Grand Junction Colorado’s ‘Filthy Few’ Leave Their Mark on Mt. Garfield

Who exactly are the "Filthy Few," what was their role involving Western Colorado's Mt. Garfield, and have you seen them lately?

It seems this is the moniker given to individuals who placed a marker at the top of Western Colorado's Mt. Garfield. Do you know what became of the "Filthy Few"? Chances are you probably know a member of this local band of outlaws.

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Kudos to Grand Junction's Filthy Few

Whoever they are, they deserve a boatload of kudos. These "few" individuals made the two-mile, 2,000-foot climb up Mt. Garfield, apparently back on April 8, 1978.

This really is a remarkable accomplishment considering the hike is already challenging, and that's before you take into account the extra burden of packing an iron geographical marker and a bag of concrete.

The Filthy Few Leave Their Mark

It seems this marker denotes the outermost projection on the top of Mt. Garfield, rather than the actual summit. The marker itself looks as though it could easily weigh the better part of 35 pounds, add to that the weight of the concrete, not to mention the water needed the mix the concrete, and you have a heavy load.

Kudos to you, the "Filthy Few." Thank you for providing a marker welcoming weary hikers to their long-awaited objective.

A Member of the Filthy Few Comes Forward

Back in 2016 I published a post inquiring about the name "Filthy Few."  Our post sought information as to the secret identity of this group. Directly below "Filthy Few," the date of 4-8-78 is etched in concrete.

Shortly afterward I received an email from the man who poured that concrete.

Joe Boucher saw the original post, "Who Are Mt. Garfield's Filthy Few?" and contacted us. According to Joe, the pipe served a very important purpose. He says the pipe was in fact a mortar used to launch fireworks. Later, the pipe served as a base to support various flag poles.

So, that being said, let's move on to the matter of the "Filthy Few." Who are they, and what is the significance of the date? Joe explains:

The 1978 date was a FF (Filthy Few) member who had died of injuries due to a  motorcycle accident and climbed the mountain many times." - Joe Boucher

According to Boucher, the "Filthy Few" were: Duane Harris, Doug Poda, Bob Sheley, Rick Sheley, Robert Franklin, Joe Kirk, and Ron Hurt, and himself.

(The) Filthy Few name came about back in 1970 when the original four of us came down the Clifton side from a long day of play and Duane commented, 'we're getting dirtier by the the dozen,' and I then said, 'yeah, more like a filthy few,' and so it stuck. Since then, we enjoyed huge bonfires and fireworks displays from time to time. We spent many a New Year's Eve overnight up there, too.' - Joe Boucher

You Owe it to Yourself to Climb Mt. Garfield at Least Once in Your Life

When you do, you'll find the trail leads you directly to this marker/flag stand. There's a tremendous amount of local history associated with this spot.

The first chance you get, make the climb. It takes roughly an hour and a half going up, much less coming down and is ultimately not that difficult. Upon reaching the top, you'll be tired and more than a little dirty. Make the hike and get a photo of you and your bunch, your own "Filthy Few."