I had heard of Salvation Mountain for years and was reminded of it again in 2007 when I saw the movie, Into the Wild. It still took three years after that for me to make the venture to see the mountain for myself and meet its creator, Leonard Knight. Salvation Mountain is in Niland, CA, on the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea. It’s more than an hour’s drive from Sky Valley but there is a wealth of quirky, interesting, and sometimes campy sights along the way.
My first visit to Salvation Mountain was in July of 2010 and the temperature in the southern California desert was hovering around 115 degrees. It was hot and visitors to the landmark were scarce. In fact, the only other person visiting then was a tourist from Australia. The hot sun however did not keep Leonard from his mission as he was working on the project in the bright direct sun.
He stopped what he was doing and volunteered to take us on a tour of the mountain as well as tell us its history. The story of Salvation Mountain is all over the internet and it has been the buzz of many a blog. It truly is a sight to see but yet, I found myself more enthralled with Leonard and the man he was. Leonard had worked on the mountain much of his life and claimed he was directed to build it by God. Obviously, there’s a bigger story here.
Inside Salvation Mountain
Salvation Mountain is a mix of hay bales, car parts, tree trunks and assorted other found parts all held together by massive amounts of acrylic paint. It is a combination of serious, religious, comical, and whimsical all jumbled together in one giant sculpture. And whether Leonard is a religious zealot, divine profit, or heat-struck artist, he remains a man of passion. I’m not a Christian by the Republican sense of the word, but I had to admit, there was something spiritual about my conversations with Leonard.
Leonard is a prime example that the age old adage, “Do what you love and the money will come” is not entirely true. Leonard, for the most part, has lived a life of poverty – much of it extreme. He has spent decades relying solely on the donations and hospitality of others as he has chosen to devote his time, money, and resources building and maintaining the mountain. However, Leonard will tell you that although he may not be financially sound, he has received an abundance of rewards. It is pretty obvious that Leonard loves people and the mountain has attracted multitudes of a variety of individuals. He relishes the relationships he has cultivated and values those friendships much, much more than money.
If however, you believe that “you don’t always get what you want, but you get what you need,” then Leonard is someone you should know. Listening to Leonard’s story of construction, reconstruction and maintenance of Salvation Mountain, it’s pretty obvious he’s never wanted for anything. He’s a happy man, a grateful man, and a man of conviction. He will be the first to admit that he has everything he needs.
Until recently, Leonard lived in the back of a truck parked at Salvation Mountain. Brightly colored acrylic paint encompasses almost everything stationary around the mountain and biblical quotes and directives abound. No matter what your religious beliefs, Salvation Mountain is a cheerful, colorful place but Leonard is no longer the full time caretaker.
Leonard is now residing in an assisted-living facility in San Diego. One has to wonder what will happen to Salvation Mountain but more importantly, what will become of the lessons learned from Leonard. I hope all of us lucky enough to meet Leonard will continue his legacy by living with passion, having faith and being kind to others. It’s not easy living up to those standards but I (we) can try. Leonard would have wanted it that way. The lessons can far outlast the mountain.
