He followed the clues when he hid the treasure...

[davebakedpotato]

Hi,

In Jenny's post about general solves, this page is mentioned:

mysteriouswritings.com/periodic-words-from-forrest-fenn-on-the-thrill-of-the-chase-treasure-hunt/

I was reminded that Forrest followed the clues when he hid his treasure (second quote down)

This resonates with me since my best solution led me to an area that is easier to get to another way. To put it another way, there was an obvious shortcut to the potential hiding area, and this makes no sense in light of Forrest's words.

It also means something else (more than just the inability to shortcut to the end) I think:

Forrest is no fool, and he's certainly not lazy, but I strongly believe that an 80 year old man would take a shortcut with a 20lb payload (twice) *if* he could. I think this likely means there is no physical way of shortcutting from *any* point in the route to the treasure to any other point (if that makes sense). So for example, if you can drive closer to your search area than any of the clues and, say, stroll across to join the trail at clue 4 or 5, your potential solution is probably wrong. Check my logic please!

I think this also has some implications for how much, if any, the route can be driven in a car, but I can't quite think my way through that bit just yet. Maybe someone clever will be able to expand on this.

This is a bit of a guess, Forrest didn't explain *why* he followed the clues, but I strongly suspect it's because he *had* to...

[Jenny]

It seems to suggest, as one possibility, that wherever you 'drive' leads to a dead end..... That there isn't another way to get to that location except one way.... But does that include WWWH? Or just where you 'put in below the home of Brown'?

[davebakedpotato]

Dunno

[Jenny]

I don't know either....

I agree with you though... if your proposed solution allows multiple, even a few, or even more than one, ways to gain access, then it most likely should be rethought.

Forrest imagines it as a place he could have/and still could RIP... the more ways to discover a place, the less likely it is to be a place of solitude......

[davebakedpotato]

Dec 6, 2019 15:15:54 GMT -5 Jenny said:

I don't know either....

I agree with you though... if your proposed solution allows multiple, even a few, or even more than one, ways to gain access, then it most likely should be rethought.

Forrest imagines it as a place he could have/and still could RIP... the more ways to discover a place, the less likely it is to be a place of solitude......

That drastically reduces the possible routes, doesn't it?

[davebakedpotato]

So...is it possible to list all the reasons why 'there are no shortcuts'?

Because the poem route is the most direct route?

And/or

Because there is some impediment from every other direction - steep drops or walls, inpassable rivers or vegetation, anything else?

Or

Some other reason entirely?

[astree]

Dec 6, 2019 16:48:39 GMT -5 davebakedpotato said:

So...is it possible to list all the reasons why 'there are no shortcuts'?

Because the poem route is the most direct route?

And/or

Because there is some impediment from every other direction - steep drops or walls, inpassable rivers or vegetation, anything else?

Or

Some other reason entirely?

( first, a question: i thought i recently read an article on the West Point quarters here on mysteriouswritings bur cant find it now.  If its in forum, where?  If its at mysteriouswritings.com, how do i find it? I dont see a search function there .  Anyway, i went to my bank today, asked for a roll of quarters “if theyre new”.  Teller brought out 20 rolls of quarters, “ all we have is new” )

i think because the poem is the most direct route.  Start with the first clue, and pick up clues in order, no shortcuts

[davebakedpotato]

Dec 6, 2019 17:45:09 GMT -5 astree said:

Dec 6, 2019 16:48:39 GMT -5 davebakedpotato said:

i think because the poem is the most direct route.

.

Is there any evidence? You may well be right but the other option (there being some sort of impediments) is much more useful in terms of looking for probable search areas, so I'm hoping it's that.

I think where this is heading is you can probably add this to your checklist of requirements for validating your potential solution. There is probably no quicker or easier way to the hiding place AND it is probably not possible to shortcut physically between any of the clue locations.

So for example, if your route traces out a big omega sign from above, but it is physically possible to walk between the 'ends' of the omega, it's probably wrong.

This hinges on an assumption that Forrest *was compelled* to follow the clues rather than *chose* to.

I think I am looking for someone to challenge that assumption, since I have been very wrong in the past.

[davebakedpotato]

It also rules out:

- Solutions where you end up drawing an x on a map with the first few clues

and

- Solutions that go in a big loop and 'know the place for the first time'

Doesn't it?

[davebakedpotato]

Dec 6, 2019 15:15:54 GMT -5 Jenny said:

I don't know either....

I agree with you though... if your proposed solution allows multiple, even a few, or even more than one, ways to gain access, then it most likely should be rethought.

Forrest imagines it as a place he could have/and still could RIP... the more ways to discover a place, the less likely it is to be a place of solitude......

It makes sense that the hiding place can't easily be approached from many directions - point well made.

[me9]

Look at the big picture, there are no short cuts. f

mysteriouswritings.com/featured-questions-with-forrest-warm-waters-and-geography/


I have a question for Mr. Fenn:

When you hid your treasures, did you take the same path that is described in the poem, or were you able to skip some of the steps because of your familiarity with the area?

Thank you Curtis

The clues should be followed in order Curtis. There is no other way to my knowlege.f

mysteriouswritings.com/questions-with-forrest-fenn-and-the-thrill-of-the-chase/questions-with-fenn-archive-1/

[davebakedpotato]

Thanks me9.

There is no other way.

[astree]

.
“ To discover where the treasure is hidden, you need to start with the first clue and follow them in order. This is how you find the treasure. There is no other way that I know of to my knowledge, to discover my knowledge of where the treasure is hidden”

[Jenny]

Why do we have to follow the clues, though?

Is it because, as DBP mentioned, because there isn't any other PHYSICAL way to get to that location? OR could at least some of it be because unless you go, for example, from WWWH to CD, NTFBTFTW, that you wouldn't recognize the 'home of Brown' to be the 'home of Brown' of the poem?

[davebakedpotato]

Dec 7, 2019 13:41:05 GMT -5 Jenny said:

Why do we have to follow the clues, though?

Is it because, as DBP mentioned, because there isn't any other PHYSICAL way to get to that location? OR could at least some of it be because unless you go, for example, from WWWH to CD, NTFBTFTW, that you wouldn't recognize the 'home of Brown' to be the 'home of Brown' of the poem?

It's sounding like the former is true, but the latter could also be true at the same time.