EVERETT — The Everett Boulder’s brief exposure to the daylit world has come to an end.
Work crews building the Courtyard by Marriott have temporarily reburied the giant glacial erratic, which is thought to be almost 2 million years old and deposited by retreating glaciers about 18,000 years ago.
The boulder, which has its own Twitter account, posted Friday: “Well that explains why my Wi-Fi signal went to crap.”
The boulder is estimated to weigh about 300,000 pounds and is about 35 feet below ground, which posed a challenge for the work crew, which has been driving piles for the hotel parking garage.
Since the Daily Herald first reported on the boulder, media as far afield as the Daily Mail in London have picked up the story.
The boulder also took to Twitter, publishing several funny tweets on the news and its newfound fame. As of Monday, @EverettBoulder had 143 followers.
Jim O’Hanlon, vice president for Touchstone Corp., the hotel’s developer, said the crew will still need to do something with the boulder when they resume excavating the parking garage in a few weeks.
Options weighed so far include breaking it apart, burying it even deeper, or, if it can be removed intact, turning it over to the city if they want it.
For the moment, however, the boulder is back in its natural habitat: under the ground.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
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