Where Warm Waters Halt

This thing still hasn't been found, so I redirected my research to an art angle.  I googled "famous art" and "Yellowstone".  Mr. Fenn was an art dealer with a particular fascination for Nicolai Fechin's work (unrelated).  I had the hope he was a student of Thomas Moran and also liked the Nicolas Cage movies "National Treasure" and "National Treasure:  Book of Secrets".   My hope was that this will have motivated him to hide his trove somewhere special of national interest, like in the movie, and create his own book of secrets, like in the movie.

     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.

When correlating with Mr. Fenn's book of secrets, "The Thrill of the Chase", this stanza suggested to me that he is speaking about Yellowstone.  He has made several public references to Alice in Wonderland, e.g. a poem from the book, questions on how deep is a hole, etc., and the book has a chapter hinting on important literature.  To me, "in there" meant to imagine entering the painting, like Alice.

     Begin it where warm waters halt

Mr. Fenn says the key to solving the puzzle is to begin it where warm waters halt.  There is a famous painting that I believe is a puzzle key to the poem.  Thomas Moran attended an expedition with Ferdinand Hayden into Yellowstone in the 1870s.  Moran sketched scenes he saw.  He then used his sketches to paint famous landscapes, specifically one of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which was used to advertise the park as an attraction.  Moran's perspective in this painting was from a location later dedicated to him as Moran Point.  This landscape was so compelling it was purchased by our government for $10K and placed in the Senate Lobby in the Capitol building.  It is claimed to have motivated the Senate to declare Yellowstone a reserved area of national interest.  The painting became a national treasure unto itself and now hangs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the current curator is Elizabeth (Betsy) Broun.  More on my thoughts of coincidences related to Ms. Broun to come.

Thomas Moran kept a diary of his Yellowstone expedition.  On page 4 he uses the word "halted" in the same sentence as "Yellowstone falls".  "July 27 Left Tower Falls. Halted at noon on Mt. Washburne. Arrived at Yellowstone falls in the evening."  That's a huge word coincidence.

Where warm waters halt suggested to me the perspective of his most famous painting, where the warm waters of the park, the lower falls, and the geyser steam in the distant background are frozen in time, halting on the canvas.  The curiosity about Moran Point was that it may have been lost to the wilds if Moran himself had not drawn an X on some copies of sketches ( see Lee Whittlesey's exceptional article in Yellowstone Science. )  It seemed coincidental enough that this was the right treasure map to which Mr. Fenn hinted because it has the X marking the spot.  For quite some time, people believed Artist Point to be the correct location where Moran made his famous sketches, and Artist Point was incorrectly named from this (mis)information, likely by a resident park photographer. Mr. Whittlesey expertly corrected and published this for us by his research and the evidence presented.  I walked out onto Moran Point to almost the end of the promontory.  This was probably the most stupid thing I've ever done.  It's a closed off area, the ground is extremely slippery with skree.  No 80 year old man would have attempted this.  Please do not try it as the probability of losing your life is high.

     And take it in the canyon down,

If we start at the perspective painted, and head toward the canyon where we see the figures ...

     Not far, but too far to walk.

I read this as hinting of the horses in the painting, that the treasure is not far from the painting's perspective, to walk down into the canyon a bit, but that Moran and team arrived at this point on horseback.  Coincidentally, nearby is a trail called Seven Mile Hole Trail.  Seven Mile Hole is a fly fishing location at the Yellowstone River just inside the canyon below the Lower Falls.  It's starting location is near Inspiration Point, at the Glacial Boulder.  Mr. Fenn loves to fly fish and writes fondly of it in his book.  Seven miles is too far for me (and most 80 year old men) to walk.

Another more interesting aspect of this hint is that there is a trail down to Red Rock Point from Lookout Point.  It's a great view at the bottom, a zig-zag asphalt path and a wooden walkway in the more unstable areas.  Curious to me was the sign at Lookout Point describing the path drops approximately 500 feet.  Of the accessible points I could reach, Red Rock Point looked like the best chance to me of being the scene nigh in the painting, where Moran is sketching.  The walk up is definitely a hike.  I did this twice because I wanted to be sure I was at the right perspective.  Mr. Fenn mentions that he also went to his spot twice, the first time with the chest, the second time with the contents.  If he made the trek twice to Red Rock Point, God bless him.  I could see where he would have done it tired and now he's weak.  My legs and feet are still sore.

Mr. Fenn wrote a follow-up book for "The Thrill of the Chase" titled "Too Far to Walk".  I speculate he did this because it seems like several of the stories in his book of secrets are intended as clues pointing to Moran, Yellowstone, his relationship with his father, and his intentions for motivating us to search for it.  Speculating from the sense I received, it seems like he wants his trove to end up in the Smithsonian as a national treasure so that his name is remembered in history, leaving his own mark in this world.  "Too Far to Walk" was likely written for the purpose of actually telling his life story, which could be why it's a bit bigger with a bit more content.  We're told that in the chest is his auto-biography.  It would seem he reconsidered the risk of that story being released well into the future and wanted his story to be public while he was alive.  There definitely has been a swelling demand for it.

     Put in below the home of Brown.

This clue confused me quite a bit after getting onto this path.  There are horses in the painting that are brown, a tawny brown horse stands out and has a white "blaze".  The painting has become their home, frozen in time.  Mr. Fenn has a chapter dedicated to Bessie the tawny calf.  I'm not sure if Bessie is in reference to the horse, or to Ms. Broun, or both.  Mr. Fenn also included a story with rust in his book.  As the canyon is said to be rusting from the iron content in rhyolite, perhaps below the home of Brown means to look under some rust-stained rocks.

Also, Glenn Browns History of the United States Capitol catalogues when the Moran painting was purchased, and the year it arrived.  This Brown had several homes around the area, architected other famous ones north of the Capitol building, as well as north of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  He influenced quite a bit of L'Enfant revival at the turn of the 20th century, which coincidentally suggests ties back to the "National Treasure" movies and the significance of the Moran location in DC.  With some coincidental silliness, "Glenn" has two upside-down horseshoes in his first name (coinciding with the double-Omega colophon in the back of Fenn's book that has been irritating so many in search of Dan Brownian symbolic significance).  Nick Cage uses the name "Paul Brown" during a scene as an alias in the movie because his family's history (Gates) doesn't allow for much respect in the academic world.  At any rate, a capitalized "Brown" seems both coincidental with the movie clue of "Silence" being capitalized, and intended to confuse.  I wondered if it was cleverly referring to Brown of the Capitol.

     From there it’s no place for the meek,

I thought this might refer to the slaughtered deer in the painting on the path toward the horses.  Another historical coincidence is that Hayden started his expedition career with Fielding Bradford Meek, a paleontologist, funded with Smithsonian money.  They were friends until Meek died at the age of 59.  He did not attend the Yellowstone expeditions.

     The end is ever drawing nigh;

I felt this in my stomach when I realized the coincidence, but it wasn't yet my AHA moment.  In the painting, within the figures on the left, (another meaning of the word nigh), is Moran sketching.  Moran is forever drawing on the left, and the end of the clues are approaching.

     There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
     Just heavy loads and water high.

To me, these become self-explanatory after looking at the painting.  One can't paddle up a creek in a painting, or up a high waterfall.  I thought heavy loads might refer to the 42-lb treasure chest itself.  If it's at Red Rock Point, carrying that much loot back up the hill would absolutely encumber me.

     If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
     Look quickly down, your quest to cease,

The tawny brown horse on the left has a blaze, a white marking.  The word "blaze" is used to describe such a marking on a horse.  Mr. Fenn even pointed that out for us, that a blaze can also be on a horse. Perhaps the treasure is just under the home of the Brown horse, quickly down beneath the blaze.

     But tarry scant with marvel gaze,

When searching for "where is Moran Point", I learned that it is a promontory in between Lookout Point and Grand View Point.  To me, "look out!" is a less fancy way to say "tarry scant", and "grand view" is another way to say "marvel gaze".  Mr. Fenn anecdotally describes that lots of people have shared with him where they have been.  He tells with confidence that one of these locations are within 500 feet or a couple of hundred feet of the treasure, and they still haven't found it.  According to various maps, Moran Point is about 500 feet away from Lookout Point, and another 500 feet away from Grand View Point.  It's right in between.

     Just take the chest and go in peace.

I had thought taking the chest in peace from this location without working with the Yellowstone National Park officials would be illegal.  If it's there, and I find it, I had originally believed I would take it directly to a Ranger Station and ask for help on their process.  I consulted with David Horan, the attorney famous for helping defend and secure treasure finds.  His clients have mostly been finders of sunken ships.  Surprisingly he hadn't yet heard of the Fenn treasure.  During our discussion, he suggested the following to me (disclaimer:  this is not legal advice; please contact Mr. Horan immediately if you should find the treasure to find out what exactly you should do):

• This is not abandoned property like a sunken ship.  Mr. Fenn secreted the chest with the intention of anyone who could figure out these clues to find it.
• This is not unclaimed property like an uncashed check where the state needs to help shepherd an intended transaction.  Mr. Fenn says in his poem that whomever should find it, it now belongs to them.
• Mr. Fenn did not ask permission of the location's governing body to hide it.  They have no knowledge that it is there and are not protecting it, nor are they liable for it.
• The object and its contents cannot be claimed as cultural materials originating on this land.
• While Mr. Fenn won't say whether he did or did not secret the chest onto private property, the probability of this scenario is significantly reduced if he consulted an attorney about items found on private property.  Items found on private property rightly belong to the property owner, certain cultural items like Native American burial artifacts excepted.

Mr. Horan suggested that a person finding this chest could reasonably take the chest and go in peace without having to report it, including within Yellowstone.  While Yellowstone officials may disagree with this position, it certainly does suggest that a court argument would ensue, and the time required to work through the process might require years and a lot of money.

     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, I'm going out on a limb here.  Elizabeth (Betsy) Broun is the Smithsonian art curator in DC while the lead female character in "National Treasure", Abigail Chase, is an archivist at the National Archives in DC.  Mr. Fenn suggests in his book that art curators hate him, in his context because he lets kids touch important paintings like Gilbert Stuart's George Washington.  In the "National Treasure" movies, Abigail Chase is full of knowlege about American artifacts.  Ms. Broun works for the Smithsonian whose entire mission and purpose is for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge".  Mr. Fenn challenges us to THINK (thinker.org is an art search engine and domain owned by Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco), and he likes to drop hints like "leeve" and "knowlege" and "knoyledge", intentionally misspelled words.  I still haven't found what "leeve" means, other than it is used in famous literature, "The Three Musketeers", but he used it in a blog post after setting it up that his spell-checker was overworked, so clearly it was intended.  In "National Treasure", one of the clues is "Heere at the Wall", a misspelling of "DeHeere", the former name of "Broadway" in Manhattan, NY.

But back to Ms. Broun.  Betsy Broun's last name is, well, misspelled in this context.  She hails from the great state of Kansas, coincidentally where I am sitting while writing this.  I vaguely recall a reference where they crossed paths, perhaps in her thesis, but I am uncertain of this.

Now, my AHA moment...  "Abigail" is a Hebrew name with the meaning "my father is joy".  Mr. Fenn's book of secrets spends a lot of book-time rejoicing his father.  Joy is a synonym for thrill, hence "Abigail Chase" is a pretty strong coincidence for The Thrill of the Chase.

     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.

I felt like "brave" might reference the Native Americans in the painting.  Or it might reference braving the curious bear on the rock in the background near the left edge of the painting.  It might also just simply suggest that to get to Moran Point, and the treasure, one has go off trail and look around in the woods.  Mr. Fenn confirms this, that the treasure is hidden off trail, and nowhere near any man-made structures.  He's also said the deep thinker who figures out the clues will confidently walk right to it.

I've felt like "in the wood" may be significant because "wood" is singular instead of plural, and using "listen good" came before it.  To me, it means a singular "wood" was either intentional, or simply one is unable to "listen goods".  I'm choosing the latter meaning, in that "wood" rhymed with "good" better than "woods".  Super-coincidentally, the artist Harry Fenn made wood engravings of Moran's famous paintings so that they could be published in newspapers and books.  When I asked if Harry Fenn was related to Forrest Fenn, I received word he was "probably" related, but the common ancestor between them is also probably too deep in the past for anyone to connect them.  Coincidentally, Henry Wood Elliott was the official artist during the same Hayden Yellowstone expedition, but his works weren't worth $10K of cold.  When looked around Red Rock Point, a location that looks like where Moran is sitting in his painting, there was what looked like a sappy "F" scrawled on a tree, but no chest nearby.  Mr. Fenn did mention kids should turn over a few logs.  Like Indiana Jones, I hate snakes.  I hate mosquitos more.  There were mosquitos everywhere.

Other compelling coincidences of interest which boosted my confidence around Moran's painting include:

• Ms. Rockefeller's mention in the book.  The same Ms. Rockefeller gifted a similar Moran painting of the Lower Falls to the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.  I'm not sure if Mr. Fenn was wanting us to THINK about that or not.
• The chapter titled "Tea with Olga" has been suggested by others as pointing to Thomas Moran's "The Mountain of the Holy Cross" painting from Colorado.  They suggest the name Olga has a Russian meaning of "holy", while T (Tea) could also be a cross symbol.
• Mr. Fenn told a searcher the treasure is more than 300 miles west of Toledo.  This actually seems like a real clue.  In the book "Thomas Moran: Artist of the Mountains", there is a reference on page 383 to another book, "A Man and a Dream", suggesting Ruth and Thomas Moran traveled to Toledo.

In conclusion, to me the nine clues are the sentences separated by the nine punctuation pullout points, periods, the places where we rest in between sentences.  To me, the nine clues suggested Moran Point where X marks the spot, more specifically, the area on the left where Moran is seen sketching, and even more specifically, underneath the brown horse with the blaze.  That's where walked confidently.  It wasn't there.