Pagosa Springs is a great fly fishing area where the San Juan Fishing and Expedition LLC meets once a year for a week of fishing.
I arrived after some R and R in Minasato and then caught up with friends in Colorado. One day after dinner I was sitting with one of the family owners and he mentioned that he had the strangest thing take place. It seems a man came by and asked for all the Ice in his machine. This gentleman claimed at the bottom of the Ice machine there was a chest of treasure. At first I just laughed. I told the owner of the Blue Spruce about Fenn’s Treasure and explained that it couldn’t be there as there was no hot or warm spring. The owner of the resort located at the bottom of Wolf Creek Pass responded by telling me there were several hot springs on both the east and north fork of the San Juan River not far from the Blue Spruce. I thought for a moment and replied there would also need to be a home of Brown to which the owner pointed to the two nearby ranches both owned by separate families last name of Brown. Now he had my attention. He told me of a stream and a falls named Treasure Falls. This falls runs out of a mountain call The Lost Treasure Mountain. French troops trying to survive left a large amount of gold somewhere in that mountain which has never been found. I thought about the line in the poem “and hint of treasure both new and old. Here I was thinking of taking a break and doing some fishing only to be pulled back to the chase in Pagosa Springs Colorado.
The next morning I went out to search the public lands below the Brown Ranch but first I would need a map. In the town of Pagosa Springs I stopped at my favorite fly fishing store called Ski & Bow Rack. Larry and another gentleman about getting a map. One thing lead to another and Larry’s pardner told me where he had seen blazes in that area of the river below the Browns. He also spoke about running across an older man fitting Fenn’s description walking around in this area about three years ago.
Heres some of what I found. The Falls freeze in the winter causing the water to form tall sculptures. (Where warm waters halt?) When you find the brown thin trail sign just off the highway about six miles from Pagosa heading to the Blue Spruce the trails leads to a tall vent pipe. This pipe looks like an old gas pipe where they vent off excess gas. (Blaze?) There is private land all around so if you look in this area be sure to respect the property rights.
Both the Blue Spruce and Ski & Bow Rack say they will be glad to talk to anyone stopping by and they were very helpful in my case. Here’s the best part it seems the owners grandfather was a school principal in a town near Lubbock Tx. This could very well mean Fenn’s Dad and the Blue Spruce are connected!
Keep sending your ideas and comments they are most welcome.
Capt Pappy's Blog 
I had the same idea about ice machines. 😉 However, how would Forets place chest not the ice machine? There are workers there, other people. Take clue from the last lines and make it major, final?
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At first I thought of Treasure Fall near Wolf Creek Pass, but I hiked up there as I was staying basically across the street the the Bruce Spruce Ranch as I have done since the early 70’s. Of course like you I search about the main falls as you did a few day before my backpack trip up the Rainbow Trail to the hot spring/Rainbow Falls and up the trail to the Continental Divide.
The only treasure I personally know of that as I was walking up the dirt road heading to the Rainbow Trail head over the 2nd bridge, I stop to head down to the San Juan River just to walk around for the hell it. Somewhere near the river or in the river I lost my 18k solid gold bracelet in late Sept/Oct of 2010 so there is gold in the river or along that river. That I’m very sure of. Still sick to my stomach for loosing my 18k solid bracelet which weighed a lot.
Anyway I can tell you for a fact that there is no treasure chest at the end of the Rainbow Waterfall, for two reason. I’ve been backpacking that area for 40’s, I was at the Rainbow Waterfall in late Sept/Oct both in 2010 and 2015, and have camped behind the falls on both trip. I know the area like the back of my hand, I’m notorious for climbing down to the waterfalls pool to clean down tree because as a landscaping I always bring my folding pruning saw with me.
Like you I thought the area was the right are just up the road from downtown Pagosa Springs. But there is gold in the San Juan River near the second bridge, I didn’t cross the bridge, but walked down to the river from the right side and head up the river under the bridge. It’s worth some money if it is found due to the price of gold and it being 18k and solid link bracelet. So if your up there again you might just find some gold after all. At least my is not a riddle like Forest Fenn. Believe I’d looked for it every time I’m up there.
Jackie A. Austin TX
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you are one of the few searchers that obviously has what it takes to find the treasure. Thank you for sharing this info. Thanks to you I wont go to Rainbow though I know where you are refering and Forrest would be hard pressed to cross it off his bucket list.
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JACKIE I go every year around the end of June. We put up a big banner on the large cabin to the right as you enter Blue Spruce. It read San Jaun Fishing exp. Also flags Navajo nation, USA few others. This year I’ll go to bridge with metal detector and look for you. If you see a Yukon TCM XL Idaho plates please stop by and say hello. Also must say I am impressed that you go up to rainbow. Used to find mushrooms up there. Good luck searching. Peter P better known here as Capt. Pappy.
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Very nice blog youu have here
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