Tree carvings to be removed for restoration

The tree carvings by the late artist Eddie Running Wolf, which lined the south side of Niwot Road near the intersection with 79th Street in Niwot, have come to symbolize the community of Niwot and its connection to the Arapaho people who historically occupied the Left Hand Valley.

The first of those tree carvings, Spear Lodge Man, was removed for restoration two years ago, and is almost complete, thanks to the work of Running Wolf's son, Dustin Wolf, and Niwot resident Jeff Wolcott. Wolf has done the intricate work of restoring the carving, using wood from the trunk of the tree to replace wood that has deteriorated. Wolcott has provided work space in his shop and has assisted Wolf in the restoration.

Once restored, the tree carving will be reinstalled in Niwot in an outdoor setting that protects it from the sun, wind, rain, ice and snow, in a location yet to be determined. One possible location, per the Niwot Master Plan commissioned by the Niwot Local Improvement District, would be in Left Hand Valley Grange Park near the LoBo Trail.

The remaining two tree carvings, known as Eagle Catcher and Cheyenne Holy Man, are scheduled to be removed from their current location on Nov. 15. Once removed by a team organized by Chuck Klueber, the tree carvings will be transported to Wolcott's shop where Wolf will begin the restoration process for his father's original work.

The carved trees are willow trees, with soft wood, which has made them more susceptible to deterioration than hardwood. The trees once grew along a lateral of the Hinman Ditch, which transported water to area farms. That farmland has now been developed into homes, and once the ditch water was shut off, the trees died.

Efforts by several Niwotians convinced Boulder County to leave the large trunks along Niwot Road, and Running Wolf was selected to carve the trunks, and completed three carvings before his death in 2020.

Since then, representatives of Cottonwood Park West Homeowners Association, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, and the Niwot Business Association have worked toward preservation and restoration of the tree carvings, with financial assistance from the Niwot Local Improvement District.