13-foot antler tree brightens Copper River Highway

Collins’ glowing creation grows annually with addition of new horns

Mike Collins' moose antler Christmas tree rests in the front yard of his house in Cordova on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. The 13-foot tree is comprised of nearly 100 pieces and weighs several thousand pounds. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)

Trees firmly rooted in residential and surrounding areas often fight a losing battle against Cordova’s ravaging windstorms. Now imagine a hearty 13-foot tree made entirely of antlers and a pair of sheep horns.

For the past six years, Cordova resident Mike Collins has been constructing an antler Christmas tree in his front yard, near mile four of the Copper River Highway, made primarily from moose antlers.

Mike Collins stands in front of his moose antler Christmas tree on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. The 13-foot tree is comprised of nearly 100 pieces and weighs several thousand pounds. It took him about two days to set up due to bad weather. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)

The several thousand-pound “tree” stands tall and vibrant as colored lights weave in and around the antlers. This past week they became partially buried in fluffy, pristine snow.

He added around five new pieces this year, including a pair of sheep horns located towards the top of his tree that once belonged to his domesticated sheep, Shaun.

Shaun, a local icon in Cordova, was killed by a bear this summer and is now remembered and seemingly honored in this year’s tree.

Mike Collins’ moose antler Christmas tree is coated in a fresh layer of snow and rests in the front yard of his house in Cordova on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)

Collins starts by placing the wider antlers at the bottom, resting them on wooden pallets. He then intertwines the antlers, locking them into place, and eventually uses a ladder and lifts the pieces up in a bucket connected to his skidsteer, a small engine-powered machine.

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“I thought it was neat…people liked it,” he said. “Now everyone asks about it.”

Bad weather prolonged the set-up process, which Collins completed in about two days.

In just the short time since its set up, the tree has withstood two, 70-mile per hour wind blows, he said.

Mike Collins’ moose antler Christmas tree rests in the front yard of his house in Cordova on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. The 13-foot tree is comprised of nearly 100 pieces and weighs several thousand pounds. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)

Most of the antlers used in the 100-piece tree were shed antlers collected by Collins during recreational trips around Cordova in his Super Cub. “If you can land anywhere close to them, you can grab them,” he said.

There are also sets of full racks he has kept after a successful hunt and a few caribou antlers added to the mix from interior Alaska. “They come from all over,” he said.

Gathering antlers is a passion Collins has had for as long as he can remember. “I like to build memories that way,” he said. “Every single piece in here has a story behind it.”

A blue hue engulfs Cordova as the light begins to fade. Just then, pinks and purples from the tree overtake the darkness, casting colorful and playful light onto the snow below. A calm Eyak Lake provides the background for this beautifully unique Alaskan scene.

Mike Collins’ moose antler Christmas tree rests in the front yard of his house in Cordova on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. The 13-foot tree is comprised of nearly 100 pieces and weighs several thousand pounds. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)
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