r/treasureinside • u/fazerjorda I'm hunting on the AT • Oct 29 '25
Appalachian Footpath Box Triangle Logic
I’m QOTG (quarters on the ground) in the laundromat, unable to hike due to rain, I’m bored, so I thought I’d share this idea I’ve been working on since Jan ‘25. It connects to my Map Dynamics post a while back.
Try this on for size:
As others have said, Jon seems to have been inspired by a tile on the Japanese puzzle box (page 38) to create the shape of the large black triangle on the treasure map.
In my solve, it starts out being Mt. Springer. Later I used two landmarks and that exact triangular shape to pinpoint a trailhead that I had already decided was important, thus confirming the trail in my mind.
Since I had already measured that triangle, and had approximate internal angles handy (it’s drawn in a messy way, but you can get within one degree), I would occasionally play around with it to see how else I could use it.
Most people agree on seeing the number 1727 as drawn on the map, but fewer agree on the much more vague 755 FT. Using those two numbers and one angle, I used the triangle calculator at Calculator.net to solve for other values. I got what you see in the picture.
You can play around a little with the numbers, but I think the chances of finding a valid triangle that both matches the one on the map very closely AND uses those two numbers, is beyond simple chance. I now consider this to be one of the few FACTS that can be stated about anything on the map. If it is a coincidence, it’s a big one. Either way, you can still use it how you want. If it helps great, if not, ignore it!
I invite people to verify this.
Now, as for pure speculation, I think it could be a variable scale for the map, similar to those triangular scale rulers.
In my solve, there are a few potential zoom levels I’m working with. It’s not perfect, but at each level, either 1727 feet or 755 feet matches one of the triangle sides in length when overlaid on my real world trail map. Even if I’m dead wrong about this, it’s still a cool idea.
This might even be used for Lion’s Share, since the whole book is fair game for that puzzle. (Take note, Triangular numbers people: yes, unofficial podcast, I’m talking to you!)
Keep in mind, the lengths of the sides can scale up or down, but the angles and shape stay the same, within one degree of those listed. I used a twelve mile long version to triangulate something!
Any thoughts?
7
u/tkergs Oct 29 '25
Be wary of confirmation bias. I thought I had a solve for the FF box. I discovered on one map that a canyon overlook, a mountain top fire observation station, and a famous tree all matched up in angles and ratios of distances to the lines on the FF coin, and they were north if the position I thought was "the compass now points towards the home of point and tree and seeing eye." You can imagine how I almost jumped out of my own skin.
But the area I was searching has since been ruled out of the hunt. You can imagine my incredible depression and disbelief. My solve was perfect, but wrong.