Article Contributed on: 10/20/2009 10:35:15 AM
When an 80-foot high 200-year-old tree on the corner of Ponderosa Drive and Colorado 74 in central Evergreen looked destined for the mulch chipper last year, residents of the Hiwan Hills neighborhood thought it deserved better treatment.
Although the tree died from root rot, instead of composting it, neighbors rallied to have it cut down and transported to Rich Krupicka's outdoor studio on County Road 73, where the wood sculptor carved the massive Ponderosa pine into a 22-foot high sculpture, weighing 7,000 pounds.
Spearheaded by residents Pam and Peter Lindquist, the sculpture of three Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep perched on cliffs will stand on a concrete base in its original spot.
There will be celebration and dedication Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. at the prominent corner on Colorado 74.
"We felt to simply cut the tree down was to completely destroy one of Evergreen's landmarks," said Pam.
Pam said she considered the grass-roots effort to turn the tree into a monument was characteristic of the community.
"The community of Evergreen came out to help guide us and raise the funds," she said.
A group of about 100 families raised $8,000. Funds helped to pay for the crane to haul it to the sculptor's location. Erich Barber of Three Trees Tree Service agreed to de-limb, cut the tree down and chip the branches for free. Lafarge provided four yards of cement for the new platform at cost. Fundraisers were held by area businesses and discounts accepted from the crane operator, tree hauler, metal fabricator and Krupicka.
Krupicka said it took him about two and a half months to carve the tree, which was cut from its original length to 22 feet. Once the carving was complete, he applied several coats of linseed and tung oil, turpentine, and a UV and mildew protective coating.
Although it's twice as tall as some sculptures he sells for double the price, Krupicka (pronounced Kru-pitch-ka) said, "Everyone involved in the project has been giving breaks. I live here, so it's a more of a community thing."
He said if maintained, the tree should last forever.
The public is invited to the dedication at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 on the corner of Ponderosa Drive and Colorado 74 in Evergreen.