In 2011 I hiked my first 14er in Colorado. A 14er is a mountain over 14,000 feet in elevation and a popular recreation activity as the trend has grown over the years. A year or so later I stumbled on some old wood scraps and decided to use them to tick off my mountain achievements. This was easier in the beginning before I had hike 100s of peaks not including repeats. Nevertheless this creation continued to adapt as I added more and more signs. Eventually I took the numerous signs I already had and attached them to a large 4x4 piece of wood to replicate an old sign post I had seen in Key West during one of my visits. The piece isn't quite finished, it may never be, but it currently holds a culmination of handmade directional 14er and 13er summit signs on the sign post.
The process for this piece has been a patient one as the wood pieces are the hardest medium to find in large quantities. I slowly started collecting wood pieces one-by-one over the years bringing them home to add to the sign post. I actually just brought a new piece of wood home last weekend, October 30, 2021, so it definitely is a slow process. Sometimes I need to let the wood dry, especially during spring or winter months. Once it does I apply a base layer of paint to the wood before adding the details like name of peak, elevation, date climbed, repeat ticks, and even partner count. The small details bring the piece to life and tell the story of traveling that specific peak.
The final product will be an eclectic sign post with vibrant mismatched summit signs attached to the vertical post. The colors are wacky and versatile but seamlessly tie together the look and feel of the sign post. My original inspiration was a wacky beach sign in Key West and this piece is drawn from that inspiration.
I'm not sure what the final impact of this piece will be but I do hope once I finish or at least decide to depart with it that the new owner will have a lasting impact. Perhaps it will reside permanently in one of my garden spaces or the backyard of our house one day. The fate will be decided eventually, for now we wait.
One foot deep in creative and one foot deep in the alpine. Designing solutions to solve big challenges & suffering in beautiful places.
