Despite holiday travel and family gatherings, dozens of hikers and bikers trekked up Pine Mountain over the weekend to admire the monolith. Atascadero’s steel obelisk continues to attract crowds.
Since Atascadero’s Wade McKenzie and several friends erected the first monolith in early December, cars and trucks packed the Stadium Park parking lot. Shortly after McKenzie and his cohorts erected the first steel pillar on Pine Mountain, a group of young men from Southern California removed it. They replaced it with a new monolith that is more solidly grounded. This second monolith is embedded in 720 pounds of concrete.
Sunday, a family of four with two young children climbed to the summit to witness the Guerrilla artwork. A mother escorted two young children to the hilltop for pictures with the monolith. A couple walking their dog to the hilltop were delighted to discover a water dish for dogs on the mountain top. A young woman from Santa Margarita welcomed visitors and talked about her personal dilemma, whether to move north or south for her next adventure. She said the view from the monolith gave her perspective.
The monolith makes Pine Mountain a magical destination for locals and visitors alike. Created in the “Year 2020”, it celebrates the community’s endurance to the year’s challenges and Atascadero’s endurance.
