r/treasureinside

The third paragraph of chapter 8 is setting off my spidey-senses:

Traditions bring people closer and provide opportunities for joy. Many of my most favorite memories have been with friends and family during celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, of course, who doesn't love Halloween? Traditions enliven every culture. They come in all shapes and sizes. From the observances of Ramadan to Yom Kippur, to the celebrations of La Tomatina and the running of the bulls, traditions, like a durable yarn, connect us through a lineage of fellowship and ceremony. There is a shared joy of humanity here, something that provides communal stability even as the world around us rapidly changes.

It caught my attention for a couple reasons:

1. The prose is super untidy. "Many of my most..." is just terrible writing. JCB isn't Hemingway, but this was another level.
2. This paragraph contains exactly 100 words.

Each of those things on their own are innocuous, but taken together seem fishy.

Anyway, this doesn't fit into anything I'm working on right now, but I thought I'd post it here in case it helps anyone else.

Happy hunting!

This is just an observation that I find interesting. Heading out soon for second p&f BOTG trip. I did not use AI for any of my solve, but as the trip draws nearer I've been wanting to re-check my work, and really pound the word search to see if I can develop any additional clues. After many hours spent applying patterned row and column shifts searching for a hidden message, I thought about trying out one of the AI helpers. It occurred to me that based on the chapter content, maybe Jon actually intended the puzzle to be solved with an AI helper?

Anyway, the results were interesting. I used Claude, and it was actually quite helpful in performing pattern shifts much faster than I could on my own. And it was surprisingly helpful in other ways, making some connections I'd missed.

But I did notice a STRONG tendency toward confirmation bias. Several times I had to point out the bias to Claude. Several times, its logic became fully circular.

Additionally, the bot was oh-so enthusiastic about my solutions! It would say things like, "This is an amazing breakthrough!" and it re-enforced every idea I had, with zero critique or criticism.

This made me think about all the posts we see where people claim to "know" solutions with absolute certainty. I wonder how many of them have been glad-handed by AI, to the point of actually believing completely in their solutions. Like, 'I know I'm right because AI checked my work and told me I'm right.' Maybe this is the cause of so much misplaced over-confidence.

I mean, I hope my solution is right, but Claude is SO SURE that I'm right, it makes me very skeptical of the usefulness (and safety) of using AI for this purpose.

I’m not an adept wilderness explorer but I’m going to do a little BOTG for the first time next week. Any tips on how to stay safe and smart if something leads slightly off trail?

Problem is that I’m certain he didn’t hide anything on a maintained path directly because it could easily be stumbled upon by a park ranger or hiker etc not affiliated with the hunt. And I know JCB would hate that.

So, it must be a little off the beaten path. Idk if we are taking a few dozen feet or a couple miles. Anyway thought this would be a good place to discuss off-path logistics.

Anybody know how the jasper meet up went? Or is it still going on? Obvious jasper is a strong phonetic clue to Jazz Bar, but just vague enough to fit multiple locations. I like it because the material scan in chapter one, the samsonite jasper gemstone,…
Samsonite jasper (often conflated with red or fancy jasper) is an opaque, earthy gemstone.
Either way good luck and let us lurkers know.
TonyCo

I strongly believe any box is within 2 Hrs from a airport. He flew to most of these locations. I dont see someone flying then driving for 3 hours.

In this video I discuss why I think a Jeep Grand Cherokee ad that used John Coltrane from the early 90’s might be the reason that the Froakie and JCB listened to his music “as they drove”.

This leads me to Route 66 near the Cherokee Nation and an interesting connection with Will Rogers and a nearby famous roadside attraction.

I hope you enjoy the video and that it helps you with your hunt!

Hey Folks!

First time ever doing a treasure hunt (though I always loved orienteering and geocaching as a kid), and more importantly, first time doing a share. So please bear with, if you've already seen this before!

I discovered this whole hunt earlier this year, so I know I'm far behind (after a late night deep dive on unfound treasures, like Dutch Schultz).

I live in the Northeast, and have folks near the VT border - so of course interested with the Little Rock Pond coincidence. *I still have not matched up all of the notes on my map yet.

Starting with the basic map overlay, I confirmed the crossover with the Little Rock Pond trail. However, the most important cross-overs to call out:

• The overlay of Little Rock Pond Trail
• The starting point similarity between the trail and the BEGIN HERE
• The '1938' reference (flip map over, BEGI becomes 1938) - matching date of AT trail connection across VT
• The location of the compass on the map
• '1727 NW or NE' with an X

I overlayed the little rock pond trail map (shoutout to AllTrails), and then pinpointed where the Compass ('X marks the spot' sometimes is the compass rose!) landed on the map. I wanted to test if this was simple for a starting point.

https://preview.redd.it/5s9nb226im0h1.png?width=1406&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d8bbf360d39df5899e237a821226f8e9e07f962

The biggest identifier: that marker lines up exactly at 1727 elevation, NorthWest (NW) of the trail.

https://preview.redd.it/dxw1b7l9im0h1.png?width=1290&format=png&auto=webp&s=8561b33a3fb90dde5933a7c578a52cf2bc7ccebb

1727 Elevation match up

I went BOTG in March - fun fact, Vermont is cold, and still snowy - and you have to take the Homer Stone Trail in order to get in. Absolutely gorgeous hike.

Conclusion: I did go BOTG on this, I did get to my spot after some considerable bushwhacking (The Eagle Scout in me cringed going off trail), and it appears somebody already went there - either found the treasure or just marked it to indicate 'No Dice!' Apologies if I have misled anyone, but hope you enjoy my pictures from LRP and another insight into one way of looking at the map!

P.S. If you're the person who left the Orange tape, DM me! Would love to know who else I'm thinking on the same wavelength as :)

LRP in March - absolutely gorgeous!

Plenty of rocks and structures to hide a box around LRP...

My 'X Marks the spot' was someone else's as well!

Wanted to swallow my pride and put my initial solve out there! Props to everyone else who has the courage to admit their ideas as well!

Sincerely,

The Pilgrim

Looking for someone to team up with. I have a couple decent theories for the P&F box, but need some extra brainpower. I’m in southern Ohio.
I know most people don’t want to share info, I understand that. I have been quiet about my findings as well, but need a different perspective.

My husband and I went to a spot that I thought was a reasonable search area. Didn't find a box but we found a weird little altar on a rock with beads and a candle and other unknown objects. Then saw some "marvel" views of the collegiate mountains. It was fun.

There isn't any clue on this box. Beside the poem absolutely nothing. No shot this will be found anytime soon if not ever without more context.