Photographs of open-air cremation in Colorado

Community members waft a mixture of burning wood and juniper smoke onto themselves as part of the ceremony.
A community member waves his final goodbye before exiting the cremation site.
The deceased’s husband gives his final goodbye to his wife before exiting the cremation site.
Built up soot remains on the walls of the crematory just above a side vent. The structure is made of concrete and brick and was first used to cremate a community member in January 2008.
The Crestone End of Life Project’s crematory is as efficient as crematories found in ordinary mortuaries. On average, about one third of a cord of wood is burned in a process that takes roughly two hours.
Before the fire is ignited, community members are asked to participate by laying pieces of fresh-cut juniper around and on top of their loved one. Later, the fragments left are given to the family to keep or scattering what is left of the deceased.
Community members put fresh cut juniper on the fire, partly to ensure fuel to the fire and to ensure a pleasant smell fills the air.
After the fire masters or family members ignite the crematory with juniper, the community watches in silence. After about 20 minutes of quiet, the ceremony continues with speeches, music, singing and poetry in a celebration of life and remembrance.

Death rites are becoming more down-to-earth here in the West. As eco-minded baby boomers age, they’re seeking out alternatives to the trappings of modern funerals — with all their concrete burial vaults and chemical embalming. Even cremation uses a lot of energy. Instead, they’re choosing to be buried wrapped in shrouds or in plain pinewood caskets, and even, in one small Colorado town, cremated in the open air, using piñon and juniper boughs. Crestone, Colorado, has hosted one of the only legal providers of open-air cremation in the United States since 2008. –High Country News intern Kate Schimel

This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Last remains.

Stay informed about the West.

Sign up for our email newsletter to receive in-depth, independent reporting that illuminates our region.

Know the West.