the errata, it should be. So, it's
not intentional. Last but not least,
running downhill, 6 and 1/2 miles in the
book versus 3 miles in the audio.
Hm, let me take a look at that one.
Uh that's interesting. I actually didn't
know that existed. But if if there is
that discrepancy, it is certainly
unintentional. Not intentional.
Okay.
Does one need to be at the bride to
identify her foot of three or some
distance away?
You
You guys are tricky.
One more time.
Sorry. Does one need to be at the bride
to identify her foot of three or some
distance away?
Uh
>> [sighs]
>> that's a hard to answer. Um
You
Ah, I you know, if if
I guess it does make sense. Let me take
one more look at it. Sorry, guys. I want
to make sure I get this right.
I should have looked at these questions
beforehand.
Yeah, you should have. Does one need to
be at the bride to identify her foot of
three
or some distance away? No.
There you go.
Okay.
When and where
was the first place Brandon joined you
on your boots on the ground search for
Forrest's treasure?
The first time Brandon joined me on
the Forrest Fenn treasure was
in Yellowstone.
And it was at
Iron Springs.
Does the location of the treasure truly
predate any of the locations you
searched for the first Forrest Fenn
treasure?
No, I have not specified. I was thinking
I hadn't heard that one.
Does the location of the treasure Oh,
wait, sorry. It moved again. Is the
checkpoint location visible in Golden
Greed?
Is the checkpoint location visible
in gold and greed?
No.
Okay. Ew,
goodness. Not specifically, no. Is
Shadowed sight from the perspective of
the searcher a location or a concept?
I'm going to have to look at that one.
Is Shadowed sight from the perspective
of the searcher a location or a concept?
Both.
This is so fun.
When you were hiding the treasure, you
said you saw an animal in the wild for
the first time. Which animal class did
it belong to?
Which animal class did it belong to?
Um
It was mammalian.
>> [laughter]
>> I almost said something so bad.
Um okay. What's your favorite story from
your grandfather's book, Where the hell
did you come from?
Golly, there's a lot of good stories in
there.
I like the story about the time that he
uh
confronted a poacher
at a cabin where they were having a
poker game.
And
due to some belligerence, uh he was
forced to bring this individual in and
he started acting up in the car
and they had a little bit of a a
standoff, if you will.
Uh I think just that really encapsulates
my grandfather in the sense that
he was actually small in stature, uh
especially compared to me.
Uh and he was very good-natured
uh until he wasn't. And there was a very
clear line and
you never had to guess which side of the
line you were on.
And uh I I just feel like that that
story kind of personifies
or really
brings that out uh in his character. So,
I I like the story.
If someone locates the checkpoint, is it
still available for others to find or is
it something that can be taken and no
one else can find?
Yeah, I'm going to punt on that one.
I think you might punt on this one, too.
Where exactly is the location of the
treasure?
>> [cheering]
>> Well, that's a question.
I mean, that one seems very dis-
succinct.
>> Can I see that? Sure.
Are you looking at who it is?
Where exactly is the location of the
treasure?
I feel like I got that one out okay.
I mean
I mean, how exact do you want to be?
I mean, it's on Earth.
Uh
>> [laughter]
>> um
I really don't know the right way to
answer this. I'm just
>> a really good video if you want me to
help you.
>> Oh, yeah? The American West. The
American West.
It's certainly not a place that you have
to go many miles to find.
Um
I think what I've seen in the treasure
hunt is
uh
you know, there there are a number of
people that are
are going pretty deep
into the wilderness.
And there are some people that are that
are certainly taking
uh risks.
And this is
really not something that you need to
do. And I I know it's kind of
subjective, like what what defines a
risk.
Uh but I do see people that
uh are
still repelling into caves and
and uh
uh looking on cli- you know,
cliff sides and
uh gosh, you you don't need rope.
If you need rope, then it's the wrong
it's not the right location.
Um
But yeah, I I know that doesn't at all
answer the question, but it's the best I
got.
>> [laughter]
>> I think that was pretty good
considering.
With many seekers in Tucson right now,
some may try to locate your brother's
memorial. How does that make you feel?
When I wrote the book and this Netflix
series came to pass,
I knew that was a risk.
And what I will say is that uh
the area in which my brother's memorial
is located is very rough country.
And
uh I do not suggest that anyone try to
go there. And I think as I've conveyed
before, the treasure is not in the
immediate vicinity
of that memorial.
Um
So, there's
there's in terms of the treasure hunt,
there's really no need to go to it.
Okay. Thank you.
In the poem Beyond the Map's Edge, are
there any references to specific Native
American legends?
I have not specified.
That's true, he hasn't.
When you say you don't need to hike more
than a mile to figure out where the
treasure is at,
is that from start to finish or just
when you're when one is going and
retrieving? What is the approximate
hiking distance from the beginning to
end of the poem?
Uh I think the way that that I
originally phrased it still stands. You
certainly don't need to go more than a
mile to figure out where the treasure's
at. You're not going to be going many
miles into the wilderness. This is meant
to be a
a somewhat kind of curated experience.
Uh so,
you know, I golly, you
I mean, seriously, if you're getting to
a point where you're needing to
you know, drink many bottles of water or
something like that, you're you're going
too far.
So,
um
it's actually, all things considered,
uh the I mean, I I did it with a broken
tibia. So,
uh I mean, I was on the mend, but
uh you you don't need to take any big
risks here. I don't think that
completely answers the question, but
that's the best I got.
Super close. Super close.
What's one mistake you see participants
consistently consistently make when
interpreting clues? What mindset shift
would help them improve?
Uh I think it goes back to what I
mentioned earlier in one of the
sessions, and that is uh
it might behoove people to
uh
take a Matt stance, Matt the editor. And
what Matt mentioned is
I
he took his treasure hat off, right? And
he he read the memoir as as a memoir.
And no, you certainly don't need to read
the memoir to find the treasure.
Uh but for people that are having
trouble and and needing more context and
understanding of me and so on, which I
think some understanding of me is
important. Uh the memoir is helpful, and
I think reading it as
a memoir is useful.
Uh
And certainly there there you can read
beyond that, and there I'm not saying
that um you know, more semantic meaning
of each of the the sentences isn't
important, but uh I think it might be
helpful for people to if you're getting
in deep and you feel like you're going
down many rabbit holes, probably the
best reset is uh
to just read it as a memoir.
I like that.
Is the hole in the poem the hint with
the man-made implication?
Let me take a look at that one. Yeah.
Is the hole in the poem the hint with
the man-made implication?
No.
What is your favorite childhood memory
with your brother Brandon?
Gosh, that's tough.
This is going to sound strange.
Um
we used to build forts.
Uh back
behind the backyard and uh
he was building a fort one day and I was
spying.
He didn't
didn't know that I was watching and
he was trying to build a bench
and he had set up this
kind of rickety ding metal metal thing
and he sat on it and it it fell over.
And it was the first time I heard him
curse
as a kid.
Uh
I won't repeat it here uh
but
he set that thing up it must have been
17 times and sitting on it and falling
over cursing and trying again and
that replays in my mind.
Um
and I think it really
it boils down to I think the resilience
that he had even at a very young age. He
was a very
stubborn kid. Huh.
But that's for whatever reason that one
really sticks out to me and it's funny
because I really wasn't involved. I was
just an observer.
Yeah.
>> [applause]
>> In an interview you were asked if you
feel you could have used a different
used a different words or phrase in the
poem for greater clarification. Is bride
one of those words?
Let me take a look at that one.
>> Yeah, I figured that was coming.
In an interview you were asked if you
feel you could have used a diff a
different words or phrase in the poem
for greater clarification. Is bride one
of those words?
Uh no, I'm I'm pretty pleased with that
one.
>> [snorts]
>> For an optimal solve
does the poem need to be read or
rearranged in any way other than how
it's represented on the website and in
the book?
Uh I'm not going to rule that out.
Oh goodness.
You mentioned earlier that the treasure
location could be accessed
30
Oh, this has got to be somebody from
another country. March 31st, 2025 at
8:10 p.m.
Would people also have been able to
locate the treasure at that time? They
did like British time.
I'm just going to reread this. Sorry, I
I'm just making sure I want to get this
right. Uh you mentioned earlier that the
treasure location could be accessed
March 31st, 2025 at 8:10 p.m.
Would people also have been able to
locate the treasure at that time?
Uh and I think the answer is if you knew
if you knew exactly where it was
I you you could retrieve it.
Um
I'm not saying whether or not it would
be
easy, but it's possible.
Is the bride a physical object like a
river or mountain?
Hm.
Uh the bride is something that is
visible.
What is closer to the treasure, the
checkpoint or where you figure out where
the treasure is at?
Oh my, let me take a look at that.
Please do.
What is closer to the treasure, the
checkpoint or where you figure out where
the treasure is at? Wait.
That's a
not quite sure I understand that
question.
I think the conjecture is that people
think you say the checkpoint is a
checkpoint in in one interview which
there's a few out there you said
that line. You said specifically the
line
where you figure out where the treasure
is at as though the checkpoint wouldn't
be that place.
Um
I'm struggling with how to answer this
cuz I I'm not sure I totally understand
the entirety of the question. Uh
but the you know that the the the
checkpoint is really a necessity in
terms of finding the treasure. You'd be
hard-pressed to
uh to
to get all the way without the
without seeing the checkpoint.
Yeah.
When discussing the passing of Brandon
in the documentary a B-roll clip of Red
Mountain in North Phoenix is shown.
Brandon was found in the Rincons west of
Tucson. Was the Red Mountain clip chosen
by the documentary crew as a fill-in or
was it chosen specifically for the scene
by Justin? That was B-roll that was
chosen by the crew. I didn't have any
influence or involvement in that.
Is the location where you hid your
treasure within 75 miles of the place
where you searched for the Forrest Fenn
chest?
75 miles.
Not 76.
Um
75 I searched a lot of places, guys.
Uh so yeah, I mean it's it's it's true
to say that at some point I had searched
for the Fenn treasure within that
75-mile
radius. Yeah.
Interesting.
Is the location where you hid your Oops.
How many hints clues hints/clues are in
the stories in the book and not
including the poem?
Uh I have to read that.
>> [snorts]
>> How many hints/clues
are in the stories in the book not
including the poem?
Uh I haven't counted them, but there are
there are several.
Uh and I also want to make sure that
people understand
the answer that I gave in the prior
question
because when I first heard about the
Fenn treasure
I
I had a question for Forrest in terms of
he said it was hidden in the Rocky
Mountains and my question was is it any
Rocky Mountain or is it the official
Rocky Mountains?
And so
that led me down a whole other rabbit
hole and thinking that my gosh, it might
not actually be in the Rocky Mountains.
Uh so
I guess what I'm saying is I don't want
someone to get the impression that
necessarily I've you know eliminated a
bunch of states or something like that.
So
Yeah.
>> [snorts]
>> Does "I wait for you to cast your pole"
refer to a fishing pole?
I have not specified.
Is the hunt 24/7 accessible year round?
Um
is the hunt 24/7 accessible year round?
I mean I suppose that would depend on
your definition of accessibility, but it
would be possible.
Is double arcs on granitable the clue
with the man-made implication?
Hm.
Uh punt.
Yeah.
Do you need to get your feet wet to
obtain the treasure?
You don't have to.
I have so many follow-up questions.
Is there a time travel element to the
hunt?
Sorry, time travel?
Boy, that would be cool.
>> [laughter]
>> Uh not to my knowledge. No.
Is all footage in the Golden Greedy
documentary that you wished to be in the
documentary actually in the documentary?
Yeah, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a
scene that didn't make it. Um there were
I got I feel like I got really lucky.
The universe was in
in my my corner that
that day when it came together because
uh I everything that I really wanted to
be included got included.
Not sure how to take this one.
The latest bribe
a wrinkled $20 bill and I will take a
picture with you. 10 square mile area is
good enough. Don't want to be greedy.
Um okay.
>> [laughter]
>> Uh
I don't know what to
what to say [laughter] to that one. I
too don't even know what to think about
that one.
Do the states you've chosen Oh, the
people who Do the states you've chosen
for the summit event have anything to do
with the treasure where the treasure is
located?
Well, I'm certainly not going to rule
them out. Uh there was a lot of things
that actually went into choosing this
location. For those that are not aware,
we were actually looking for a location
that had easy access for everybody that
was low cost, that had a preferably an
international airport. You know, at some
point we had looked at
I mean, I think even a few people had
thrown around places in Utah and even
over in New Mexico. And then we also
talked to people up in Phoenix. I think
we got a quote for $83,000.
>> $83,000 what? I think the highest we got
was like 162. Yeah. So, not cheap.
Venues are surprisingly expensive.
And and so, that's how we actually ended
up in the Tucson area is because the the
price point is still pretty cheap for
everybody to come in and accommodations
were reasonable. And we were not
conflicting with the Gem and Mineral
Show, which is a huge huge thing here.
And actually, funny story, originally we
booked at Old Tucson Studios.
And I thought that would have been a
really fun venue as well. And uh
I feel like we got a little lucky in the
sense that we didn't expect this heat
wave this early. Yeah. And much of Old
Tucson Studios is outdoors.
But they actually double-booked. And so,
they had to back out. And
thankfully, the Expo Center was
available and the air conditioning
worked out great. So, here we are. I do
love it. I love the air conditioning.
>> [snorts]
>> Would a snorkel be helpful in this
treasure hunt?
Would a snorkel be helpful? Wow.
Sounds dangerous. No.
A vehicle snorkel or are we talking
a human snorkel? But
They did not specify.
>> Words matter.
I'd say generally no.
If you're going snorkeling, please just
and looking for the treasure, just
don't.
>> [laughter]
>> Not needed.
Has the third stanza of the poem been
solved? Let me take a look.
I want to make sure I get this right.
Third stanza. In Ursa East
his realm awaits. His bride stands
guarded at ancient gates.
Her
foot of three at 20° returned her face
to find the place. A part of this stanza
has been solved.
Yeah.
At least part.
Has anyone figured out where or what the
hole is in the poem?
Yes.
You said that up to halfway of the
second stanza of the
Pretty much you just answered this. But
I'll read it anyway. You said that up to
halfway of the second stanza of the poem
has been solved. If so, can you say how
many more clues have been solved?
You know, it's
different clues Some different clues
have been solved from different people.
You know, if I look at the
say the the person that I'm aware of in
the world that has solved the most
of this, I would say that they've solved
at least
at least six clues.
Justin, how exhausting is it to have
cryptically cryptically Wait. How
exhausting is it to have to cryptically
answer question after question about
your hunt? Will you miss that or be
relieved after the hunt ends?
Huh.
You know, I
these [clears throat] Q&A sessions are
are kind of interesting to me cuz I
I do like to think on my feet and it's
it's it's kind of a fun challenge to
make sure that I answer this the best
way that I know how.
Um
But yeah, I mean, I suppose over time it
gets a little little taxing at times,
but I'm still having a lot of fun with
it and I hope you guys are too.
>> [applause]
>> Have you ever seen a wolverine in the
wild?
Was that Cynthia?
Yes, I have.
Yes.
Is Shadowed Sight from the perspective
of the searcher a location We already
have that. They got down arrowed.
I guess they didn't like that question.
Ooh. Do you have a solution for the
harmful effects of data centers? How do
we balance technology and nature? Wow.
Uh
That's different. I like it. Uh so, I
actually think data centers are a very
temporary problem.
And what we're seeing right now is all
across the country, there's these land
grabs and we're seeing a lot of concern
about these big data centers rolling out
and all this energy that they're going
to be using.
And it's true. It's that is concerning,
but
I maybe have a radical viewpoint on
this, but I think within the next 5
years we will actually have the world's
first data centers in space.
And that actually solves our problems in
many regards. One is that it's optimal
temperatures for data centers. You don't
have to worry about the heating problem
that we have right now, which is sucking
up so much energy.
And if you think about it, with the sun,
we use less than 1 millionth of a
percent of the sun's energy today.
And if we are in space
with
appropriate technology, we can harness
much more of what the sun has to offer.
And so, we solve the energy problem
almost overnight. And then the only
thing left in space is how do you
transmit the data back to Earth. And it
turns out lasers are pretty good at
that. And we actually have the
technology to do that now. So, I think
within the next 5 years it will be a
solved problem. I know it's very
concerning right now.
But I think we're we're right at the
inflection point of solving that.
>> [applause]
>> I love how when you talk tech, you get
so enthusiastic.
Okay, are there multiple meanings to
Castor Pollux?
I think people can interpret it in
different ways, but there's only one
correct interpretation.
I heard that.
Which one?
>> [laughter]
>> Sorry. You have said that there are no
clues in the legal section. Is it
correct then that the Angsar is not a
clue?
Yeah, so turns out that Angsar is in the
legal section, isn't it? Um
I
I think the fairest answer is that
the Angsar itself that appears in the
legal section
that that particular symbol is you can
you can rule out because it's in the
legal section. And for those that don't
know, at some point somebody asked me to
eliminate I think a chapter where um
where there are no clues. And so, I
mentioned probably the the the best one
to eliminate is the legal lowdown.
There's no intentional clues that I
recall in that chapter and there's a
little Angsar symbol that those are
familiar with
that resides in that chapter. And that
very specific symbol is not
Yeah, I mean, it's it's okay. You don't
have to worry about that.
But also pay attention to that chapter.
Huh.
Yes, please.
How long of a period did you go without
seeing a person when you were headed to
the final location of the treasure?
Yeah, so when I went to hide the
treasure, it
turns out it's actually really hard to
be anonymous and private in the US.
Even very simple things like driving to
the store.
It's not easy because you have a license
plate and that license plate, there are
many different cameras that see you
along the way. And so, there is a record
that develops.
So, anonymous travel is very hard and I
really wanted to be seen by the least
amount of people possible. And so, my
route was convoluted.
It was very deliberate and
very taxing, you could say.
And I did it twice. And the first time
was that kind of a dry run to make sure
I kind of got the kinks worked out.
Um
But
overall, extremely few people ever
saw me along the way.
And that's for a multitude of reasons.
And in cases where people did see me, I
was actually in skies.
>> [laughter]
>> That helped.
Do I need a wizard staff during any part
of the hunt?
Every journey needs a good walking
stick.
Before we go on, I want to tell you that
it's 7:08.
Should we I can't remember what Jam,
what was the How long were we supposed
to go to?
7:40?
20. So, we have 12 minutes. Okay.
>> are troopers. I feel like I'm putting
everybody to sleep here.
Yeah, they I can't believe this whole
first row is not out cold.
Um if you've made a tangible progress,
is the map in the book still useful or
is it most useful in the beginning of
the hunt? If you've made tangible
progress, is the book and Is the map in
the book still useful or is it most
useful in the beginning of the hunt?
I think it's a good I think it's a good
primer.
Yeah.
What are you willing to elaborate about
the structure logic {slash} logic of the
poem as it guides you through the clues?
There's nothing that I'm aware of that
needs clarification right now.
Dang. Okay. Thank goodness.
>> [gasps]
>> Say and answer a question you're shocked
no one has asked pertaining to your
hunt.
And answer.
That is a good one.
Boy.
I mean, I can think of a lot of
questions.
I'm just trying to decide which one.
You're going to love the next question.
Huh.
I mean, you know, at this point in the
in the in the treasure hunt, when I say
that you know, I can think of a lot of
questions, many people have asked many
questions. And so, I'm I'm hard-pressed
to say
uh
Boy, this is a tough one, guys. Hang on.
Give me a moment.
I need to pace again. I'm sorry.
>> [laughter]
>> Walk the size of a kitchen.
Mhm.
Sure, I'm glad to read it.
Say and answer a question that you're
shocked no one has asked pertaining to
your hunt.
So, basically, they're asking him to
pick a question and answer it, but he
hasn't ever had it before.
You like that clarification? I I mean, I
really like this. And I mean, I can I
can think of actually one very specific
question that would be extremely useful
to ask, but
if I pose it to myself
uh
It's actually something I can't pose to
myself. Um
but I know somebody actually out there
probably already knows the question.
Um
and I'm keeping an eye out for it. So,
we'll we'll stay tuned on that one. But
I I uh I can think of a question.
I'm sorry, I can't I can't verbalize it,
though.
Okay.
This is Slow Stellar. We've asked you
and one other thou- and one and other
thousand questions.
What are three to four different
questions you would ask a seeker of your
treasure that could help them understand
the journey you've created and have
embarked upon? If possible, please ask
us at least one question related to
boots on the ground, one related to the
book, and one related to the poem, and
one related to Golden Greed.
Holy cow. Let me take a look at this.
Slow Stellar. That was neither slow or
stellar.
What are three to four different
questions you would ask a seeker of your
treasure that could help them understand
the journey you have created and we have
embarked on?
Um I you know, I
I don't know if I'll do three to four,
but I'll say that um
in any for better or for worse
in any treasure hunt, there is I don't
like this term, but there is a creator.
And
every creator has motivations. They have
a reason for doing what they do
and something that that that drives
them. And I think
understanding that is important.
Um
no matter who is hiding a treasure. I
mean, if you think about Forrest Fenn
uh if you if you believe where the
treasure was found at Nine Mile Hole
he did it because of significance. And
if you read the memoir as a memoir, I
think a reasonable person who wasn't
even looking for treasure could read
that memoir and say, "Ah,
you know what? That's a that's a
recurring theme. That was important."
Um
and so, I'd say
uh intent and understanding a little bit
about the the person that hid it is
is part of is part of it. [snorts]
Um and I wish I I could say like there's
a way to hide a treasure where you have
no bias at all uh from your say your
upbringing or the experiences you had,
but
uh I I actually don't know if that's
possible. So, I'd say that just
generally, it's not really a question
you should ask, but um
a theme, I guess you could say. I don't
know if that helps or not.
Fenn specifically mentioned Nine Mile
Hole in his book
which the clues led to the area. Do you
mention the area for the first
actionable clue in your book or what? Is
your book written as more of a theme or
of the general area?
Oh, I have sorry, got to look again.
I mean, I couldn't read that twice.
Do you mention the area? I mean
I'm I think probably in the book I at
least mention the American West, so it's
in the American West. I mean, I you
know, it's interpretation here. I'm
trying. So, uh I'd say um the the the
very specific
area is is not mentioned, but
there are times in the book where
uh descriptions
uh pertain to the area where the
treasure is hidden.
The dedication feels layered and very
intentional. Could you walk us through
how it came together, when you wrote it,
the headspace you were in at the time,
what influences shaped it, what you
hoped it would convey, and whether it
was meant to acknowledge someone or
something specific or something more
symbolic?
Yes. Uh the dedication was actually
probably the last thing that I wrote.
Actually, that's not true. It was the
legal stuff.
Uh but the dedication was the most the
last meaningful thing that I wrote. And
it is layered and it is intentional.
Um
the headspace that I was in was a a time
of reflection and a time of what's to
come. I was on the precipice of things
really coming together. Uh I was
certainly nervous about it, but uh yeah,
it was really about reflection. And the
influences that shaped it uh and and
what I hoped to convey
I mean, I think it's pretty clear that I
am talking about a
a person
in that dedication. I
I'm not going to say who that that
person is, but it is somebody that is
uh
uh that is very special to me.
And
important in my life
and I felt that it was an injustice not
to do so.
>> [laughter]
>> You sent it back to me at the top. Silly
technology.
Okay.
Okay, I found it. Nice try.
Can you tell us more about your first
elk hunt?
My first elk hunt? Yeah.
Uh
my my earliest recollection is actually
going to the Mogollon Rim in northern
Arizona uh actually with my stepdad and
my mom uh
and we we camped there and I actually
didn't um hunt at that time. I
I had bow and arrow. I was really
terrible at it and I was probably I was
definitely too young and weak to even
have a compound bow, so it was
uh
more like just kind of shooting and
archery and target practice. Uh but my
my stepfather and the whole hunting crew
were there and and it was an elk hunt.
And that's that's the earliest
recollection that I have.
Could you talk a bit about the Wyoming
map you're holding in Golden Greed and
how those circled areas fit in your Fenn
solve, especially since they didn't come
up come up in your Dal or Dale article?
Oh gosh, yeah. I mean I mean, I looked
at hundreds of locations for the Forrest
Fenn treasure and I'm sure there was
some on that map that I had circled that
I was I was excited about and uh
boy, we'd probably be here all night if
we started talking about all the
locations that I searched, but uh there
were certainly some circled on that map.
Are there poem clues that reference or
are related to the sport of golf?
Uh let me read that one. Sorry.
Are there
poem clues that reference or relate to
the sport of golf?
I I haven't specified on that one.
Oh, wow.
We are in stre- instructed to walk near
water silent flight, round the bend,
past the hole. If the entire poem is
understood, is it intended we walk
without driving to the treasure location
from where from here, where we are
instructed to walk?
Yeah, I'm I'm I'm not going to narrow
that down, uh but you're not
that that should probably be the
it's probably the least of your concerns
at that point.
How deep is the dang hole?
Sounds like Forrest.
How deep is the dang hole? Uh deep
enough.
Following the rules of the area, can
your dog physically walk the
kitchen-size area without breaking them?
Can the dog walk the kitchen-size area
without
>> breaking them? Without breaking them.
I'm confused by the question.
>> dog physically walk the kitchen-size
area without breaking them? That is
literally the words.
>> without breaking the dog?
Gosh, that sounds horrible. Uh dogs
would be safe walking the area.
Yeah. That's good.
>> Oh, without breaking the rules. Oh, I
didn't hear rules in there. Did I miss
that?
>> the rules of the area. Oh, following the
rules of the area. See, this is a tricky
one. And the reason I'm hesitant to
answer these types of questions is
because things can change. And if they
change, then
uh
you know, people say, "Well, at this
point, you know, you said this. And why
did you say that?" And you know, I I I
just try and avoid the conspiracy or
discrepancies there altogether. And so,
that's generally the reason why I'm
hesitant about talking about whether or
not you have to pay or whether or not
you um
uh you know, dogs are allowed or
whatever rules pertain to that area
because uh
there's always a possible for change.
And it's actually, I think for many
types of land, uh
more
more uh likely than I think some people
realize. And so, I'm just I'm generally
hesitant to answer those questions.
Um
but to the best of my knowledge,
and this will be the last time that I do
this. Uh
to the best of my knowledge, based on
how the rules and regulations are today,
I I am not aware of anything that would
preclude you from
having your dog with you.
This is our last question. And then
we're going to have a little hunt.
Is East a portion within one Ursa, or is
there a West Ursa and an East Ursa?
Let me take a quick look. Yep. Is East a
portion within one Ursa,
or is there a West Ursa and an East
Ursa?
Huh.
I'm
You only need to worry about Ursa East.
That's that's the simple way to look at
that.
So, that's our question.
>> That's it. Okay.
>> [cheering]
>> Good job.
We did it.