Road Map

[Not4but242Walk]

"Take it" suggests that "it" came with you, otherwise the poem could have read "And follow it in the canyon down".

What might you "take" with you? Well, if it's "Not far but too far too walk", think of another mode of transport. One that could take you right "straight" to the chest.

In other words, what could you "take" in order to travel towards the next clue, which would involve "straight" travel?

[elperro]

I concur with your assessment of "it" why have others not seen the same?

That’s a great question. I think many people limited their solves to a small geographic area. Once you open your mind to beginning with a very large geographic region, with subsequent changes in magnification as the clues progress, you can get to a pin point spot. Anything is possible in this puzzle.

[Trovesearcher1]

I concur with your assessment of "it" why have others not seen the same?

[Trovesearcher1]

The poem was written to assist all searchers. In my mind, studying the clues is tantamount to using a road map to get from one place to another. f.

Was there an actual road map Forrest was referring to that was a confirmation for the correct location that everyone missed but one?

tantamount, like: equal, identical, alike, comparable, opposite, reverse, polar, equivalent, even, same and on-a-par.