Breckenridge dismantles, removes wooden trail troll

A crew took down Breckenridge’s trailside troll Thursday morning. Town staff blocked off the Wellington Trail on Thursday, as crews cut up and dismantled the roughly 15-foot sculpture made of reclaimed wood by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo.

The sculpture, a unique reward for people venturing into the woods, was crafted on the trail in August for a summer arts festival. The troll was supposed to remain in place as long as it could withstand the elements and wasn’t vandalized.

Citing public safety concerns with the high trail traffic and colder weather, however, town council decided Tuesday to take the popular piece of art down.

Some parts of the troll were saved, hauled off under tarp on a flatbed truck, in hope the troll might return in some way someday.

It’s too early to say exactly how that might happen, but it wasn’t lost on town manager Rick Holman that, after all the comments he’s read on social media, many people have expressed great hope the troll, named “Isak Heartstone,” won’t be kept in storage forever.

In deciding 5-2 to remove the troll on Tuesday, Breckenridge Town Council reversed its decision from the Oct. 23 council meeting, when council voted 5-2 to keep the troll on the Wellington Trail through the winter and re-evaluate the situation again this spring.

Councilwomen Wendy Wolfe and Elisabeth Lawrence have consistently voted to keep the troll, while Mayor Eric Mamula and Councilwoman Erin Gigliello have been consistent in their desire to remove it. Councilmen Dick Carleton, Gary Gallagher and Jeffrey Bergeron became the deciding factor when they changed their minds from October to November.