FLATHEAD COUNTY — This summer, a family in the Flathead started Rocky the Rock Snake on Kalispell's Parkline Trail.
The point was for people to paint rocks and add them in a line to help the snake grow.
But this simple idea is a lot more complicated as Rocky was stolen again and this time there is a twist in the story.
“It was a little piece of art we think they just wanted to take home,” said Bilynda Jassman, Rocky the rock snake creator.
“Everybody loved it so they stole it,” said Madilynn Anderson, who helped start Rocky.
Madilynn Anderson and her grandmother Bilynda Jassman originally started Rocky as a goodwill gesture to the community.
But after learning he was stolen from his original location along Kalispell's Parkline Trail, they decided to make Ruder Elementary in Columbia Falls his new home.
“So it can stay safer,” said Madilynn.
But just a few short days after the new Rocky was put in Columbia Falls, the original was found.
“So I was riding my bike and I just ran down an alley, and I saw a shopping cart with some rocks in it, didn't think anything of it, and went home. The next day, the girls and I went for a bike ride to the shopping cart. And we were just looking for the rocks and we found the rocks. We took only the rocks and we put them back,” said Josh who found the stolen rocks from the original Rocky.
As a new fixture of the Parkland Trail, Rocky's absence was noticed.
“We normally ride down the trail just to see the snake and it was gone. I'm disappointed in that person that stole it because it's not theirs,” said Harper who found the rocks.
With the original Rocky now back on the Parkline Trail and Rocky Two safe at home in Columbia Falls, everyone has a chance to enjoy him.
“I just think it's a really cool thing especially started by a kid and it's for kids, kind of I mean for the whole community, but I think it's a really cool thing to kind of bring everybody together,” said Olivia who paints rocks with her daughters to add to Rocky.
Both rock snakes will remain set up so that community members in Columbia Falls and Kalispell can participate in making Rocky grow keeping the original reason for Rocky in mind.
“To make everybody smile,” said Madilynn.
