Bigfork's iconic pine tree comes down

An iconic Bigfork tree that stood outside of the Tall Pine lounge, which was itself named after the tree, was cut down April 3. The species was estimated to be four centuries old.

Walter Kuhn, the property owner, lamented the removal of the community landmark.

“It’s a shame we have to take it down but the thing is it’s in such bad shape… it’s been in decline for a number of years,” Kuhn said. 

A number of factors necessitated the removal of the tall pine, including damage sustained during a hail storm, according to Kuhn.

“The hail storm two years ago really did it in,” he said. “So after the hail storm we had a lot of damaged branches that were dead, and for safety reasons we decided to go take them out. So we removed all the damaged dead branches, which were quite a few, and the tree after that just lost its… it looked terrible. So after we did that, I just had to make the decision that the poor fella needed to come down.”

A plaque on the tree identified the pine’s height as 102 feet, and was placed on the trunk in 1982 by Jack Hanes’ fifth-grade class. 

According to Hanes’ daughter Cathy Hay, Hanes’ students would study Montana’s state symbols, and the towering tall pine served as the perfect example of the state tree — the ponderosa pine. 

Each year, Hanes would take his class on a field trip to the downtown shopping center where they would take a photo of the tree, and in 1982 they commemorated the yearly event by placing the plaque on the tall pine. 

Hanes is 87 now and lives in Oregon, but still remembers the yearly excursions to see the tall pine, and his daughters remember the tree fondly as a point of connection in the community, with Hanes’ former students sharing memories of their time in his class and the tall pine. 

Former Tall Pine Lounge owner Tom Beaubien described the tree’s status in the community as “legendary,” and said that at the time the tree was cut down, tree experts estimated it to be over 130 feet tall and close to 400 years old.

Beaubien speculated that the tree suffered over the years as the lounge changed hands. 

“It’s had struggles over the years with the different landlords,” he said. “Some of them wouldn’t water it as they should, and it would start browning up so it had a tough life.”

Both Kuhn and Beaubien acknowledged that residents are upset to lose the tree, but agreed that this is an instance in which all good things must eventually come to an end. 

“Things get old and things happen to them when they get old,” Beaubien said. “I have no hard feelings or sadness. I just wanted to make sure I was there to watch it and take some pictures and all.”

The tall pine is not completely gone, though.

Kuhn made the decision to leave 15 feet of trunk in its original location, with plans to carve a mountain goat into the wood. Local Bigfork carver Todd Coats will tackle the project. For Kuhn, this is a way to hold onto such an important piece of Bigfork history even now that the tall pine is gone.

“The Tall Pine [Lounge] is named after the tree. They’re not going to change the name because the remnants will still be there.”

    Crews take down the iconic "Tall Pine" tree in Bigfork on April 3, 2024. (Walter Kuhn photo)
  

    The trunk reveals the many rings of the iconic "Tall Pine" tree in Bigfork. (Walter Kuhn photo)
  

    A portion of the iconic "Tall Pine" tree is left standing in front of the Tall Pine Lounge in Bigfork. (Walter Kuhn photo)