u/paladin141414

Search season ending soon as winter's icy breath will soon fall upon us all.

Some trail notes; refections and predictions based on nearly two years on and off the road.

It will be some time before a box is found - years. The solutions are complex and multifaceted. Jon modeled each solution based on multiple trails across a large area. No quick locations.

Those that can find a unified story for a box will win. As one searcher stated early on, as to the Lions Share box I believe, "...it's The Wizard of Oz". Follow the yellow brick road. This will someday be seen as wisdom.

Searchers grasp a single clue and try to build a solution where that clue fits. This will fail. Start with the theme of the chapter. For example, what is unique about the "rocky mountains"? Both obvious and subtle. Consider the poem and those elements together.

Spend time on trails near you. Hike or walk trails everywhere, in any city; all the time. You must learn to read trails.

Research local areas four level deep. Talk to everyone on trips about the local area. Listen to their stories. Study deep.

As Jon noted, fail forward. Make as many mistakes aa possible as soon as you can. Wallow in your failures. Failure teaches more than does success.

Beware of AI tools. AI will lie; promise not to lie; then lie again. Similar to many politicians. AI cannot be trusted; your experience BoTG can be.

Paladin

Is this happening to you? Especially those of you searching" for "treasure" for nearly two years or more if you include Fenn search.

You are solving "problems"faster; you are "connecting" the dots faster.

You understand conversations better because you "listen" with more intent.

You understand complex problems better as can "hold" more ideas or topics in your active mind at the same time.

When you are working; shopping; talking with friends; playing with children - clue connections will "pop" into your mind.

You understand "double" meanings of words; you can understand analogies better.

You have learned to ask deeper, well thought out, precise questions when in conversations or while online studying a clue.

When you are BoTG or just walking a local trail, you immediately understand the terrain; that elevation gain has meaning; and more.

You have a special way to know a trail.

This applies to interpersonal understanding also. Everyone is another trail to understand.

And Pattern Recognition!!! Good grief!

What other Joy does one need?

Thank you Jon.

Paladin

Just started reviewing Lions Share chapters. I ran into a series of Chapter clue summaries online. Are these common knowledge? Shared by all? Example:

Chapter 8 (The Blueprint) & Chapter 10 (The Horizon): The stair-step paragraph indentations isolate specific characters on pages beneath them, while double periods and flipped text captions show where to rotate the map matrix 180 degrees or stop tracking a line.

My first reaction was its analysis paralysis. Like What? Each chapter a treasure hunt of its own? with different approaches?

I know one can reach near madness on a single trail one has committed to trying to apply even clearly stated but ambiguous clues.

But this!

Anyone know if this is the level of analysis required or it is the ravings of a mentally broken treasure hunter colleague!

Your thoughts please.

Paladin

The first Treasure Hunter to find one of Jon’s boxes will become an instant expert in finding Jon’s boxes.

If they searched for nearly 2 years and hiked over 20 trails in a region and found a box, they would have made every mistake possible and learned how to avoid them. They would also realize how what they learned applies to finding the other treasure boxes.

So if someone found a treasure box and writes a guide/short book on the principles they followed; the search methods used; and how they apply to the other Treasure Inside boxes, what would be a fair price?

That is, if they learned from a successful search, principles and strategies that fit the other boxes what that value would it have to you?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Jon indicated that at some point, that once the first box was found; the others would be found faster.

In other words, they realize their search methods and Jon’s way of hiding the box had uniform and specific applications to the Lions Share; Pokémon; Past and Future Box; and Appalachian foot path box.

Would you buy such a summary and what is a fair price?

Paladin

The first Treasure Hunter to find one of Jon’s boxes will become an instant expert in finding Jon’s boxes.

If they searched for nearly 2 years and hiked over 20 trails in a region and found a box, they would have made every mistake possible and learned how to avoid them. They would also realize how what they learned applies to finding the other treasure boxes.

So if someone found a treasure box and writes a guide/short book on the principles they followed; the search methods used; and how they apply to the other Treasure Inside boxes, what would be a fair price?

That is, if they learned from a successful search, principles and strategies that fit the other boxes what that value would it have to you?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Jon indicated that at some point, that once the first box was found; the others would be found faster.

In other words, they realize their search methods and Jon’s way of hiding the box had uniform and specific applications to the Lions Share; Pokémon; Past and Future Box; and Appalachian. Footpath box.

Would you buy such a summary and what is a fair price?

Paladin

The first Treasure Hunter to

After 2.5 years and 4 trips I have a solution to the clue “The compass points now towards the home
of point and tree and seeing eye.” I go for a final search in October.

It reveals state; region; and trail in a manner that even I cannot believe. It emerged through a series of mistakes; accidents; and incredible good luck. It was not expected nor was it arrived at based on a plan.

It is a classic example of failing forward and never giving up. The main thing it took was hiking at least 15 trails and proving each wrong. It was simply hiking the region to learn and experience all I could about the location.

I have not yet seen an interpretation of “home of point and tree and seeing eye” that joins a state, region, exact trail, geology, human history, water, regional history, and culture as naturally as this one. A better solution remains possible—but it would need a powerful solution of this key ckue to rival the one I have found.

I salute now the person who finds a solution as elegant and precise. I care not if mine is correct. Its simplicity based on complexity is reward enough.

I will have found the treasure box or not by October’s end. A success either way.

This statement is true - it’s not about the treasure, it’s about the thrill of the chase.

Paladin

After 2.5 years and 4 trips I have a solution to the clue “The compass points now towards the home
of point and tree and seeing eye.” I go for a final search in October.

It reveals state; region; and trail in a manner that even I cannot believe. It emerged through a series of mistakes; accidents; and incredible good luck. It was not expected nor was it arrived at based on a plan.

It is a classic example of failing forward and never giving up. The main thing it took was hiking at least 15 trails and proving each wrong. It was simply hiking the region to learn and experience all I could about the location.

I have not yet seen an interpretation of “home of point and tree and seeing eye” that joins a state, region, exact trail, geology, human history, water, regional history, and culture as naturally as this one. A better solution remains possible—but it would need a powerful solution of this key ckue to rival the one I have found.

I salute now the person who finds a solution as elegant and precise. I care not if mine is correct. Its simplicity based on complexity is reward enough.

I will have found the treasure box or not by October’s end. A success either way.

This statement is true - it’s not about the treasure, it’s about the thrill of the chase.

Paladin