It will be hard to miss Tucson artist Lindee Zimmer’s latest creation as you drive past the new Steamboat Basecamp at the crossroads of U.S. 40 and Elk River Road.

“I think the biggest mural I’ve done might have been down in downtown Denver, but it got painted over,” Zimmer said. “The biggest one I’ve done recently, but I travel all over the world to paint.”

She started painting the side of the Basecamp at the start of the month and expects to be finished some time next week. The painting is several stories high, and when finished will cover the top half of the west side of the building.

“I tend to do a lot of community-based murals,” said Zimmer, who has been painting murals since she was in high school. “My background is in education so that’s really where my heart shines, but I do commercial jobs to pay the bills.”

She is hoping when this mural is finished, it will capture the spirit of the valley, the river and the surrounding landscapes.

“The person is immersed in the landscape,” Zimmer said. “Then the river that kind of goes throughout the whole piece, which is like the Yampa, and this whole valley and paying homage to that. It will also show the human connection to the land.”

Zimmer said things have been going smoothly, but on Wednesday, crews needed to erect scaffolding because her lift would not reach the side of the building closest to U.S. 40. She said she will adjust and will need to find creative ways to get around the structure to create her vision. She has been working 12-hour days to complete the mural, adding that the larger areas tend to go quickly, and a lot of time is spent on the details.

“It’s funny because it’s been three years in the making,” Zimmer said. “I designed it a couple of years ago, and there is just a lot of planning that goes into it.”

Zimmer has remained busy in the time between planning this mural and her opportunity to apply the first colors with paint.

“I’ve traveled all around the world in between then, so I’m excited that I’m finally coming to do this,” Zimmer said. “I’m on a mural tour right now. I just did a big one in Phoenix, and now I’m doing this one. I have another one in New Mexico, and I have another one in Dallas — it’s kind of the season, right?”