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With the indispensable help of Aspen Valley Landscaping and TJ Irrigation, Columbine Moving and Storage relocated the John Denver “Spirit” Sculpture from Windstar Foundation in Old Snowmass, CO to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame on September 26th, 2013.
The bronze statue “Spirit” of singer and songwriter John Denver is holding a large eagle in his left hand and his guitar slung over his back, has been at the Windstar Foundation since 2002. The total height of the bronze statue is 143 inches, the base dimension is 54” x 32 ¼”. The total wingspan of the eagle is 75”. The estimated weight is 1300 pounds. The statue had to first be removed from the octagon concrete pad that measured 115” wide x 115” deep x 36” high. The first order of business was securing the statue.
Aspen Valley Landscaping four wheel drive forklift boom truck secured the statue with straps under the arms. Then TJ Irrigation came in with their jackhammer and knocked the concrete away from the first corner of the base. They found that it was reinforced concrete with ½” rebar throughout. They also found that the all thread was 1” grade A stainless steel that was anchored so deep it couldn’t be removed. They had to use a saw to cut the steel at the four corners which took several hours and they went through 30 saw blades. After four hours of jack hammering and sawing, the statue was ready to be moved to the Columbine Moving and Storage truck.
Because of water in the area, the Columbine truck got stuff for a short time. Todd’s (from Aspen Valley Landscaping) handy handling of the huge forklift got our truck unstuck and he carefully lifted and lowered and lifted and moved the statue to the back of the Columbine Moving and Storage truck. From there the Columbine crew, Seth, Gally, Gerry, and Tom secured the statue to the base of a crate that had previously been made at the Columbine warehouse. Lag bolts and heavy duty straps secured the sculpture to the base for safe moving to the Colorado Hall of Fame on September 27th, 2013.
Everyone felt the intense pressure to get the “Spirit” statue moved safely and with much dignity as possible. It arrived the next day with much clapping and fanfare at the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in Broomfield, Colorado. http://www.aspentimes.com/news/6996508-113/windstar-statue-bricks-denver
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24180082/john-denver-statue-relocated-denver