In December of 2021, Jonathan and Leigh approached the Treeline Terrains team with a unique request: to create a topographic wooden urn as their final resting place. This project became a turning point for co-founders Jacob Freedman, Nathaniel Klein, and Alex Gemme, reshaping their view of their company and its purpose.
"Every map we design helps tell a story, but [Jonathan and Leigh's] map left us with a different feeling of responsibility. We were honored to play a part in building such a meaningful piece of art" - Jacob Freedman, Co-Founder of Treeline Terrains
Jonathan and Leigh (aka Rough and Tumble)
Jonathan grew up hiking the Long Trail at summer camp in southern Vermont, where he discovered the Green Mountains’ natural beauty and charm.
"I wanted to share that with Leigh. In 1992 we started hiking annually in the Greens during 2-week vacations from our jobs in Boca Raton, FL. Being flat-landers our legs weren't in hiking shape, but we crammed in all the trails we could in those two weeks. When we retired in 2001 we spent five months each year from May to October primarily backpacking on the Long Trail. It was tough at first, but by September, we were ready to tackle anything, including the 11.6 mile Appalachian gap hike, which was really the culmination of the Summer for us.”
Jonathan and Leigh cherish their memories of hiking Vermont’s Green Mountains. In 2003, they thru-hiked the 272 miles of the Long Trail from MA to Canada, where they are known by trailnames "Rough and Tumble." As Jonathan and Leigh approached their later years, thoughts of physical limitations entered the conversation. “We knew there would come a time when we couldn't hike anymore, which was heartbreaking,” Leigh recalls. “And then we started talking about what we wanted to do once we passed.”
Planning for the Future
Jonathan and Leigh resting on Molly Stark's Balcony, Long Trail
The couple envisioned their ashes being spread on the summit of Stark Mountain, where they had stacked stones marking the “unofficial summit” of Stark Mountain. “That’s how we connected Vermont to our afterlife,” Jonathan explained. However, the logistics and legality of scattering ashes there were tricky. Leigh then came up with the idea for a wooden urn.
“When we realized scattering our ashes was unlikely, I thought, why not have a wooden urn made from Vermont wood, where Jonathan’s heart is, and from Florida wood, where my heart is, with mementos like our ‘camp Rough and Tumble’ plaque?”
Leigh laughs, remembering Jonathan’s unexpected response to her excited description of the urn: “I can’t wait to die!”
Building The Urn
Initially, Leigh planned to construct and decorate a box from maple and cypress wood.
“I had all sorts of weird ideas for the urn but struggled with what to put on top. Our favorite hike was App Gap to Lincoln Gap, and then I read about Treeline Terrains carving relief maps. So, I contacted them, and asked if they could create a lid for our urn, and they said yes.”
At that time, Treeline Terrains was a fledgling start-up, run by three fresh-out-of-college graduates who were a bit intimidated by Leigh’s request. From the novel task of building the urn and the carved lid, to the intensity of a project centered around death, the project changed their sense of what maps could be used for. After a few months of communication and design, they created Leigh and Jonathan’s final resting place.
Delivery and Beyond
“I was so satisfied with the beautiful job they did,” Leigh recalls. “[Jacob and Nathaniel] were very accommodating and helpful. I didn't know sizes, woods, how the lid should fit—anything. I just knew what I wanted. They spent time thinking and helping me work through those ideas. I think we created something really beautiful.”
The box was finished in September of 2022, but Leigh says the project is far from complete. She plans to paint the exterior with symbols of their love and life together, enlisting the help of friends and local artists. When asked why they put so much effort into their urn, Leigh shared a piece of wisdom.
“This project lets us continue to create something together. The way I think about it is once you're dead, you’re dead; there's nothing to worry about anymore. But getting there, you don't want that to be a horrible experience. You want to look forward to something. You don’t want to spend too much energy worrying about, oh am I going to go to heaven? Am I going to go to hell? Am I going to get reincarnated as a dung beetle? You know, you don't need that. All you have to worry about is getting there. And if you can get there on a pleasant path with someone you love, hey, that's it. Jonathan and I will be sleeping forever, Under AppGap to Lincoln Gap, and that is beautiful.”