Idaho welcome sign near Franklin, ID 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
[Safe to publish as of June 28, 2013]
Ah. So many reasons to love the Idaho Panhandle as the hiding place of Forrest Fenn‘s Treasure Chest:
- Warm River and Warm Springs Creek
- Lava Hot Springs and ice caves (I didn’t know there was such a thing)
- Snowshoe, Icicle, and Cold Storage Creeks
- Lewis & Clark, Nez Perce, and Oregon Trails, and one that shall remain nameless
- Hellgate, Deadman, Gypsy and Colt Killed Creeks
- pack bridges and ranger stations
- and major Fenn connections
The list is endless, but . . . I had narrowed it down to a day trip, and it was one of my top three hunches. I wasn’t positive, but had a lot of confidence. Well, maybe just a lot of hope.
Oh, and now I can mention that Lapwai means butterfly.
Here are my former plan(s).
Begin it at my “where warm waters halt“: Lolo Hot Springs.
I was going to take it (the Lewis and Clark Highway aka US Route 12) down the “Wild and Scenic River Corridor” along the Lochsa River, my canyon down for lots of reasons.
Lochsa and Selway rivers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There are a number of access sites. I thought I’d put in at Fish Creek (mile marker 119 or 120), float down the river on a raft, tube, or canoe (probably the best choice for hauling out a 42 lb chest discretely) and take out at Split Creek Pack Bridge (thinking heavy loads) (mile marker 112).
Lochsa-river-2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If I didn’t see the blaze as I floated by, I was going to have to get the permit back at the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station (my home of Brown) to face the upper part of that river, one of the 2 most challenging whitewater rivers in the state for rafters and kayakers. That would have required a little more brave on my part, but certainly would have been worth the effort.
However, if I still didn’t get to marvel gaze along the river, I was going to have to climb the firetower after I ate my sandwich at the nearby Fenn pond.
And I really didn’t want to have to drive or ride up the Spiral Highway near Lewiston. I don’t think I could down enough Dramemine or ginger cookies to pull that off.
That was only on my radar because of the recent curious Coriolis effect discussion, which I really didn’t get. I’m not stupid. I know what k space means and magnetic resonance frequencies and the use of gadolinium and got one of the 2nd highest scores in the nation in ’96 on the registry exam….diploma?) Oh. Sorry. Off on a tangent again.
Yet, that’s how my brain on Fennatics works. And works. And works. . . .
Related articles
- Whitewater junkies: Spring runoff brings floaters to Lochsa rapids (mtstandard.com)
- Thunderous rapids on Lochsa River draw crowds of big water daredevils and raucous spectators (ravallirepublic.com)
- Forest Service Brakes on Megaload Request (wildidahorisingtide.org)
The Fenn Diagrams 
It’s only my perspective, but being a native Idahoan, I tend to feel that when you are in the Panhandle, you’ve sort of found the treasure already. That is, if you’re partial to granite peaks and trout-filled streams.
Agreed. (Trying not to show jealousy….)
I thought it wasn’tin Idaho, Utah or Arizona?
You are correct, Connie. That’s why I didn’t post this page until after Idaho had been eliminated, and I described it as my “former” plans. As I mentioned, serious searchers aren’t likely to divulge on the internet any really cherished ideas. JMHO.
Good luck and keep reading. Check out Dal’s old threads for lots of discussions on the clues and possible solutions. (Click Thrill of the Chase on Blogs I Follow.)
Thrill of the Chase
on Blogs I Follow.)
“I thought it wasn’tin Idaho, Utah or Arizona?” – Why are those ruled out?
When I began the Chase 2 years ago, Idaho and Utah were still options as they included parts of the Rocky Mountains. Forrest Fenn himself ruled them out in one of the Matt Lauer spots on TV some time back.
Arizona was never really under consideration as it wasn’t “in the mountains north of Santa Fe.”
Really!