How is it Forrest's family/friends do not know the spot?

[ontheedge]

More precisely, unless the special spot was a spot that Forrest first came upon in ~1988, the spot had to have been known and special to him prior to hiding the chest or conceiving of the chase (he says he had the spot in mind the moment he thought of the chase).  So why would he have kept it a secret from his family and friends at a time prior to the chase? Seems to me that a lovely spot that meant so much to a person who clearly has liked to share details of his life with an audience even back then (thinking of the Vietnam tapes and all the articles that comprise a significant portion of the work in TTOTC) would have shared this hyper-meaningful spot with at least his close family and friends. 

Assuming it's true that nobody has been informed of the spot, then I think it suggests that the spot was a location that he came upon concurrently with the conception of the chase. 

Lastly, I suppose it is possible that the spot is known to his family members, but not in the context of being the hiding spot. In other words,  without expressly saying "that is the spot I hid the treasure". However, even knowing of a location that Forrest has indicated is very special to him is still a huge advantage and would I suppose undermine the "fairness" of the chase. 

[thetreasurehunter]

From what I read, Forrest is a private fellow on some matters. He's not one who checked in with his wife and daughters, and probably didn't include them in on his more questionable dealings. The location may be one he had to keep secret because of what may have been found there.

[astree]

.
ontheedge,

Why do you use approximately 1988 as the date? Is that when Forrest first thought about the Chase?

[van]

I am sure some searchers will not like this response, however, Life is not fair, get over it. Yes, his wife knows his special spot, it is completely naïve to think otherwise. There is a high probability she is the reason that its special. Yes, FF has helped other searches in private but only in very small measures; if you don't like this, to bad. FF is not some kind of god that never misspeaks. I am sure that the jackals that continuously hound him for clues have gotten what they deserve.

Having said that, it is possible that a week after he hid the chest that his wife told their grandson the location of the chest and that he should go pick it up because she thought the idea was crazy. Its very unlikely, but possible. If you are really concerned about the chase being completely fair, then I would suggest another hobby.

[Deleted]

Forrest talks of only one incident in TTOTC of his late teenage years. Texas A & M for only a few weeks. This was when his Yellowstone summers were over. Does anyone wonder where his "Bullet" was at this time of Texas A & M? The poem hints to his late teen years.

[ontheedge]

Thanks all for the comments. Maybe to say it again, hopefully more clearly, and with some clarity particularly on where I humbly think the brain trust on this site can be really helpful to me if they would be so kind:

So, what I was getting at is that if we assume:

(i) That it is true that Forrest has not shared the location with anyone else at any time and in any context – even family (as I believe he has said in a number of interviews); and

(ii) That, other than in the case of the chase (where he is of course purportedly committed to keeping the location secret), he would probably find it irresistible to share with others the spot that he cares about as deeply as he appears to care about this one:

Then, while not 100% certain, it suggests (arguably quite strongly) that the location is one that he came upon at about the same time he came up with the idea of hiding the chest (I believe he said it was in his mind at the time that he decided to hide the chest).

Otherwise, it seems likely that if the spot was a spot that made such a dramatic impact on him at any time prior to the decision to make the spot a secret spot (e.g., in his late teens, or at any other time), then he would have boasted about/written about/spoken about it, for some time (and of course, potentially for years) before the chase.

Otherwise, why not? It could be, as suggested earlier in this thread, that there was some characteristic of the spot that made it a place to keep secret prior to the reason to make it secret for Chase purposes. Certainly possible, but if there was such a reason, then (i) (and not to be dismissive) other than mere speculation, there isn’t a good/justifiable reason I know of to elevate the likelihood of a complete unknown for purposes of ~calculating the odds here and, also, (ii) if the spot had such a characteristic that compelled secrecy, then why would Forrest try to direct hoards (no pun intended) of people to this same spot through the Chase itself? Seems inconsistent to me. But of course I would genuinely be really interesting in some factually or directional theories on this.

So, if the premises above are taken as likely or certain, then I think we can infer that the spot is one that was new(ish) to Forrest at the time that he was diagnosed and decided to hide the chest.

If you don’t buy either of the premises, that’s fair, but I’d be really interested in any evidence that: (a) suggests there is no actual record of Forrest stating that he has not shared the location with anyone else (beyond mere speculation that he has) or that suggests the opposite, or (b) that Forrest did identify the spot prior to the time that is right about the time he first thought about hiding the treasure (~1988). Any evidence, on either of those, I think really dismantle this proposition and would be really helpful in that regard.

Lastly, naïve or not, I think we should have a little perspective here: Most people who aren’t interested in hidden mountain treasure millionaire poems tend to think that anyone with an interest or belief in such a thing is naive/a sucker, in the first degree. So, I’d suggest that we are all in the same boat hobby-wise, despite the interstitial differences that anyone on these sites can try to put pressure on. Just my opinion on that front, whether or not people love to hear it... Regardless, I find this really fun and fascinating and we can all decide how to spend our own time.

[goldilocks]

His special spot doesn't mean that it ever had to have been shared with someone. I think back to some of my favorite spots and what made those spots special. They were special to me and mundane to anyone else. The spots were special from my perspective and mine only.

When I was 8 yrs old my parents got divorced. My mom sent me up to my grandparents home for the weekend with my best friend to get away because I was totally devastated. There wasn't a lot to do outside because it was raining and so we dressed up in my grandma's dresses and costume jewelry, put on our roller-skates and went into the basement where there was a lot of open space and ideal concrete ground to roll around on. We were doing twirls and pirouettes when I got my leg stuck up on a table. We laughed so hard I wet my pants and had the best time of my life at one of the worst times in my life. I will never forget this weekend and what it meant to me. A musty, cold basement is not what one thinks of when imagining a special spot but this was special in it's own unique way. I've never felt the need to share this story, never the less it existed.

His spot may not look as special as it once did. A spot full of mountain views and trees may now be full of houses or development of some sort. While the spot remains the same, it may not look the same as it once did to Forrest. This may be where imagination comes into play.

Although Yellowstone was important to Forrest in his childhood, he drove through a lot of areas to get there each summer. It doesn't take long to acquire a special spot and may only have literally been a moment in time, a pit stop if you will. Anything could've happened at any time between Texas and Yellowstone that was special to Forrest so it's almost impossible to narrow down the place by the time in his life.

Lastly, how can we prove if there is or isn't a record of Forrest telling someone about his special spot if we do not know where this spot is...

[theoretical]

Hello ontheedge,

One possible alternative is that the spot is NEAR a place that FF has spoken of or hinted at. Perhaps a location where he went with others but then he discovered his spot near there while alone. When I was a kid camping, I would sneak away from family to be alone at times. And found special spots. I never mentioned those spots to others but often talked about the larger location and the general experience. This would also fit “As I have gone alone in there”.

[ontheedge]

Thanks both! Goldilocks, really appreciate your insights, but the idea that I am proposing it to assume the truth of two premises - one being that Forrest would tell people of a spot that is this important (also I think his quotes on what you would see if you were at the spot belie speculation that the spot is riddled with houses, as does the relative distance of human trails, and does the relative "remoteness" that he has alluded to). The last point is I think a misreading of what I was saying: not that he has not revealed the spot as the spot, but evidence that "suggests there is no actual record of Forrest stating that he has not shared the location with anyone else (beyond mere speculation that he has) or that suggests the opposite" - meaning, in other words, evidence of the negative, that he has actually said that he has shared information about the spot with someone. But more accurately, what I has said, which is that, in other words, evidence that I am wrong that he has said that he has not shared the spot with anyone (I believe he has, but dont know where I have seen it specifically).

And theoretical, sure that could be true too. But again, the actual place is what was so significant to Forrest, it is different than the general area you note. So, again, assuming 1 and 2 are true, he has told someone of what he found in this special, specific spot.

Anyway, we dont have perfect information and are, I think, weighing the value of the information we have. So if we weigh both premises highly (again not with certainty, which is impossible in this context) then we should be looking at a place he may have come upon in 1988. And there are a number of things that Fenn did in 1988 that are on point here in my opinion.

Thanks again for your thoughts an hope to hear more responses and particularly holes in my conclusion (particularly (b), evidence that Fenn had found the place prior to 1988).