Isak Heartstone Is Back In Breckenridge
The famous Colorado wooden sculpture was reopened to visitors this week
Breckenridge’s beloved troll, known as Isak Heartstone, was dismantled last fall when residents living near the trailhead that accessed him complained of too much traffic and noise from the troll's visitors.
Fans were heartbroken the troll was brought down and demands for his return began in earnest. The City of Breckenridge formed a committee to try and decide what to do with the sculpture. “We put together a community committee … to find a new location for the troll to bring him back in some reimagined form,” so says Breckenridge Open Space and Trails manager, Anne Murphy. They worked together to find a new location that was accessible and adventurous. One that offered an outdoor experience for visitors and yet could sustain the unusually high traffic the troll receives. The committee also wanted a site that had the parking to handle the visitors and that wasn't near a residential area.
Trollstigen Trail fits the bill. The trail was customized with a rock-lined patch, a 200-foot boardwalk, and a cool flagstone spot in front of the troll to take selfies and photos.
All of this was made official last week with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Trollstigen trailhead. The city encourages visitors to take the bus or walk the 15 minutes from the Breckenridge Welcome Center to help reduce traffic at the site.
Credit: Summit Daily