Did you know there used to be a flag at the peak of Western Colorado's iconic Mt. Garfield? The flag has been gone for some time, and some Western Slope residents would like to bring it back. What would it take to put a flag back on Mt. Garfield?

Putting a flag up at the peak of Mt. Garfield may not be as simple as it seems. The previous flag was taken down by vandals a number of years ago. There also exists a number of formalities associated with raising a flag. These protocols add a number of variables, difficult variables, to the equation.

A flag was raised a number of years ago by a group calling themselves "The Filthy Few." That flag pole was attached to this mortar located at the outermost Southern projection at the top of Mt. Garfield.

Mt. Garfield - The Filthy Few
Waylon Jordan
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Rick Sheley, one of the original members of "The Filthy Few," was contacted in regards to the idea of putting up a new flag. The Facebook conversation is shown below:

Rick Sheley converstation
Rick Sheley / Waylon Jordan
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The concerns regarding a new flag are as follows:

  • Protocol dictates a light must be trained on the flag during nighttime hours. According to website etiqutte.com,   "When displaying the flag, there should be light on it at all times. This includes sunlight or another source of light." The other option is to take the flag down at night. While I love making the hike to the summit of Mt. Garfield, if you think I'm going to walk up there every night to take the flag down, then up again in the morning to put it back up, you've flipped your lid.
  • Vandals are responsible for the flag being removed in the first place.
  • Efforts have been made to contact the BLM asking permission to put a flag there. No response has been received as of this time.
  • It can be extremely windy at the summit of Mt. Garfield, and a flagpole would have to be securely fastened.

Roughly 30 or 40 feet west of the previous location of the flag, you will find these four posts sticking up through the rock. I have no idea what used to be here. In any event, they are located roughly 12 inches apart from one another, and could be used to anchor a base for a flagpole.

Mt. Garfield Flag 2
Waylon Jordan
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In the event a new flag at the summit of Mt. Garfield becomes a reality, I have a 5'X8' flag I would gladly donate to the cause. It is in brand new condition, never even unfolded. This is a heavy quality flag, costing around $500. If we can make this happen, the flag is all yours.

Waylon's Flag
Waylon Jordan
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Here at the radio station, we have a number of flagpoles which are no longer in use. The only remaining problem is attaching the pole to the base. Do you have the mechanical or engineering knowledge needed to attach some kind of base to the natural rock? Obviously, nothing of a destructing nature would be considered. We can't go around busting up the rock or pouring slabs on this project.

Can it be done? Can we raise a new flag at the peak of Mt. Garfield? Do you even want a flag there? The materials are available. All we have to do is get around the lighting matter and find a way to securely fasten the pole's base, and we're set. Would you like to get on board with this project?

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