Buried treasure stories are usually the stuff of ancient pirate tales, or Wild West cowboys cruising round on horseback with only a weathered map for directions.

Enter Forrest Fenn, an eccentric millionaire who hid a treasure chest worth $2 million (R26 million).

The search for the treasure led to the death of 52-year-old Colorado pastor Paris Wallace, his body found in New Mexico’s Rio Grande River.

This below from the BBC:

[He] was reported missing a week ago after he travelled to the Rocky Mountains near Santa Fe seeking a bronze chest of gold and jewels.

Forrest Fenn, a millionaire antiques dealer, hid the chest in 2010 and wrote a poem he claimed led to the treasure.

Mr Wallace is the second Colorado man to die in search of the chest…

Mr Wallace, a pastor at the Connection Church in Grand Junction, Colorado, is one of thousands of people who has searched the rugged New Mexico terrain for Mr Fenn’s gold.

Mr Fenn has said the goal of concealing his 22-lb chest was to get people off the couch and out into nature.

It seems to be working, although the families of Wallace and 54-year-old Randy Bilyeu may disagree.

Bilyeu set off to find the treasure with a raft and his dog Leo in January of last year, but his wire reported him missing 10 days later:

The man’s dog, which was alive, and raft were recovered the following day, but his body was not found until six months later.

Mr Bilyeu’s ex-wife, Linda, criticised Mr Fenn for costing her ex-husband his life over “a hoax”.

After coming under increasing fire, Fenn published a blog post last week calling for a safety first approach:

“Please don’t over extend yourself,” he said. “I was 80 or about when I hid the treasure and it was not a difficult task. I will soon be 87 and I could go back and get it if I were so inclined, I think.”

All the clues to the treasure’s location are contained in a 24 line poem:

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.

Interesting times we live in.

Still intrigued by Forest Fenn’s story? You need to read THIS, a quite brilliant piece on two journalists’ five-day quest to find the treasure themselves.

It’s pretty wordy, so you might need to set some time aside, but we’re talking about a real, actual treasure hunt here.

Put in for leave – do it.

[source:bbc]