Treasure Mountain, CO - Lost Frenchmens Gold

[PatrickD]

You guys have produced one of the best threads. This thread is a good example of what can be accomplished through collaboration.

Time for a field trip?

Here are a couple interesting pictures.

Look near the center of the picture for the dark rectangular door shape with a light circle in it.


Here is a close up


I might be able to get there if I were a mountain goat or if I could fly.

Patrick

 

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[mdog]

Nice pictures, Patrick. Thanks.

 

[PatrickD]

Just doing what I enjoy.

Mejor que nada.

 

[audigger53]

You guys have produced one of the best threads. This thread is a good example of what can be accomplished through collaboration.

Time for a field trip?

Here are a couple interesting pictures.

Look near the center of the picture for the dark rectangular door shape with a light circle in it.
View attachment 1459658

Here is a close up
View attachment 1459659

I might be able to get there if I were a mountain goat or if I could fly.

Patrick

Well if you were crazy enough, you could try rappelling down to it from the top. Hope you have good life insurance. Check the top Toyopa Thread. Lots of good stuff there also.

 

[PatrickD]

Well if you were crazy enough, you could try rappelling down to it from the top. Hope you have good life insurance. Check the top Toyopa Thread. Lots of good stuff there also.

Hi Audigger53,

Rappelling is still on the radar. I have all the equipment but hauling it up there may be harder than just climbing. Getting it back down looks like a lot of work too.

Several years back I got certified as a rock climbing/rappelling instructor. Also got SCUBA certified, all for treasure hunting.

There is something about us treasure hunters that want to explore dark holes in the ground. Got to love that.

Here is another closeup. This is taken with a zoom camera and that far away picture is the distance I am from it. Also of note, the entrance is north and I am standing south of it. (hint, hint.)



Any speculation on what is inside?

See any carvings/symbols?

Is that an effigy of Villemont on the right?

Is that rock in the opening some sort of trap?

Again, my compliments on the thread. The posters have raised the bar on how to put a good thread together. In my opinion, you have compiled a good amount of information and can safely move into field research. Just be aware, temps in the treasure mountain area are just now getting warm and critters are out. (I posted this pic in another thread but so much for the theory that there are no snakes above 6,000 feet in elevation. This was at about 7,400.)


3.5 ft Bull Snake

 

[mdog]

Hi Audigger53,

Rappelling is still on the radar. I have all the equipment but hauling it up there may be harder than just climbing. Getting it back down looks like a lot of work too.

Several years back I got certified as a rock climbing/rappelling instructor. Also got SCUBA certified, all for treasure hunting.

There is something about us treasure hunters that want to explore dark holes in the ground. Got to love that.

Here is another closeup. This is taken with a zoom camera and that far away picture is the distance I am from it. Also of note, the entrance is north and I am standing south of it. (hint, hint.)

View attachment 1459787

Any speculation on what is inside?

See any carvings/symbols?

Is that an effigy of Villemont on the right?

Again, my compliments on the thread. The posters have raised the bar on how to put a good thread together. In my opinion, you have compiled a good amount of information and can safely move into field research. Just be aware, temps in the treasure mountain area are just now getting warm and critters are out. (I posted this pic in another thread but so much for the theory that there are no snakes above 6,000 feet in elevation. This was at about 7,400.)

View attachment 1459794

This is an interesting picture. The shadow of the opening looks like an owl. How long does the light in the middle of the shadow stay there? Do you think that bright area inside the shadow might be a plug. Also, you mentioned that the opening is on the south face. In the northern hemisphere, the south face of a bluff or mountain would be a good place to set up a shadow or sun sign. Is that what you are thinking?

 

[PatrickD]

This is an interesting picture. The shadow of the opening looks like an owl. How long does the light in the middle of the shadow stay there? Do you think that bright area inside the shadow might be a plug. Also, you mentioned that the opening is on the south face. In the northern hemisphere, the south face of a bluff or mountain would be a good place to set up a shadow or sun sign. Is that what you are thinking?

I think the rock in the opening is purposeful. It may have broken away from the rock above it but it doesn't look like a fit from what I can tell. My guess it is there to catch the sun and draw attention to the opening certain times of the day. This was taken in the afternoon. I am facing north and the shadow is being cast from the west. The rock may be some sort of triggered trap that drops into place closing the opening.

The Spanish were talented at carving symbols that could be seen from a distance but not so obvious up close.

I can see what looks like letters or symbols on the top right of the door. Possibly the letter S is there and at different angles almost as if on different sides of a triangle but I don't see a triangle. Just the S shape at different angles. Below that just to the right of the opening appears to have a body and face or just a face possibly wearing a helmet.

I would guess Spanish over French but it might also be something done by miners or settlers too. I will have to check it out closer when I get to it. This is one of those times it is wise to have a buddy system instead of me just traipsing around on my own. I don't want to end up chewing my arm off to get out of some trap.

 

[Quinoa]

Pat, It's just an eye-catcher sign representing a sideways eyeball, drawing your attention to the cliff/hillside telling you about something closeby such as a hoyo or crack to look thru. No need to rappel down to it. Look for something above it like a hoyo or crack. Sideways eyeballs generally mean look above or look from above.

 

[PatrickD]

Pat, It's just an eye-catcher sign representing a sideways eyeball, drawing your attention to the cliff/hillside telling you about something closeby such as a hoyo or crack to look thru. No need to rappel down to it. Look for something above it like a hoyo or crack. Sideways eyeballs generally mean look above or look from above.

Hi Quinoa,

Thanks for the input. I will apply your theory next time I am there.

Patrick

 

[Ryano]

How in hades would men without modern climbing gear place a rock that large in the cave "eye" as Quinoa calls it ? It looks to be several hundred pounds at least.

 

[PatrickD]

People have been asking the same thing about Stone henge. If it is Spanish, they were in the area for about 300 years and were notorious for mining, putting trail signs and markers in place, sometimes changing the bedrock to do so. Depending on the group, it could have been a small number to a couple hundred people.

You should see the sealed cache site I found down by La Veta Colorado. It has several large boulders put into an opening then carved with symbols and the like. Probably a couple tons of boulders and put into an opening at about 10,500 feet in elevation.

Also check out the Cave of Gold found with the Spanish markings. The spelunkers use this site now. But it is well documented.

To be fair, the pictured hillside with the rock and cave in the photo isn't as treacherous as it looks. Someone with basic rock climbing skills could navigate it.

 

[Ditlihi]

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Me thinks you were were already in the right spot when you took the pic.

 

[PatrickD]

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Me thinks you were were already in the right spot when you took the pic.

Ditlihi,

You wouldn't deny me a little treasure hunting photo tease? Would you?

We can always go back to posting historical research material and debating it.



Patrick

 

[Ditlihi]

Lol! Glad to know I'm not the only tease on these boards.

Please....DO continue!

 

[PatrickD]

Lol! Glad to know I'm not the only tease on these boards.

Please....DO continue!

Ok, what do you make of this?

 

[Ditlihi]

The first thing that catches my eye.....Egyptian?

 

[Ditlihi]

Or could the triangles be the point?

The elephant in the room?

 

[PatrickD]

Do you see any numbers on the top right of the rocks and next to that roundish rock with the deep lines.

 

[Ditlihi]

Nope, I don't.


Edit: Unless you mean the OOP one.

 

[PatrickD]

Nope, I don't.


Edit: Unless you mean the OOP one.

What caught my attention isn't this end of the rock formation initially. This end appears to have a bust carved out of it. It is directly on the south side of the formations. This picture isn't really doing it justice and it looks more like a human form from a distance. I highlighted some of the elements visible that caught my attention. (I might be barking up the wrong tree but its still a tree.)



I used the red pen tool to highlight some things to look at. You have to look close though, the markings are not showing up like I hoped. You can see them on different areas if you zoom in on the picture.

Anyone want to go treasure hunting? LOL.

Patrick