Denver Post readers believe the 8.5 million-pound rock that split a rural Colorado highway should be named Rocky McRocker Face, not Memorial Rock, as Gov. Jared Polis has proposed.
Last week, Polis announced the state would pave around the boulder that fell on Colorado Highway 145 between Cortez and Telluride, turning it into a roadside attraction.
The given name for the new destination, Memorial Rock, didn’t ignite the imagination of Denver Post editors — or readers.
Nearly 900 readers voted in The Post’s totally-not-scientific poll, with the clear winner — earning 32 percent of the vote — being Rocky McRocker Face. The second most popular suggested name was Rocky Road at 21 percent, followed by Tourist Trap at 8 percent.
Readers also offered a few suggestions of their own, including Fallen Rock, The Dolores River Rock ‘n Roll and The Destroyer.
Despite the vote, the governor remains intent on keeping the name: “We celebrate the creativity of Coloradans. Given that Memorial Rock fell on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, we want to use this naming opportunity as a way to remember and honor our brave troops for their service,” Polis said in a statement. “But there are plenty of distinguished rocks in the aptly named Rocky Mountains, and we hope to find an appropriate one to designate as Rocky McRocker Face in the future.”
An earlier version of this story misattributed the governor’s quote.
