Volume 6 , Issue 25

Tour of Carvings - Vallecito, Colorado...

Vallecito Tour of Carvings Project is a comeback story of the Missionary Ridge Fire of 2002 near Durango in SW Colorado. Between June 9th and July 28th, over 70,000 acres were burned costing $40.8 million and using 4000+ fire related personnel from all over the country. A forest service employee lost his life when a tree fell on him while cutting another tree.
     Vallecito Lake is home to thousands of Ponderosa Pine tree, many over 200 years old and standing up to 175 feet tall. The fire swept through the lake area making their trunks and branches severely scorched leaving thousands of giant burnt toothpicks.
    A former resident Paul McGinnis, called his parents during the evacuation asking what was to become of the damaged Ponderosa Pine trees. When told they would probably me milled into lumber, he suggested carving them into firefighters and animals impacted by the fire.... paying tribute to all concerned. After a Winter of carving by local artist Chad Haspels, the Tour of Carvings is on display.
    Most of the carvings are mounted on concrete piers and can be found all over the lake area. They have a number and name assigned to aid in the identification. Each on stands 18 feet tall and weigh around 2,600 pounds.
     The Carving #5 near the Chamber of Commerce building took the longest to carve and was completed in the Spring of 2003 as a memorial to Alan Wyatt to resemble him personally. He stands looking over the burnt forest that he spent his life trying to preserve.
    For current updates on Tour of Carvings information check with VallecitoLakeChamber.com - Donations are still being accepted to expand this project and to protect the carvings from the elements over the years.
    The Carvings: Carving #1-Black Bear & Cubs -- Carving #2-Fireman with Shovel -- Carving #3-Mountain Lion -- Carving #4-Sheriff with Radio -- Carving #5-Carving of Alan Wyatt in Memorial -- Carving #6-EMT & Eagle -- Carving #7-Buffalo & Two Bears Fighting -- Carving #8-Fire Fighter with Chain Saw -- Carving #9-Fire Fighter & Slurry Bomber -- Carving #10-Fire Fighter with Raccoon -- Carving #11-Doe & Fawn -- Carving #12-Lynx & Eagle -- Carving #13-Fireman with Hose -- Carving #14-Colorado Mounted Ranger.
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