The lighted “C” on C-Hill mystery and who did has been solved. A team of local residents looked to the past for inspiration to create a modern, eco-friendly way to illuminate Carson City’s famed hillside attraction this Christmas holiday season. They did it using an inexpensive solar-powered array that lights up when the sun goes down.
The feat may have been mighty but the cost was minimal, according to Monique Thiessen who contacted Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong after the initial story of the C-Hill illumination was published. In all, the cost of the project was a mere $215 purchased through Amazon.
This unique team is made up of mostly retirees who are friends and avid hikers, each contributing to the cause. Carol Hohn is known as the group’s “travel guide,” Kim Germaine the group’s “weather scheduler,” Marie Hendrickson “our group elder,” Jody Coxon “our teacher.” Then there’s Trisha Fulton, the group’s “hard working single mom of high schoolers (she’s the cheerleader).” Plus Adam “our Reno chef,” Brad Thiessen (Monique’s husband and “our engineer and work horse” while Monique Thiessen herself served as “logistics and event hostess.”
“Some of us are novice hikers, others are Pacific Crest Trail experienced. Some have lived in Carson City most of their lives, others got here as fast as we could,” Thiessen explained, adding she and husband Brad moved here from Dallas, Texas recently to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Thiessen explained how the idea of a lighted “C” on C-Hill turned into action.
Earlier this fall, group organizer Carol Hohn shared a story of how her father and a group of men back in the early 1960s would create a lighted cross on C-Hill when she was a child.
Hohn explained that it wasn’t until she was older that she learned that they had taken a generator up there and filled it up daily to keep it lit. Eventually putting a cross up there wasn’t permitted, the generator was eventually stolen and the group disbanded.
“We were amazed as we were walking up to C-Hill how a group of people could commit to bringing gas up daily for weeks to fill the generator to keep the lit cross going,” said Thiessen.
This led fellow team member Marie Hendrickson to pose the following: “‘I wonder why someone doesn’t light up the C with those solar powered landscaping lights?'” recalled Thiessen. “I immediately said, ‘Okay, let’s do it, will you help me!'”
To prepare, Brad Thiessen looked at Google Earth and figured out the size of the “C” and calculated how many lights at both 5 feet and 10 feet apart, Monique explained. Brad had it configured within an hour.
“I called our group and asked for input, weather suggestions and availability. Finally (we) had a good day with the most participation and, at the best time of day, we went up the C-Hill,” she said. “We had 80, 4 inch (diameter) solar discs and the removable stands in our backpacks and pockets, and lots of water.”
On Sunday, Nov. 10, also noting that it was the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, it took the team a total of three hours to put the solar equipment up, said Thiessen.
“Carol guided us along the short path, usually too steep for enjoyment, but perfect to get a job done, like she had watched her father and group do 50 years before,” she said. “The entire adventure was rather spontaneous except that we needed to configure, obtain and walk through it.”
The solar lights will come down at the end of the holidays, she said, noting that “if it stays lit permanently, people will forget it is up there.”
The team is already making plans for next holiday season and has found some ways to improve on what they’ve done. Their first effort though was a monumental task that was strenuous, fun and they were able to accomplish what they set out to do, Thiessen said.
Recalling the day with the solar equipment in tow, she said Carol Hohn and the group “told wonderful stories while hiking C-Hill. It helped us get our minds off the distance, speed and incline.”
“After listening to the empowering life stories and being able to share your own while on the lengthy hikes you begin to see that there isn’t anything you can’t do especially with a group of diverse, multi talented life survivors for company,” said Thiessen.
