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Chasing the Thrill: Obsession, Death, and Glory in America's Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt
“Daniel Barbarisi plunges into an adventure from another era when he goes in search of buried treasure, guided only by a cryptic poem, a mischievous art collector, and the footsteps another pursuer who died on the quest… Every page draws you deeper into this no-man’s-land where fortune—or tragedy—awaits.” —Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run
When Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune.
Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017, when a friend became consumed with decoding the poem and convinced Barbarisi, a reporter, to document his search. What began as an attempt to capture the inner workings of Fenn's hunt quickly turned into a personal quest that led Barbarisi down a reckless and potentially dangerous path, one that found him embroiled in searcher conspiracies and matching wits with Fenn himself. Over the course of four chaotic years, several searchers would die, endless controversies would erupt, and one hunter would ultimately find the chest.
But the mystery didn't end there.
Full of intrigue, danger, and break-neck action, Chasing the Thrill is a riveting tale of desire, obsession, and unbridled adventure.
When Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune.
Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017, when a friend became consumed with decoding the poem and convinced Barbarisi, a reporter, to document his search. What began as an attempt to capture the inner workings of Fenn's hunt quickly turned into a personal quest that led Barbarisi down a reckless and potentially dangerous path, one that found him embroiled in searcher conspiracies and matching wits with Fenn himself. Over the course of four chaotic years, several searchers would die, endless controversies would erupt, and one hunter would ultimately find the chest.
But the mystery didn't end there.
Full of intrigue, danger, and break-neck action, Chasing the Thrill is a riveting tale of desire, obsession, and unbridled adventure.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 2021
166 people are currently reading
5247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
May 20, 2021
I'm Jay (beep), and I really liked this book! I thought Dan did an incredible job capturing the pure-hearted aspects of a classic treasure hunt, as well as the challenges of those who overly devoted themselves to the chase. Forrest was a wonderful man, and provided the world with an exciting adventure full of life lessons, old and new. I was also a searcher, and while I didn't find treasure, I learned a lot about myself, the art of searching, and re-prioritizing what's most important in life. Similar to Dueling with Kings, Dan does an incredible job capturing this refreshing world, including the hard-earned perspectives and insights of all of the most famous searchers, including Fenn himself. He rides the wave from peak to closeout with meticulous timing and dedication, and can't wait for his next adventure. Hopefully he brings me along, so that I can find redemption, forge myself stronger, and continue to learn from all the wonderful people along the way. Five stars!!
September 26, 2021
thank god this is over.
May 18, 2021
A great adventure story describing the thrill of the hunt, the angst of the hunters, and life in the world of treasure hunting. We also get a close up of Forrest Fenn - the man who hid the treasure and watched the hunt progress. It is a book that is hard to put down...providing an inside view of a world many of us will never experience. Fun read...hard to put down.
May 26, 2021
Here's my full review from the Washington Independent Review of Books:
Thousands of impassioned hunters spent the better part of the last decade combing the Rocky Mountains for the elusive Fenn Treasure, an ancient bronze chest that an aging New Mexico eccentric had packed with loot and hidden in the wild. The hunt abruptly halted last summer when someone found the bounty, scripting a perfect ending to Daniel Barbarisi’s new book, Chasing the Thrill.
Forrest Fenn, a wealthy art dealer and adventurer, launched the hunt in 2010 with his own self-published book, The Thrill of the Chase. He had filled an antique chest with gold and jewels, a haul worth at least $1 million, and concealed it somewhere in the mountains north of his Santa Fe home. He sprinkled clues within the book that could lead some clever hunter to the stash.
A cult of Fenn treasure hunters formed in Santa Fe and spread across a population of modern-day pirates with time on their hands: retired military men with all-terrain vehicles and survival gear; insomniac, empty-nest moms; and millennials with gambling problems and student debt. Fenn hunters “skewed male, and older,” Barbarisi writes. Following the 2013 broadcast of a “TODAY” show segment, the hunt exploded into a national craze.
Barbarisi, a former Wall Street Journal sportswriter and fantasy-sports obsessive, joined the hunt in 2017. As he searched, he interviewed fellow hunters and plotted out a book about the Fenn treasure. The result is an adventure memoir that chronicles a decade-long quest for gold.
By actively chasing the MacGuffin that fueled his book, Barbarisi risked life and limb, hiking through the parts of national parks that signs and rangers told him to avoid, clambering up slippery slopes and violating the personal space of bears.
Moreover, Barbarisi’s participation in the hunt left him a “thin veneer of journalistic remove,” in his words. His own lust for the treasure clouded the traditional journalistic mission, to chronicle events with dispassion. What if he actually found it?
With a wife and baby back East, Barbarisi spent only about a year actively searching for the treasure. Poignantly, he clearly believed he stood a realistic chance of finding it. So did many other Fenn hunters. In a survey taken at the height of the quest, 17 percent of hunters reported they believed themselves “100 percent certain” to find the treasure. Never mind that thousands had failed to unearth the chest across several years. Delusion suffuses Barbarisi’s account.
The treasure hunt is a staple of American letters. One obvious touchstone for Fenn’s challenge is Masquerade, a 1979 book by British writer Kit Williams that almost singlehandedly launched the pastime of armchair treasure-hunting.
The Fenn hunt will also remind some readers of Tropic Hunt, an annual puzzle contest launched in the 1980s by Miami Herald humorist Dave Barry. Barry and his pals transformed the local cityscape into a game board for a day. Gangs of puzzlers prowled the streets, decoding clues and inching toward a game-ending solution. To solve even one Tropic Hunt clue required Einsteinian leaps of logic; teams of postdoctoral students usually claimed the prize.
Sadly, as Barbarisi painfully illustrates, most hunters drawn to Fenn’s puzzle lacked the skill set to solve it. Parsing a literary text for hidden meaning was a task for an English major, not an army of retired soldiers with inflatable rafts and rappelling gear.
Fenn hunters leapt down rabbit holes of Colonel Kurtz-sized obsession, forsaking common sense and ignoring even the simplest of Fenn’s clues. Seekers died after taking injudicious risks to reach the treasure, despite Fenn’s oft-stated assurance that he had hidden it in two short trips from his car. Hunters wasted years searching for the loot outside the Rocky Mountains or south of Santa Fe, places where Fenn had said they would not find it.
Chasing the Thrill illustrates the creeping narcissism in today’s selfie-taking, blog-publishing, Instagram-posting society. Barbarisi’s hunters twist Fenn’s clues to suit their fancies. Searchers upend outhouses seeking the “home of Brown” referenced in a famous Fenn clue. One seeker becomes convinced another clue, referencing a place where “warm waters halt,” refers to Old Faithful, which spouts boiling water. Another sees the periodic table of elements in a grove of trees.
The man who finally solved Fenn’s puzzle, in the covid summer of 2020, was eventually revealed as Jack Stuef, 32, a Georgetown graduate who had written for the Onion before dabbling in medical school. (This Aaron Sorkin sendup was one of his Onion favorites, he said in an email.) At Georgetown, Stuef double-majored in government and…English.
Stuef found the treasure in a pine forest in Wyoming, a place few others had thought to search. Fenn died three months later, at 90. Those events provide a satisfying ending to Chasing the Thrill. But Stuef refused to reveal just how or where he had located the treasure, for fear that the idyllic site might be overrun. He told Barbarisi that he pored over Fenn’s public pronouncements and stumbled upon a series of “slipups” that told him where to look. But he would not elaborate, an omission that will frustrate readers.
A fringe of mentally unstable hunters haunted Fenn in his final years, sending threatening emails and even showing up at his Santa Fe home. Might he have steered Stuef to the treasure in his final months as a means to liberate his family from the curse of the Fenn Treasure?
Perhaps. But no matter: Chasing the Thrill leads the reader on an engaging armchair treasure hunt, a welcome escape in these waning days of covid. Daniel Barbarisi’s bold gamble — inserting himself at the story’s center — pays off. The writer emerges as a sympathetic protagonist, and his participation buys him entrée into a secretive and mistrustful club. By the final chapters of Chasing the Thrill, we share his wonder in watching the Fenn saga draw to an exhilarating close.
Daniel de Visé is author of Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show and The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France.
Thousands of impassioned hunters spent the better part of the last decade combing the Rocky Mountains for the elusive Fenn Treasure, an ancient bronze chest that an aging New Mexico eccentric had packed with loot and hidden in the wild. The hunt abruptly halted last summer when someone found the bounty, scripting a perfect ending to Daniel Barbarisi’s new book, Chasing the Thrill.
Forrest Fenn, a wealthy art dealer and adventurer, launched the hunt in 2010 with his own self-published book, The Thrill of the Chase. He had filled an antique chest with gold and jewels, a haul worth at least $1 million, and concealed it somewhere in the mountains north of his Santa Fe home. He sprinkled clues within the book that could lead some clever hunter to the stash.
A cult of Fenn treasure hunters formed in Santa Fe and spread across a population of modern-day pirates with time on their hands: retired military men with all-terrain vehicles and survival gear; insomniac, empty-nest moms; and millennials with gambling problems and student debt. Fenn hunters “skewed male, and older,” Barbarisi writes. Following the 2013 broadcast of a “TODAY” show segment, the hunt exploded into a national craze.
Barbarisi, a former Wall Street Journal sportswriter and fantasy-sports obsessive, joined the hunt in 2017. As he searched, he interviewed fellow hunters and plotted out a book about the Fenn treasure. The result is an adventure memoir that chronicles a decade-long quest for gold.
By actively chasing the MacGuffin that fueled his book, Barbarisi risked life and limb, hiking through the parts of national parks that signs and rangers told him to avoid, clambering up slippery slopes and violating the personal space of bears.
Moreover, Barbarisi’s participation in the hunt left him a “thin veneer of journalistic remove,” in his words. His own lust for the treasure clouded the traditional journalistic mission, to chronicle events with dispassion. What if he actually found it?
With a wife and baby back East, Barbarisi spent only about a year actively searching for the treasure. Poignantly, he clearly believed he stood a realistic chance of finding it. So did many other Fenn hunters. In a survey taken at the height of the quest, 17 percent of hunters reported they believed themselves “100 percent certain” to find the treasure. Never mind that thousands had failed to unearth the chest across several years. Delusion suffuses Barbarisi’s account.
The treasure hunt is a staple of American letters. One obvious touchstone for Fenn’s challenge is Masquerade, a 1979 book by British writer Kit Williams that almost singlehandedly launched the pastime of armchair treasure-hunting.
The Fenn hunt will also remind some readers of Tropic Hunt, an annual puzzle contest launched in the 1980s by Miami Herald humorist Dave Barry. Barry and his pals transformed the local cityscape into a game board for a day. Gangs of puzzlers prowled the streets, decoding clues and inching toward a game-ending solution. To solve even one Tropic Hunt clue required Einsteinian leaps of logic; teams of postdoctoral students usually claimed the prize.
Sadly, as Barbarisi painfully illustrates, most hunters drawn to Fenn’s puzzle lacked the skill set to solve it. Parsing a literary text for hidden meaning was a task for an English major, not an army of retired soldiers with inflatable rafts and rappelling gear.
Fenn hunters leapt down rabbit holes of Colonel Kurtz-sized obsession, forsaking common sense and ignoring even the simplest of Fenn’s clues. Seekers died after taking injudicious risks to reach the treasure, despite Fenn’s oft-stated assurance that he had hidden it in two short trips from his car. Hunters wasted years searching for the loot outside the Rocky Mountains or south of Santa Fe, places where Fenn had said they would not find it.
Chasing the Thrill illustrates the creeping narcissism in today’s selfie-taking, blog-publishing, Instagram-posting society. Barbarisi’s hunters twist Fenn’s clues to suit their fancies. Searchers upend outhouses seeking the “home of Brown” referenced in a famous Fenn clue. One seeker becomes convinced another clue, referencing a place where “warm waters halt,” refers to Old Faithful, which spouts boiling water. Another sees the periodic table of elements in a grove of trees.
The man who finally solved Fenn’s puzzle, in the covid summer of 2020, was eventually revealed as Jack Stuef, 32, a Georgetown graduate who had written for the Onion before dabbling in medical school. (This Aaron Sorkin sendup was one of his Onion favorites, he said in an email.) At Georgetown, Stuef double-majored in government and…English.
Stuef found the treasure in a pine forest in Wyoming, a place few others had thought to search. Fenn died three months later, at 90. Those events provide a satisfying ending to Chasing the Thrill. But Stuef refused to reveal just how or where he had located the treasure, for fear that the idyllic site might be overrun. He told Barbarisi that he pored over Fenn’s public pronouncements and stumbled upon a series of “slipups” that told him where to look. But he would not elaborate, an omission that will frustrate readers.
A fringe of mentally unstable hunters haunted Fenn in his final years, sending threatening emails and even showing up at his Santa Fe home. Might he have steered Stuef to the treasure in his final months as a means to liberate his family from the curse of the Fenn Treasure?
Perhaps. But no matter: Chasing the Thrill leads the reader on an engaging armchair treasure hunt, a welcome escape in these waning days of covid. Daniel Barbarisi’s bold gamble — inserting himself at the story’s center — pays off. The writer emerges as a sympathetic protagonist, and his participation buys him entrée into a secretive and mistrustful club. By the final chapters of Chasing the Thrill, we share his wonder in watching the Fenn saga draw to an exhilarating close.
Daniel de Visé is author of Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show and The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France.
May 23, 2021
I searched for this treasure from 2017 to 2020, including 7 trips to Yellowstone National Park. The author does a great job of describing "boots on the ground", a process of certainty beforehand and then feeling completely helpless once you get there. There's a big difference between Google Maps and trying to locate a "petite" box in rugged Wyoming terrain. So when Jack Stuef discovered the treasure chest, it was quite shocking in its timing because even in late May and early June, Wyoming has substantial snowpack at higher elevations. If you're already familiar with The Chase, then the book is ground already covered. Other than some new detail regarding the discovery, there are no answers about how the clues were solved, nor is the location revealed. However, the author's writing is compelling, and I burned through the book in a few days, even though it's only the tip of the iceberg in the whole story, for example, the body of literature that went into the creation of the treasure hunt.
June 4, 2021
Who doesn't love the story of a treasure hunt?? I enjoy books about real-life sagas, and the author did a fantastic job telling this incredible story here.
Author Daniel Barbarisi is a veteran journalist and author. He has over 15 years of experience in newspaper journalism at the Boston Globe, Providence Journal, Wall Street Journal, and now The Athletic, where he is currently a senior editor. Barbarisi has covered crime, politics, news, and ultimately sports. He joined the staff of the Wall Street Journal in 2010, where he spent five years as the beat writer covering the New York Yankees.
Daniel Barbarisi:
Chasing the Thrill tells the extraordinary true story of a treasure hunt that began in 2010, launched by a somewhat eccentric former war vet turned successful art dealer named Forrest Fenn. After a terminal cancer diagnosis, Fenn hid a treasure chest somewhere in the American Rocky Mountains:
Forrest Fenn:
Barbarisi writes on the contents of the chest:
The author has a great writing style. Barbarisi tells this story in an engaging and exciting fashion, keeping the reader engrossed in this saga as he proceeds. The book is a very readable page-turner. Points to Barbarisi for his super-effective writing style here.
The audiobook version I have was read by him, which is always a nice touch, IMO.
The clues for finding the treasure were summed up with this enigmatic poem:
The author himself took part in the hunt for Fenn's booty, together with a companion named Beep.
The central narrative of the book covers their efforts to find the treasure; although he also writes about other people's efforts as well.
The search for Fenn's treasure is also interspliced here with other historical treasure hunts; including The Oak Island Treasure, and the successful recovery of the Spanish ships the Santa Margarita and the Atocha by the famous Fisher family of treasure hunters.
Barbarisi also talks about Treasure Island, The Goonies, and other recent tales of recovering lost treasures.
Unfortunately, the ensuing mania that swept over the treasure hunters would lead to five people ultimately dying in search of the elusive bounty. Barbarisi writes that this had the paradoxical effect of amplifying the mystique surrounding the hunt, and the story in general.
In the end, the treasure was eventually found. The intriguing tale doesn't stop there, however. I've covered the end to this incredible saga, to avoid spoiling the story.
*****************
Chasing the Thrill was an excellent read. Barbarisi did a great job in telling this exciting story.
If I were to find fault with the book, I would say that I wish it included pictures. The pics in my review were found online. Not a big deal, but pics would have been a nice inclusion.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested.
A well-deserved 5-star rating here.
Author Daniel Barbarisi is a veteran journalist and author. He has over 15 years of experience in newspaper journalism at the Boston Globe, Providence Journal, Wall Street Journal, and now The Athletic, where he is currently a senior editor. Barbarisi has covered crime, politics, news, and ultimately sports. He joined the staff of the Wall Street Journal in 2010, where he spent five years as the beat writer covering the New York Yankees.
Daniel Barbarisi:
Chasing the Thrill tells the extraordinary true story of a treasure hunt that began in 2010, launched by a somewhat eccentric former war vet turned successful art dealer named Forrest Fenn. After a terminal cancer diagnosis, Fenn hid a treasure chest somewhere in the American Rocky Mountains:
"By 2010, Fenn was eighty years old. His memoir and his poem were complete. His treasure chest was full. One day—he made sure no one knew exactly when, but it was around that same year—Fenn took the chest from his vault, headed out into the wilderness, and hid it. He did it alone, placing the treasure where “it would be difficult to find but not impossible. It’s in the mountains somewhere north of Santa Fe,” as he wrote in his book. The chest, he said, took him two trips from his car to hide, because it and its contents weighed an impressive forty-two pounds by then. Hiding it took one afternoon. Then he returned home, and, he said, even his wife was none the wiser.
Fenn printed one thousand copies of his memoir, which he titled The Thrill of the Chase, and offered them at wholesale cost to a friend at Santa Fe’s Collected Works Bookstore to sell. He stipulated that a percentage of any profits go to a cancer charity, and that the rest go to the store. None would go to him; Fenn wanted to ensure that no one accused him of engineering this hunt in an effort to sell books."
Forrest Fenn:
Barbarisi writes on the contents of the chest:
"Over the next twenty years, Fenn filled the chest with all manner of valuables. Eventually, it would come to hold a truly magnificent fortune: 265 gold coins; dozens of gold nuggets; a gold dragon bracelet with ruby eyes, studded with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies; 2 gold frogs; a Mayan gold bracelet; a seventeenth-century emerald-and-gold Spanish ring; 2 pre-Columbian gold mirrors; gold dust; 2 gold nose rings; a Tairona fetish necklace thousands of years old; several jade figurines; 2 pre-Columbia wak’as—objects of ritual importance or power—and more, plus a copy of Fenn’s as-yet-unseen autobiography, stuffed into an olive jar."
The author has a great writing style. Barbarisi tells this story in an engaging and exciting fashion, keeping the reader engrossed in this saga as he proceeds. The book is a very readable page-turner. Points to Barbarisi for his super-effective writing style here.
The audiobook version I have was read by him, which is always a nice touch, IMO.
The clues for finding the treasure were summed up with this enigmatic poem:
"As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.
If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.
So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
Thee answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.
So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold."
The author himself took part in the hunt for Fenn's booty, together with a companion named Beep.
The central narrative of the book covers their efforts to find the treasure; although he also writes about other people's efforts as well.
The search for Fenn's treasure is also interspliced here with other historical treasure hunts; including The Oak Island Treasure, and the successful recovery of the Spanish ships the Santa Margarita and the Atocha by the famous Fisher family of treasure hunters.
Barbarisi also talks about Treasure Island, The Goonies, and other recent tales of recovering lost treasures.
Unfortunately, the ensuing mania that swept over the treasure hunters would lead to five people ultimately dying in search of the elusive bounty. Barbarisi writes that this had the paradoxical effect of amplifying the mystique surrounding the hunt, and the story in general.
In the end, the treasure was eventually found. The intriguing tale doesn't stop there, however. I've covered the end to this incredible saga, to avoid spoiling the story.
*****************
Chasing the Thrill was an excellent read. Barbarisi did a great job in telling this exciting story.
If I were to find fault with the book, I would say that I wish it included pictures. The pics in my review were found online. Not a big deal, but pics would have been a nice inclusion.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested.
A well-deserved 5-star rating here.
June 5, 2021
An art dealer in Santa Fe, facing imminent death due to cancer, hides a treasure and writes a book and poem about it, both of which contain clues about where the treasure is hidden. Barbarisi writes an entertaining and insightful story about the hunt, the art dealer and the hunters. He, too, gets bitten by the thrill but does a good job of maintaining his journalistic integrity as he and a friend join the hunt. Even though this is nonfiction, don’t search to find out if the treasure was found until you’ve finished the book.
July 10, 2021
Interesting story but the meandering style was off putting. He repeated some things multiple times and didn’t really delve into others. The sexual misconduct allegations were dealt with strangely, he brings them up many times but never really examines them or what they mean.
It was a very surface level book and I think any sort of insight into the people or “why” of doing this would be have been very welcome.
I found it strange that the chapters about the Fenn hunt weren’t in chronological order. He writes about the man who found the treasure then a bit later had a chapter about seeing the treasure himself and how he hadn’t seen or met the finder yet? Why not have that first, then the zoom with the finder?
The whole book felt like he wrote a bunch of unrelated essays over several years and then randomly jammed them together to make the book without actually reading over them to see if it flowed or made sense. Why didn’t anyone edit this?
It was a very surface level book and I think any sort of insight into the people or “why” of doing this would be have been very welcome.
I found it strange that the chapters about the Fenn hunt weren’t in chronological order. He writes about the man who found the treasure then a bit later had a chapter about seeing the treasure himself and how he hadn’t seen or met the finder yet? Why not have that first, then the zoom with the finder?
The whole book felt like he wrote a bunch of unrelated essays over several years and then randomly jammed them together to make the book without actually reading over them to see if it flowed or made sense. Why didn’t anyone edit this?
February 16, 2023
I didn't get answers to all of my questions, and Barbarisi left out some things, like the guy who was arrested for digging in a historic graveyard in Yellowstone. But it's fascinating to dig deeper (see what I did there?) into the story of Forrest Fenn's treasure.
October 16, 2021
A fun story to read about a unique experience for sure. Probably one of the best pieces of participatory journalism I have read in a long time too. The way Mr. Barbarisi was able to separate himself from the story and the search at times was impressive, and the way he described some of the characters in the book made me feel like I was good friends with them too. I loved the suspense that he built up during the story and how he was able to keep me on the edge of my seat. The beginning is a little clunky, but after the first 5 chapters, it really hits its stride.
May 29, 2021
A true page turner...I have long been fascinated by treasure hunts and Barbarisi inserts himself in one of the most intriguing hunts of our days. Along the way we meet the hunters and the character of Forest Fenn whose idea it was to bury a treasure chest somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. This was a cross between a page turner adventure story and true grit journalism. Great escapism.
May 30, 2021
The way the author delves into the personalities of the chasers is captivating. I found myself caring more about the chasers than finding the treasure. I haven’t decided whether I liked Fenn, or his motivations. In any event a real page turner and thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 15, 2022
I was interested in reading this book after watching an episode on 48 Hours about the hunt for Fenn's treasure; an episode in which the author, Daniel Barbarisi, was interviewed about his knowledge of Forest Fenn and the treasure hunt. After reading "Chasing the Thrill", I can definitely say that Barbarisi provided us with a fascinating look at a controversial figure.
I liked how Barbarisi gave a fair portrayal of Fenn and included insights from both supporters and detractors within the chase community, which really allowed readers to make up their own mind about Fenn. As to how I feel about Fenn, he's clearly a controversial figure. I think that he may have had good intentions in creating the hunt (encourage people to be more adventurous, get outdoors, etc.), but ensuing controversies (how he came into possession of artifacts in his collection, accusations against Fenn, searcher deaths and how Fenn handled them etc.) ended up diminishing his treasure hunt.
This book was also very informative. I learned a lot about the history of treasure hunting and about the impact that the internet had on treasure hunting. Barbarisi also shed some light into what drives people to become hunters as well as the ramifications of finding the treasure itself; it's not as easy as packing up the treasure and taking it home. In fact, where you find the treasure-whether its state land, tribal land, federal land, or private property- determines the legal outcomes; something that I hadn't thought of before.
One thing that I really liked about this book was reading about Barbarisi and his friend Beep's tales of treasure hunting. The anecdotes from their boots on the ground search was intense and exciting at the same time. That being said, the one thing that I wish the author had elaborated on was his assertion that the vibe around Fenn hunters was "authoritarian, survivalist, often right of center" (104). It would have been interesting if Barbarisi had interviewed these folks so that we could have gotten a better understanding of their motives for hunting and their perspectives on Forest Fenn. Overall, an interesting read.
I liked how Barbarisi gave a fair portrayal of Fenn and included insights from both supporters and detractors within the chase community, which really allowed readers to make up their own mind about Fenn. As to how I feel about Fenn, he's clearly a controversial figure. I think that he may have had good intentions in creating the hunt (encourage people to be more adventurous, get outdoors, etc.), but ensuing controversies (how he came into possession of artifacts in his collection, accusations against Fenn, searcher deaths and how Fenn handled them etc.) ended up diminishing his treasure hunt.
This book was also very informative. I learned a lot about the history of treasure hunting and about the impact that the internet had on treasure hunting. Barbarisi also shed some light into what drives people to become hunters as well as the ramifications of finding the treasure itself; it's not as easy as packing up the treasure and taking it home. In fact, where you find the treasure-whether its state land, tribal land, federal land, or private property- determines the legal outcomes; something that I hadn't thought of before.
One thing that I really liked about this book was reading about Barbarisi and his friend Beep's tales of treasure hunting. The anecdotes from their boots on the ground search was intense and exciting at the same time. That being said, the one thing that I wish the author had elaborated on was his assertion that the vibe around Fenn hunters was "authoritarian, survivalist, often right of center" (104). It would have been interesting if Barbarisi had interviewed these folks so that we could have gotten a better understanding of their motives for hunting and their perspectives on Forest Fenn. Overall, an interesting read.
June 21, 2021
An enjoyable journalistic experience and exploration of the Fenn Forrest treasure hunt in all its bizarreness. Obsession at its best and worst...an illustration of (among other things) the danger of dreaming about (I'm forgetting the technical name) receiving a significant amount of wealth in a short period of time .
November 8, 2021
4.5 - not sure how i feel about the reporting mixed with hunting of this book, but the story is so 100,000% insane that it deserves a high rating. absolutely bonkers loved it
May 27, 2021
I can not tell you when I first caught wind of "Too Far to Walk". Memory is fickle. I do know it was very early on. My family had been taken with Geocaching in the mid 2000's and had traveled all over the West enjoying that thrill. I mean finding a Black and Grey 35mm film canister in Moab (film - ask your parents) was a treat.
I bought the book, read the poem and dreamed of taking a couple summer vacations to search. Life intervened. I was never 'boots on the ground' but maintained a continued fascination.
All that said, I found this book - Well Written and Beautifully Paced! A cast of characters that you could not make up if you tried. I actually felt I was on the hunt with Mr Barbarisi, (and Beep- I smiled when I read his review) through the anticipation, the deflation and the conspiracy theories. It was a Great ride, and I shared the nostalgic feeling at the end.
Everyone is flawed, but take a step back, look at it from 30,000 feet. What a Thrill. "May we understand that we don't always have to understand. Because in that point we have to Trust" Paris Wallace RIP
I bought the book, read the poem and dreamed of taking a couple summer vacations to search. Life intervened. I was never 'boots on the ground' but maintained a continued fascination.
All that said, I found this book - Well Written and Beautifully Paced! A cast of characters that you could not make up if you tried. I actually felt I was on the hunt with Mr Barbarisi, (and Beep- I smiled when I read his review) through the anticipation, the deflation and the conspiracy theories. It was a Great ride, and I shared the nostalgic feeling at the end.
Everyone is flawed, but take a step back, look at it from 30,000 feet. What a Thrill. "May we understand that we don't always have to understand. Because in that point we have to Trust" Paris Wallace RIP
July 21, 2023
4.5
This was just what I needed to get out of an audiobook slump. It was fast paced, engaging and taught me about something new.
This was just what I needed to get out of an audiobook slump. It was fast paced, engaging and taught me about something new.
October 3, 2021
Three stars: I liked it. More interesting than expected but less than hoped for. I appreciated getting a feel for those drawn to treasure hunts--to the puzzles and the promise, to being part of something seemingly important and communal, and even to the inevitable conspiracy theories. Why? Because this is probably the closest I'll ever come to understanding phenomena like Q Anon.
It was enjoyable to read about issues related to national parks and the responsible use of wild outdoor spaces, but there wasn't much depth. For example, it's fair to ask who bears responsibility for wilderness tragedies; but the discussion here was very far from robust.
My biggest regret was that the author didn't say more about the acquisition of Native American artifacts, some of which made up Fenn's treasure. It would've been helpful to orient Fenn's acquisitions in the larger and as-yet-unfinished history of plunder.
It was enjoyable to read about issues related to national parks and the responsible use of wild outdoor spaces, but there wasn't much depth. For example, it's fair to ask who bears responsibility for wilderness tragedies; but the discussion here was very far from robust.
My biggest regret was that the author didn't say more about the acquisition of Native American artifacts, some of which made up Fenn's treasure. It would've been helpful to orient Fenn's acquisitions in the larger and as-yet-unfinished history of plunder.
July 20, 2021
A rollicking, funny, and personal account of the band of eccentrics who scoured the Rocky Mountains from 2010 to 2020 in search of New Mexico art dealer Forest Fenn's hidden chest of gold and jewels. The author started searching for the treasure in 2017 but eventually became more taken with his fellow hunters than the treasure itself. Full of plot twists and insights into the nature of obsession, this is a great read for fans of The Orchid Thief and Born to Run.
March 5, 2022
I just couldn't get into it at all. Didn't finish it. Didn't like the guy who hid the treasure, didn't like and couldn't relate to the treasure hunters.
One notable quote
The average treasure hunter ion retirement age, male, Republican, conservative, drives a big truck, devoutly Christian or Catholic, and susceptible to cult mentality.
No wonder I didn't get it.
One notable quote
The average treasure hunter ion retirement age, male, Republican, conservative, drives a big truck, devoutly Christian or Catholic, and susceptible to cult mentality.
No wonder I didn't get it.
June 8, 2021
First of all, it's a look at Forrest Fenn, the man who created and stashed the treasure chest after spending years figuring out which treasures to put in and create the book/poem that conveyed the clues that could lead the searchers to it. But also the author - who participated in the search for a number of years - was able to interview many of the notable people that attempted to find the treasure and provide resources - webpages, blogs, Fennboree get-togethers - to their fellow searchers. Dan Barbarisi admits that he was one of the searchers along with a close friend and relished the excitement of searching for the little bronze chest (it was about 10 x 10 x 5 inches).
Then there are a few side trip into other notable treasure hunts in the U.S. - some that were found, some which are still being searched for and some that are likely just legends. The author actually gets a chance to talk to Kit Fisher - who is still involved in treasure hunts even after his father found the fabulous lost galleon Atocha - about dealing with legalities and having the only permit to search for underwater treasure in U.S. territory in a time of increasingly strict regulations.
On the negative side of the thrill are the proverbial wackos who threaten physical harm towards Fenn, his family and/or the oldest contacts/friends that the fanatics feel have special information regarding the treasure chest unless they reveal the location. The lawsuits from people suing Fenn believing that reading the book of clues created a contract so Fenn should just hand it over. And then there are the deaths - five searchers took a chance, weren't careful or prepared enough and paid the ultimate price for their obsession. Then there were the numerous people that were charged with either damaging historical artifacts, digging holes on state land (it sounded like a rather LARGE hole), camping without a permit, building campfires in restricted areas of park land, in areas where rescue was repeatedly necessary (they were ordered to reimburse the costs of rescue operations). Going off trails into environmentally sensitive areas and causing damage - and possibly requiring rescuing.
In the end, the Fenn's chest was found - only three months before Forrest died. The finder tried to remain anonymous but lawsuits would eventually reveal his identity. Barbarisi was able to make contact with him and published an interview. He even was offered the opportunity to see and explore the contents at the offices of the finder's attorneys. It was there that many of the pictures were taken of the contents and the author ended his visit with the most amusing comment about the difficulty in repacking a treasure chest.
It's a overall fun read although the obsession that so many people displayed is a bit sad. Their absolute faith that they possess the correct solution and the devastating disappointment when the chest isn't there.
2021-114
Then there are a few side trip into other notable treasure hunts in the U.S. - some that were found, some which are still being searched for and some that are likely just legends. The author actually gets a chance to talk to Kit Fisher - who is still involved in treasure hunts even after his father found the fabulous lost galleon Atocha - about dealing with legalities and having the only permit to search for underwater treasure in U.S. territory in a time of increasingly strict regulations.
On the negative side of the thrill are the proverbial wackos who threaten physical harm towards Fenn, his family and/or the oldest contacts/friends that the fanatics feel have special information regarding the treasure chest unless they reveal the location. The lawsuits from people suing Fenn believing that reading the book of clues created a contract so Fenn should just hand it over. And then there are the deaths - five searchers took a chance, weren't careful or prepared enough and paid the ultimate price for their obsession. Then there were the numerous people that were charged with either damaging historical artifacts, digging holes on state land (it sounded like a rather LARGE hole), camping without a permit, building campfires in restricted areas of park land, in areas where rescue was repeatedly necessary (they were ordered to reimburse the costs of rescue operations). Going off trails into environmentally sensitive areas and causing damage - and possibly requiring rescuing.
In the end, the Fenn's chest was found - only three months before Forrest died. The finder tried to remain anonymous but lawsuits would eventually reveal his identity. Barbarisi was able to make contact with him and published an interview. He even was offered the opportunity to see and explore the contents at the offices of the finder's attorneys. It was there that many of the pictures were taken of the contents and the author ended his visit with the most amusing comment about the difficulty in repacking a treasure chest.
It's a overall fun read although the obsession that so many people displayed is a bit sad. Their absolute faith that they possess the correct solution and the devastating disappointment when the chest isn't there.
2021-114
June 16, 2023
This book is billed as "a full-throttle, first-person account of the treasure hunt created by eccentric millionaire art dealer Forrest Fenn" and while I did enjoy the fascinating details & mystery & intrigue surrounding Forrest and his treasure, there wasn't enough full-throttle sensationalism to keep me interested throughout. Some of the treasure hunting details were a bit tedious and bogged me down, but overall, it was an interesting look into a life I have not, and more than likely will not, lead -- and that's one of the reasons that I read! To have a peek into lives I have not and will not live, adventures I will not have, and friendships I will not cultivate.
I learned a lot about treasure hunting community, the blogosphere, the cut-throat and back stabbing tendencies, and the ever-alluring "solve", and found introductions to the various hunters and their tendencies to be really interesting. And all the chapters on Forrest himself and the poem penned that prompts this decade-long hunt.
Perhaps audio isn't the best way to take this work in? With the poem details and the clues that abound, not seeing it in front of me on the page, at times, I became a little lost on the hunt... pun intended. :) So, maybe recommend this in physical format.
Overall, it was 3.25 stars from me and a pretty entertaining listen!
I learned a lot about treasure hunting community, the blogosphere, the cut-throat and back stabbing tendencies, and the ever-alluring "solve", and found introductions to the various hunters and their tendencies to be really interesting. And all the chapters on Forrest himself and the poem penned that prompts this decade-long hunt.
Perhaps audio isn't the best way to take this work in? With the poem details and the clues that abound, not seeing it in front of me on the page, at times, I became a little lost on the hunt... pun intended. :) So, maybe recommend this in physical format.
Overall, it was 3.25 stars from me and a pretty entertaining listen!
July 15, 2021
I was gripped by the Forest Fenn story from the start, reading it for hours each night whenever I got the chance. I thought Dan did a great job putting himself in the story but remaining an impartial source. I felt like I could trust him - very important in a true-life story like this. He gives a great background on treasure hunting, doing due diligence and extensive research on the topic. There have been other short videos & documentaries on the topic, and none come close to Dan's account of the Forrest Fenn treasure hunt IMO. I am sad it is over, but also relieved as I can now focus on other things! I can't imagine how the searchers and others closely involved in the hunt must feel.
A must read - especially for nature/hiking/outdoor lovers who also love real life, true story narratives.
A must read - especially for nature/hiking/outdoor lovers who also love real life, true story narratives.
April 26, 2022
When he thought he was going to die, Forrest Fenn created a treasure chest. He filled it with antique coins, jewelry, and then hid it in the wilderness. Forrest created a poem and wrote his biography, both with clues that would lead someone to the treasure. However, Forrest didn't die. He beat the cancer. But the treasure hunt was on and would last for nine years before someone found his chest.
The story was fascinating. Fascinating. The author went on several treasure hunts himself, trying to interpret the clues and experience the thrill of the hunt. But he also encounters the darker side of the hunt. Other seekers intent on finding it accuse him of trying to steal their ideas or involve him in conspiracy theories. I loved his first person narrative. It really brought the story to life.
He did have a few chapters where he talked about the history of treasure hunting, including current treasure hunters. I didn't love those chapters. I was fascinated by the Fenn treasure hunters and didn't really want to leave that story.
But it was enthralling.
The story was fascinating. Fascinating. The author went on several treasure hunts himself, trying to interpret the clues and experience the thrill of the hunt. But he also encounters the darker side of the hunt. Other seekers intent on finding it accuse him of trying to steal their ideas or involve him in conspiracy theories. I loved his first person narrative. It really brought the story to life.
He did have a few chapters where he talked about the history of treasure hunting, including current treasure hunters. I didn't love those chapters. I was fascinated by the Fenn treasure hunters and didn't really want to leave that story.
But it was enthralling.
April 13, 2023
I really struggled to finish this book. Unfortunately I really enjoyed the beginning of this story. The author dove into treasure hunting and it’s origins as well as a deep dive into Fenn and this specific treasure hunt. This was extremely intriguing and had a lot of valuable information I had not learned previously.
My problems began as the author began talking at length about the characters and major players in the Fenn hunt. At times the stories and descriptions felt unnecessarily long and unimportant. When discussing his own adventures and hunts I found myself skimming for anything I found as important information to the story. I felt as the non-linear storytelling and rambling extremely distracting and ended up putting this story down altogether.
Again I was disappointed the book took this turn in my opinion as I was enjoying it for the most part towards the beginning. My recommendation for this book would be for only the truly interested individuals into this specific treasure hunt should pick this title up. Expect to go on many adventures that are anticlimactic and overly conversational.
2 Stars!
My problems began as the author began talking at length about the characters and major players in the Fenn hunt. At times the stories and descriptions felt unnecessarily long and unimportant. When discussing his own adventures and hunts I found myself skimming for anything I found as important information to the story. I felt as the non-linear storytelling and rambling extremely distracting and ended up putting this story down altogether.
Again I was disappointed the book took this turn in my opinion as I was enjoying it for the most part towards the beginning. My recommendation for this book would be for only the truly interested individuals into this specific treasure hunt should pick this title up. Expect to go on many adventures that are anticlimactic and overly conversational.
2 Stars!
February 4, 2022
This was a great read that I'd recommend to just about anyone. Forrest Fenn is an interesting, complex character and Barbarisi does a great job diving into his psyche. Like many, I hope that one day we'll learn exactly where the treasure was hidden, but I do understand the finder's desire to keep the place pristine. It does make me a little uncomfortable though, that so many of the Fenn hunters treat him as a kind of deity.
One little thing about this book that I enjoyed was the sudden appearance of Douglass Preston in the story. I've read two of Preston's books, The Monster of Florence and The Lost City of the Monkey God. Early on in the reading of Chasing the Thrill, I was struck by how similar this book was to a Preston book, and then all of a sudden he shows up as a close personal friend of Fenn's.
One little thing about this book that I enjoyed was the sudden appearance of Douglass Preston in the story. I've read two of Preston's books, The Monster of Florence and The Lost City of the Monkey God. Early on in the reading of Chasing the Thrill, I was struck by how similar this book was to a Preston book, and then all of a sudden he shows up as a close personal friend of Fenn's.
October 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and I am supper glad I knew nothing about the treasure hunt before it ended.
Chasing the Thrill is about a 10 year treasure hunt in the western United States. Barbarisi did a great job interviewing different people involved and showing the highs and lows of the event in their lives. He does a good job weaving information about this chase and information about previous treasure hunts/ arm-chair hunts together in each chapter. I was interested enough to look up Forrest Fenn's treasure hunt before finishing the book.
Chasing the Thrill is about a 10 year treasure hunt in the western United States. Barbarisi did a great job interviewing different people involved and showing the highs and lows of the event in their lives. He does a good job weaving information about this chase and information about previous treasure hunts/ arm-chair hunts together in each chapter. I was interested enough to look up Forrest Fenn's treasure hunt before finishing the book.
April 12, 2023
A great, insider look at a treasure hunt that apparently was going on practically in my backyard, but I didn't hear about it until a few years ago. The author includes chapters about other famous treasures, treasure hunting, the culture of "armchair hunting" and controversy in archaeology amid his story about this particular treasure. It was really fascinating, but has a frustrating finish. This is not the author's fault, but rather, the fact that so much is still unknown about where the treasure was ultimately found. I listened to this on audio and he narrates it himself and I thought he did a really good job.
August 1, 2022
This was a fun listen, especially since I knew nothing about this treasure hunt. The author becomes involved in the search so this is a mix of his experience, the story of the search, and some history of other treasure hunts. It’s a little long and it kind of skirts past some controversies about the man who started the hunt but overall a strong pick.
June 9, 2021
I've met very few nonfiction books I simply couldn't put down, and this was the best of that small, elite group. Wonderfully written, incredibly compelling, and a hilarious, thoughtful, and touching dive into a complex, beautiful tale.
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