Celebrating a century of the “W” on Tenderfoot Mountain: A local landmark’s legacy

(GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo.) — The Gunnison Valley recently buzzed with excitement as the iconic “W” on Tenderfoot Mountain celebrated its 100th anniversary. As we celebrate the past century, the “W” symbolizes community spirit and pride at Western Colorado University (Western).

This past week, students and alumni celebrated homecoming and the annual tradition of lighting the “W” on fire. Western’s Mountain Rescue Team spends hours soaking cotton rags in jet fuel, spacing them around the “W” and making torches that are placed along the perimeter of the 25,560 square-foot letter.

Those who work to bring the lighting to life gain a unique perspective that few experience. Even better, they get to participate in a cherished tradition that spans generations. Known as the largest collegiate symbol in the world, this giant letter has become a cherished emblem of Western and the Gunnison Valley community.

“Looking up and see that ‘W’ you feel a sense of pride and excitement knowing that we’re in Western Colorado, this is Western Colorado University,” said Alex Finkelstein, U.S. Historian Lecturer at Western. “It’s a point of pride not only for our students in the community, but you can see that it’s taken care of, it’s an active part of our community.”

The story of the “W” begins with a spirited group of students and faculty led by one of Western’s founding figures, John C. Johnson. Armed with nothing but determination, large rocks, and a whole lot of whitewash, they set out to create something special that would stand the test of time.

They weren’t starting from scratch though, they had a bit of practice under their belts.

“The ‘W’ was not actually the first collegiate letter that represented this university and was built on a hillside,” Finkelstein said. “The history of the university has a long and interesting story, it really starts in 1901 when the legislature funded the Colorado Normal School. The Normal School is a two-year institution to train teachers, it’s the first college institution on the Western Slope, really targeted at teaching teachers how to teach in this region.”

John C. Johnson started at the Normal School in 1911 as a science professor. He went off to do graduate work in Berkley, California and as the story goes, he was inspired after looking up on the hill and seeing a “C” for the University of California.

“He came back to the Normal School and he said, we should have an ‘N’ here to represent the Normal School, it should be big, it should inspire students,” Finkelstein explained. “On Smelter Hill, the ‘N’ no longer exists, but around 1915 he went up and built an ‘N.’ As high school students are one to do, the students from Gunnison High School went up there and changed that ‘N’ into a ‘G’, and that ‘G’ still stands there today.”

While the “G” on Smelter Hill is impressive, it’s got nothing on the nearly two-acre “W” on Tenderfoot Mountain.

“Each side of that ‘W’ is about 400-425 feet each,” Finkelstein said. “It looks small from down in the valley, but it’s massive.”

As the “W” gazes over the community of Gunnison Valley, students at Western are busy exploring and discovering their passions, or preparing for their next adventure, like senior Shelbi Powell.

“It’s nerve-wracking, but exciting at the same time,” said Powell, a Communication Arts major with an emphasis in film studies. “I have a lot of projects that I have in mind that I want to see through to the end of the school year, but afterward I’m thinking about moving out to Northern California and working on a television set.”

People are drawn to Western for many reasons, but nothing quite matches the breathtaking views.

“Not a lot of people have access to Crested Butte Mountain 30 minutes away, especially where I come from,” Powell said. “I’m from Oklahoma, one of the flattest states that you can be from.”

For others, it’s an outdoor enthusiasts’ haven.

“I’ve had some folks that have been here,” said Isaac Almaswari, a junior studying business management with a minor in entrepreneurship. “They told me it was a blast back when it was known as wasted state (Western State University), but it doesn’t matter if you’re a ski bum or athlete, it’s a good time no matter what.”

A single letter, sending a meaningful message to all below.

“Let’s Go Mountaineers,” Powell said.

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