At first glance, ‘the end is ever drawing nigh’ has a rather sinister feel to it. It gives you the impression of death approaching.
But, ‘nigh’ also has another meaning. An old usage of the word means ‘on the left’.
So, this line could very easily mean ‘something is constantly ending on our left’. Or ‘we are approaching something shortly on our left’.
Also, ‘the end’ is ‘ever’ (always) ‘drawing nigh’ (getting nearer). This seems to imply the end of a stream. If you go to the end of a stream, it’s always ending, but never actually does. It’s always drawing nigh, but never getting there.
So, what exactly is drawing nigh? The end?...
Alternately, ‘drawing’ might be important. Artists Paintpots in Yellowstone would fit the bill. Or any other location related to art or artists or painting or drawing (such as Artists Paintpots Hill, Artists Paintpots Trail, Chocolate Pots, Artists Hill, Draughtsmen, etc...).
Or, of course, perhaps this is a throwaway line. Forrest has mentioned that there are some words in the poem which are of no use in solving the puzzle or finding the treasure. So, maybe this line means exactly what it appears to mean at first glance: the end (of your quest to find the treasure chest) is getting close. With, maybe, a clue in there to confirm that you’re on the right track…
Some time in the middle of 2010, wealthy author/collector/archaeologist Forrest Fenn hid a medieval chest filled with gold coins and other valuable artefacts somewhere in the Rocky Mountains for anyone to go and retrieve. He wrote a book called ‘The Thrill of the Chase’, in which he hid clues to help people find the treasure.
Inside the book is a poem which secretly encodes the whereabouts of this treasure chest. If you can solve the puzzle, you can go and collect hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not well over a million) right now!
But, hold your horses! It’s not that easy. Thousands upon thousands of people have tried - with absolutely no luck whatsoever!
Fortunately for you, we’re here to help guide you right to Fenn’s gold!
Draw:
- a gully shallower than a ravine
Drawing:
- an act of choosing something (such as a winning ticket) from a group without knowing which one you are choosing
- the act or art of making a picture, image, etc., with a pencil, pen, marker, chalk, etc., but usually not with paint
- a picture, image, etc., that is made by making lines on a surface
Nigh:
- left side
- coming-soon
- Nearly
- Almost
- close in time or place
Sliding has come up multiple times in Forrest Fenn’s writings or the book, and as such might be an important clue. Some possibilities:
- Devil's Slide right by Joe Brown or Sliding Mtn.
- Slip and Slide Creek also beside Joe Brown - on HIGH Mtn.!
- Earthquake Lake at Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone was created by a landslide
- Other natural dam created by a landslide
- Sliding Mountain East
- Sliding Mountain West
- A school-house with an old fire-escape slide
Possible Interpretations:
- The 9 Clues are all between ‘Begin’ and ‘The End’.
- Famous left-handed painter or draughtsmen.
- Devil’s Den / Hole / Creek
- Black Canyon of the Yellowstone
- Devil’s Tower National Monument
- Sphinx, Montana
- A creek on your left
- The end of the trail on your left
- Everlasting, Immortal
- Cemetery
- Ghost town
- Sheepeater
- Devil’s Hole, Wyoming
- Devil’s Graveyard, Wyoming
Other Ideas...:
Plausible.
The ultimate solution for ‘the end is ever drawing nigh’ is probably that something is coming up shortly on our left as we head for the treasure. Possibly something that’s ending constantly (like a creek, stream or river), but never stops.
Preferably with a death-related name.
And, this location probably has a name which evokes a connotation of death or danger of some sort.
PLAUSIBLE.
The Verdict:
THE END IS EVER DRAWING NIGH
The Forrest Fenn Treasure
IMPORTANT READING
| The Poem |
| Hints & Clues |
| Need Maps |
| Links & More |
| Where to Begin |