My (not so) Private Idaho solve
Hi all,
So, this is less of a “solve” than it is a thought pattern that leads me to Stanley Lake, Idaho as a possible search area. Note, I don’t think anything in my post is definitive. I am simply sharing my thoughts in the hopes that a fellow hunter uses something here to make a connection in their own solve. I should add, I actually had one BOTG so far and it was in Oregon (the first state to be eliminated) - so feel free to take this info with a grain of salt.
FIRST STANZA:
I was first curious about Idaho based on “findings” in the First Stanza:
I believe that “Can you find what lives in time” points to the letter “I”. I will come back to that in a moment.
Next, I looked at “Flowing through each measured rhyme”. I chose to focus on the lines in the First Stanza instead of the entire poem. Now, I realize that there is a scholarly way to “measure” a poem or rhyme, but I chose to simply break each line into parts where there is a natural pause (can you find - what lives in time). In doing so, I found 3 parts with 3 syllables and 5 parts with 4 syllables. Since the 4 souls in which Justin dedicated his book to seemed relevant, I focused on the 5 parts with 4 syllables. Lined up from top to bottom, you can find “Idaho” flowing through each part in shadowed sight:
What lives in tIme
Each measureD rhyme
In shAdowed sight
For tHose who read
These wOrds just right
As further “support”, I recall that Justin spent a great deal of time in Idaho before it became “beyond the map’s edge” for Forrest Fenn’s hunt.
SECOND STANZA
Since “As hope surges clear bright” is the first “actionable clue”, I looked in Idaho and surrounding states (close to the Idaho border) and found Young Hopeful Geyser in Northwest Wyoming - it seemed like a good place to start. To get from Young Hopeful Geyser back to your car, you must walk along a boardwalk that is surrounded by hot springs (walk near waters’ silent flight).
Next, get in your car and head North. Drive “round the bend” at Madison Junction (which is notably a bend, and not a curve or direct angle turn). I kinda like this one because Justin said there is an obvious clue in the second episode of Gold & Greed, in a scene that he was not in but had some control over. In the second episode there is a scene with an animated map - Justin is narrating (but not physically in the scene). On this map there is an “X” on Madison Junction.
For “past the Hole”, I think this could only mean 9 Mile Hole. It is the only word within a sentence of the poem that is capitalized, which to me means that “Hole” is part of a proper name and/or it is a meaningful place to Justin. If you watched episode 3 of G&G, you understand what 9 Mile Hole means to Justin. As further support, in the Acknowledgements page of his book, Justin states that Fenn’s treasure was his destination that became his launching point. Many believe that Fenn’s treasure was found at 9 Mile Hole.
I have a different take on “I wait for you to cast your pole” than most. While I do think that pole refers to a fishing pole (particularly since you are at this point standing at 9 Mile Hole), I believe “cast” means that Justin is waiting for you to cast your pole aside and join the hunt! Once you do, drive out of Wyoming, through the southern tip of Montana and into Idaho - it is a very short drive.
THIRD STANZA
I believe that ursa has 2 meanings. First, Peak 10284 in central Idaho is unofficially called “Ursa Peak”. I believe this is the point from which you measure east. Also, I think ursa refers to Ursa Minor. In Greek mythology, Zeus turned his son (Arcas) into Ursa Minor. Before his transition, Arcas was the ruler of Arcadia (making it his realm). Arcadia Canal (in Idaho) is located about 80 miles directly east of Ursa Peak.
In keeping with Greek mythology, one of Arcas’ brides was a dryad. Each dryad (according to the myth) is associated with an Oak Tree. If the Oak Tree dies, then so does the dryad, and vice versa. Arcas saved his bride by redirecting a water torrent that was headed toward her Oak Tree. Although admittedly weak, I started looking for water falls or rushing rivers near Arcadia canal. There is nothing super close to Arcadia Canal, but I did find Lady Face Falls in the Stanley Lake area (Idaho).
I believe that Lady Face Falls is the bride, and her bridal-veil (Bridalveil Falls) and her gown (McGown Peak) are within a short walking distance. McGown Peak is the Northern anchor of a 3 peak cirque with its 2 neighboring peaks, McGown Twin and McGown Tower (her foot of three). McGown Twin and McGown Tower could also be the “ancient gates”. Note that McGown is actually called McGowan Peak, but because of a misprint on a map decades ago, everyone (other maps, brochures and locals) started calling it “McGown Peak” - there have been recent efforts to get the community and brochures to start calling the peak by its true name. This is notable because on page 186 of Justin’s book he says “Names have their own gravity this way. Call a place Sparkling Rainbow Unicorn Falls all you want, but if the locals christen it Smelly Bog of Despair, that’s what the maps will eventually surrender to.” I thought there may be a connection here.
This leads me to “at twenty degree.” While I haven’t verified it in person, it appears that Stanley Lake is 20 degrees NE from the foot of McGown Peak. I thought it was peculiar that Justin devoted a full paragraph on page 15 to talk about his Dad’s Stanley thermos. Perhaps there’s a connection here too.
The interesting thing about Stanley Lake is that it is fed water from Stanley Lake Creek, which flows from Lady Face Falls. My theory is that you would start at Stanley Lake and walk upstream toward Lady Face Falls to “return her face to find the place.”
FOURTH STANZA
Lastly, McGowan Peak is part of the Sawtooth Mountains, which are comprised of 2 types of granite, so there are a number of granite boulders along Stanley Lake Creek - I’ve read that many of these boulders have chatter marks, which often appear in the form of arcs (double arcs on granite bold). Chatter marks are signs of glacial movement (where secrets of the past still hold beyond the reach of time’s swift race).
If I were walking along Stanley Lake Creek upstream, I would be looking for notable boulders with double arc shaped chatter marks within a mile from where you park your car.
I recognize at least 2 major weaknesses in my theory: (1) Justin said at the Seekers Summit that the clues were not meant to convey great distance - the above theory will have you traveling quite a bit (not celestially, but still…); and (2) there was a fire in this area in 2024, so I’m not sure if that would have an impact on whether or not this would be a plausible search location.
Happy hunting everyone - have fun out there!