Grown to the height of a high-rise on northwestern Montana’s remote Kootenai National Forest, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree reached its destination Monday after a 3,460-mile journey across the country.
Trucker Larry Spiekermeier made his delivery before dawn, after a stop Sunday at Joint Base Andrews, where members of the U.S. Air Force helped to unwrap the tree before the final few miles of its travels.
On Monday, a crane hoisted the tree into place on the west side of the Capitol, where a lighting ceremony – led by Montana Sen. Jon Tester – is planned for Dec. 6. Two of the men most involved in the cutting and transport of the 79-foot-tall Englemann spruce recently put their stories in writing. We share their words as the tree begins its few short weeks on display in D.C.
Trucker Spiekermeier works for Whitewood Transport in Plains. Here are his thoughts on the trek that began in northwestern Montana on Nov. 13 and which, during dozens of stops over thousands of miles, reaffirmed his love of America, long-haul trucking and the nation’s immense public forests.
“I’m one of 3.5 million professional truck drivers on America’s roads working to safely deliver the goods that keep our lives and economy moving, but on my latest trip, my truck is longer and heavier than usual and I couldn’t be prouder. With a 79-foot-tall Engelmann spruce in tow, I’m the driver who’s been safely traveling across the country to deliver this year’s Christmas tree to the U.S. Capitol,” Spiekermeier says.
Read more of this story from Treesource at https://treesource.org/news/goods-and-services/capitol-christmas-tree/.