Finding Fenn's Fortune

**Finding Fenn's Fortune** is the 7th episode of Season 2 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Gates searches for the treasure of art dealer Forrest Fenn, who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer hid his fortune, worth $2 million, deep in the Rocky Mountains north of his hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

## Historical Context

"This is the curious story of millionaire art dealer Forrest Fenn. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Forrest masterminds the greatest treasure hunt of all time. He packs a bronze box with millions of dollars' worth of gold, jewellery, and gems. Then he picks a secret location in the American Rockies for the world to search for his riches once he passes away. But something unexpected happens. Fenn survives. He goes on to publish a memoir of his life and in it, he includes a cryptic poem with nine clues that lead straight to the prize."

## Summary

Josh goes to Santa Fe, New Mexico and goes up in a hot air balloon where he meets with Dan Flores, a historian and friend of Forrest Fenn. Josh then goes to meet with Forrest himself where they discuss the contents of the treasure and why Forrest did it - to get people back out in nature.

Josh heads to Yellowstone National Park to meet treasure hunters JP Weigand and Yasmine Sandvick, stopping briefly in Jackson Hole along the way. They believe the clue "warm waters halt" means the Grand Prismatic Spring and believe "the home of Brown" refers to the Brown trout in the river. They don't find anything and Josh wonders if the rough terrain would've been surmountable for an elderly man. In addition. Fenn's wife never realised he had gone to bury the treasure which means its closer to Santa Fe.

Josh then meets with the Wright family in Red River, New Mexico. They go to Carson National Park where they encounter a big fork in the road. Grandma, Connie Wright, says that the clue "the ending is ever drawing nigh" represents life in horse talk. They go left and find an old beer can and horseshoe but find nothing else that day.

Josh goes to aa rodeo and helps lead an angry bull into its pen. From there, he goes to Taos, New Mexico where he meets locals and treasure hunter, Katya Luce. They take a helicopter through Taos Gorge and find a put-in point which they tag on GPS. Katya, Josh, and a rafting guide raft down the Rio Grande River and find an accessible trail where they search. They are able to find the clues in the poem along the trail but it begins to rain and they find no treasure that day.

## Final Words

"There are an estimated 35,000 Fenn treasure searchers scouring the canyons, river and mountains of the American West. Like them, I'm certainly feeling frustration. But as I stand here looking out at a dramatic canyon, listening to the sounds of rushing water, I realise that I haven't come away empty-handed at all ... while no treasure hunter has found the hidden box, at least not yet, something tells me that each of us found exactly what Fenn intended - adventure, kinship, and the thrill of exploring the American West. That is the true secret of Fenn's treasure.

## Notes & Trivia

* Forrest Fenn's treasure was found on June 6th, 2020.

## Quotes

* "Let's talk about your machinery here, this is a power drill that's been turned into a fry maker."
* "French fries, bacon, cheese, and grease. The four food groups all represented here. I think those are the four food groups."
* "I have the basic searching skills of a child. This may work out in my favour."
* "It's hard not to feel like the Wright family van is one big clown car."
* "You feelin' the treasure beat?"
* "JJ's gone full treasure hunter crazy."
* "I'm not a real man, I'm a cameraman."
* "If you've ever looked for a way to combine immense amounts of turquoise, feathers, and dream catchers this may be the town for you."
* "I've investigated a lot of mysteries over the years, but perhaps the strangest mystery of all is right here in Taos - Southwestern art."
* "Now, Troy, there is a no texting and ballooning policy here."
* "I've lost feeling in both of my legs. Is that an indicator that I've been out here too long? I always thought fly fishing was supposed to be relaxing. My blood pressure is through the roof right now. This is infuriating."
* "I'm often asked where all the food goes that people hand me as I'm walking around, that's what my tech guy, Andrew, here is for."

## References

1. ↑ https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/video/0/02/024/0243/0243472.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.231.174.suffix/1491595960311.jpeg