WILSON, Wyo. — The larger-than-life snowman has made a triumphant return to his perch on Moose-Wilson Road this month, after last year’s lack of snow forced his absence.
Estimated to be about 50 feet wide and 20 feet tall, the snowman sports industrial accessories including a 55-gallon barrel for a hat, a traffic cone for a nose and large tires for buttons.
Yellow Iron Excavating and Waste Removal has used its machinery to shape the massive snowman every year since 2012, as long as conditions have allowed. The tradition began as a Christmas celebration for the family-run business, when they used an excavator to plow snow into a friendly heap. Community feedback has kept the spirit going winter after winter.
Yellow Iron owner Opie Garvin told Buckrail that the business receives phone calls from passersby who enjoy the snowman’s annual appearance.
Garvin said, “Years ago, a woman came into our office and said, ‘Our son’s autistic. We were having a bad day, so we decided to drive out to the village. We rounded the corner, and seeing the snowman changed his whole day.’ If it makes one person happy, it’s worth it.”
