Looming large on a hillside in Maxwell Natural Area is a Colorado State University landmark dating back over a century: the giant painted A.
In 1924, after paying $1 for a 99-year long lease from then-owner R.G. Maxwell, students got to work dragging buckets of white paint and rocks up to commemorate the Colorado Agricultural College Aggies. The methods, century and school name may have changed since then, but commitment to the tradition has remained.
Three distinct events on the school’s calendar link to this landmark: Hike to the A, which is offered during Ram Welcome for incoming students; Paint the A, which is a way for volunteers to help with upkeep; and Light the A, which helps students show off the letter to their families during homecoming week.
Assistant Director of Outdoor Programs Andy Nelson explained the importance of a Hike to the A experience for first-years.
“Students arrive on campus not knowing many people,” Nelson said. “The hike creates a shared challenge and common experience where conversations happen naturally.”
The event runs the morning of Aug. 22, with buses transporting students to and from the foothills where the trail is located. Nelson said that the hike itself is easy-to-moderate in difficulty and takes most students around two hours to complete. After returning from the hike, participants get to decorate small wooden A figurines as a commemorative keepsake.
“While reaching the destination is important, the real value comes from the relationships, conversations and sense of belonging that develop along the way,” Nelson said.
The day is planned by the Alumni Association, Orientations and Transition Programs and Outdoor Programs to give people the most enjoyable journey. But if the hike still seems daunting, natural areas staff and volunteers are ready to provide information on how to traverse the land safely.
“(The information) includes how to recreate respectfully in nature,” said Zoë Shark, the community connection and protection manager at the City of Fort Collins natural areas department. “Students are encouraged to complete the hike and explore other natural areas utilizing what they have learned to further good stewardship practices.”
Sophie Matthews, the assistant director of alumni engagement for the CSU Alumni Association, said she was part of that experience herself when she took a hike to the A during her freshman year.
“It’s funny,” Matthews said. “I never would have thought that I would be the person maintaining it in five years from that.”
Matthews now primarily oversees Paint the A, which will happen Aug. 29 this year. The event is geared toward both alumni and current students, allowing them to share life advice and talk about common CSU experiences.
The materials and food for the event are provided mainly by alumni-owned businesses such as Maximum Painting, Impact Equipment Rentals, Simmer Fort Collins and more. The heavy lifting is often done by students, like the CSU football team and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.
Members of AGR have been volunteering to Paint the A for as long as most can remember. Last year, Vice Noble Ruler of Planning Caden Burich took his first trip up the mountain after wanting to participate in the hike his freshman year.
“It is kind of a cool full circle moment … because now I get to help out with people hiking to the A and then getting to see the super cool tradition that we’ve had,” Burich said.
Those in AGR who join in painting might agree with Nelson’s belief that the challenge is a key part of bonding with others.
“We’re all a pretty tight group of guys anyway,” Burich said. “But for us to all kind of bond over the struggle of getting these heavy paint buckets and water buckets up the hill (and) back down, and we’re all in it together, it definitely brought us really close.”
Light the A is a homecoming activity that usually occurs the first week of October. It involves a bonfire, drone show and family gatherings.
For organizers, each of these events are meant to offer a moment for past, present and future CSU students to have conversations about their unique college experiences and gain a new perspective on their campus.
“It’s really cool to hear someone say, ‘My favorite memory from college is my freshman year when I hiked up the A,’” Matthews said. “There might be 50 years of age difference between that human and me, but we have something in common. … I think the role of traditions and school spirit comes from doing these things together.”
Reach Maiya Kreamer at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
