Whenever the topic of a treasure hunt crops up, the famous character of Long John Silver comes to mind. He was a pirate and Robert Louis Stevenson immortalized him in the novel “Treasure Island.” It became a movie in 1950. The current story of a treasure hunt is unique. In the present case, it was the brainchild of Forrest Fenn a well-known art and antiquities collector. He wanted to make the people around him leave the beaten track and venture into the wilderness. He wanted them to appreciate the bounties of nature and his bait was attractive.

It was a chest of treasures valued at around $1-million.

He hid it in the Rocky Mountain wilderness in 2010. That was a decade ago. The casket contained rare gold coins, gold nuggets, and a variety of attractive items. His intention was to kindle the fire of adventure and expedition in people. He made two trips to move and hide the items because the casket weighed around 20lbs and its contents another 22lbs. It was something he had to do on the sly to maintain secrecy.

The Guardian says that in order to create interest in this treasure hunt, Forrest Fenn (89) provided clues to help the hunters.

Clues are an integral part of any such activity. In this case, these were in the form of a short poem that was a part of his autobiography "The Thrill of the Chase." He revealed to a media outlet that a treasure hunter has finally succeeded in laying his hands on the chest just a few days ago. Obviously, even today, there are persons who are egged on by curiosity and manage to achieve apparently impossible missions.

Treasure hunter wants to remain incognito

CNN goes on to add that Forrest Fenn revealed that the lucky man is from back East and he had sent him photographs of the treasure casket with its contents. It was proof that he had indeed laid his hands on the treasure trove worth $1 million in the Rocky Mountain wilderness hidden one decade back.

The only clue to the location of the casket was a 24-line poem. It had attracted attention and the hunters traveled long distances from different parts of America to locate it. The individual who finally landed the catch was able to follow the clues.

Forrest Fenn thanks all treasure hunters

CNN says a media report indicated hundreds and thousands of people from all over the world did Travel to the mountains in search of the treasure. It was a proposal that many of them wanted to exploit because one seldom comes across such an opportunity every day. In the process, some of them left their jobs to follow their dream, others spent their life’s savings in the search and a few have lost their lives.

There were allegations of a hoax and lawsuits. In the end, Forrest Fenn the antique collector from Santa Fe can probably heave a sigh of relief because someone had the patience to see it through to its logical end. Fenn sent a message via his website to those who made the attempt. It read: "I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries."

Any treasure hunt is exciting

Children and grownups are fascinated by treasure hunts. Most birthday parties are incomplete without this game and the joy of the kids knows no bounds when they locate the treasure. When it comes to adults, they love to see Movies like “National Treasure” (2007) played by Nicholas Cage.

In March 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger dropped hints about a possible sequel to “National Treasure.” There have been other movies related to treasure hunts like "Treasure Island" (1950), "McKenna’s Gold" (1969), and "King Solomon’s Mines" (1985). Incidentally, Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay is set to become a cultural tourism hub.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED