A reality TV series chronicling a team of adventurers and history buffs searching for lost treasure in the mountains north of Coquitlam has embarked on its third season.
But the mystery it’s chasing is no closer to being solved.
Mountaineer and wilderness expert Adam Palmer said the story of his team’s quest to resolve the Deadman’s Curse, that is broadcast weekly on the History Channel, is enlivening a small part of Canada’s past.
Palmer, who teaches at a First Nations high school, has been working for three years with former Port Moody MMA fighter, Kru Williams, and Indigenous explorer Taylor Starr, to unravel the legend of Slumach’s gold that first came to light in 1858.
Notations on map
That’s when notations of “gold” and “Indian diggings,” as well as “much gold-bearing quartz rock” scrawled in the margins of maps published in San Francisco began luring prospectors and gold diggers to B.C.’s backcountry in the Fraser Valley and beyond.
Several were stricken by a mysterious illness and died.
An article in a Wisconsin newspaper in the early 20th century linked the deaths to Slumach, an old Katzie prospector who allegedly uttered a curse on anyone seeking the gold just before he was hanged in New Westminster in 1891 for murdering a rival.
Palmer said the story of the gold likely goes back much further.
In the show’s second season, he and Williams pursued clues that linked the treasure to the days of Spanish explorers arriving in the New World on galleons. One episode this season has the team looking into a connection to the legend of Sasquatch on the shores of Harrison Lake.
“There’s so many layers,” Palmer said.
Physical challenges
Peeling back those layers has required the team to endure torrential rainstorms, traverse fragile snow bridges, peer into perilous caves and cross swift-flowing rivers, while also avoiding encounters with bears and mountain lions.
Palmer said he often follows potential leads on his own to determine if they hold promise. He then calls in his partners and the production team.
“We’re like a family now.”
Palmer said his involvement in the show has given him a greater regard for how deep Canadian history goes, and the colourful cast of legends and characters that are still largely unknown or unappreciated.
He said the country’s Indigenous history dates further back than European history.
Palmer said he’s encouraged by viewers’ response to the show, as they enthusiastically submit tips of their own or help connect him to someone who might be able to offer a tidbit of valuable information.
“It keeps everyone engaged,” he said.
• Deadman’s Curse is broadcast Thursdays at 10 p.m. on the History Channel.
MARIO BARTEL 