WOODY CREEK, Colo. — At dusk Saturday, about 350 friends and relatives of Hunter S. Thompson stood outside and stared into an inky sky, drinking, waiting. In front of them loomed a massive monument in the shape of the late writer's icon -- a dagger topped by a "gonzo" fist -- roughly 2 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.
Thompson loved explosions. He adored guns, the boom, kickback, the smell of powder and metal; and also the kind of explosions that arose from his typewriter, such as his classic book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," which sent shockwaves through the written world and helped drive a revolutionary brand of participatory journalism.
So it seemed fitting that a monument to Thompson should double as a cannon, spewing forth fireworks and a series of 34 exploding shells containing his ashes, and that the ashes should drift and settle across Owl Farm, Thomson's beloved ranch in Woody Creek. They did, at 8:45 p.m.
The revelry was at Thomson's behest, said Anita Thompson, his widow.
"He said many times he wanted to be shot out of a cannon," she said. "The most important thing to Hunter was that we celebrate his life, get together in a beautiful gathering."
The ceremony came six months to the day after the ailing 67-year-old Thompson shot himself in his kitchen at Owl Farm.
Actor Johnny Depp, who befriended Thompson when he portrayed the writer in the 1998 film based on "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," picked up most of the tab for the party. Other actors and Thompson pals attending the send-off included Bill Murray and Sean Penn.
The night kicked off at 6 p.m. with guests being shuttled up the mountain and run through a dense security checkpoint aimed at keeping out looky-loos and the media, which were distinctly not invited.
"There are a lot of people trying to get in," said chief of security David Meeker from Specialized Protective Services in Aspen. Fifty to 100 guards patrolled the perimeter of Owl Farm, Meeker said. "For this size of event, this is by far the most manpower I've ever used."
At the nearby Woody Creek Tavern, a favorite haunt of Thompson's, many of the uninvited but interested gathered to witness in some way the explosion that would disperse Thompson into the nighttime. As the bursts of red, white and blue sparkles spread upward in the distance, many broke into cheers.
It lasted for about a minute, which disappointed some.
