Carson Now reader Emma Doty, who organized last weekend’s volunteer effort to freshen-up the rocks that make up the “C” over C-Hill in Carson City, offers thanks to those organizations, local businesses and people involved including Silver Elite Painting and Nolan Painting. She writes the following:

Over the weekend, you may have noticed that the “C” on C Hill got a restoration and paint job. My name is Emma Doty, and I want to publicly thank all who allowed this project to come to fruition.

In January, I reached out to Lucia Maloney from the C Hill Flag Foundation in response to an email from the foundation encouraging suggestions. I suggested painting the C, taking the idea from the annual “Paint the N” event at the University of Nevada, Reno.

I said I wanted the C to look as good as the flag, and the Flag Foundation set a high bar with their restoration. Lucia was able to get me in contact with Gregg Berggren from Carson City Parks, Recreation, and Open Space, who became my main point of contact and source of support in planning this project.

Bob Tonseth, also of Parks and Rec, measured the C to give me an estimation of how many gallons we needed. This was a critical step in the process that I was unable to do myself. Sherwin-Williams shortly thereafter donated 20 gallons of paint and gave me business cards for local painters. These painters graciously offered their services at no cost.

I set a deadline for the Fourth of July to correspond with the Flag Foundation’s deadline. Having done the classic Carson High School senior prank of changing the C to their graduation year (Class of 2021 forever!), I knew the rocks would be moved in late May or early June. The task of restoring the C from the number is then taken up by different groups each year, at any time between June (as for my class) and October. If the new paint went on before a group went up to restore the C, it would be damaged by the moving of the rocks. Therefore, we needed to plan a day to move the rocks back before we painted, in turn before the Fourth of July. Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28 were just the two calm, sunny days we needed.

Several people helped me seek out volunteers to move the rocks back on Saturday, not least Lucia Maloney from the C Hill Flag Foundation and Erin Larsen from Parks and Rec. A small but dedicated group of volunteers, assisted by a family of hikers passing by who stopped to help us, made quick work of restoring the C.

This group was so dedicated that I was contacted twice Saturday night with offers to refine some of the rocks to make it look clearer from the ground. These volunteers were mostly finished with the refinements when I arrived around 7:30 on Sunday morning. Several people on the ground called and sent photos so those of us on the hill could see what needed to be moved where and which parts needed extra paint.

For almost five hours on Sunday, Caiden Nolan of Nolan Painting and Sal Bravo of Silver Elite Painting worked incredibly hard to apply two coats of paint to our massive C, including hauling all the equipment up and down the steep trail from the truck and maneuvering the rig around the awkward topography of the area. I know I would happily hire either of them if I needed something painted again.

C Hill is unforgiving terrain. The flag and C are on a 45 degree angle on top of dirt that crumbles underneath you as you walk on it, and the Carson City wind that is already strong on the valley floor is intensified by the elevation. It is a miracle that anything we have put up there has withstood howling winds, torrential rain, and heavy snowstorms without sliding away. But precisely what I love about C Hill is its futility. The extent to which natural conditions are working against us make it all the more special that we manage to maintain the C and the flag. The challenge is the reward.

Lastly, I would be remiss not to thank my family and friends who have had to listen to me talk incessantly about C Hill for the last six months. Your patience as my sounding board allowed me to find the ideas I needed to move this project forward.

Now, let us all kick back and celebrate America’s 250th birthday with C Hill looking the best it has in years.

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