Rotary gives Tucumcari Mountain a brighter 'T'

Tucumcari residents may have noticed a brighter lighted "T" on the north face of Tucumcari Mountain last week after the sun went down.

That's because five members of the Rotary Club Tucumcari last Tuesday replaced 34 solar-powered lights that outline the "T" on the mesa. The effort took about three hours.

Robert Hockaday, who led the club's previous installation of the lights in December 2020, said last week they were due for replacement because their lithium-ion batteries wear out after about three years.

The new lights produced one side benefit.

"It's brighter," he said. "The technology gets better each year."

Sensors activate the lights each night as darkness approaches. Right now, that's generaly happening between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m., he said.

He also noted on a recent day with full sun to charge the batteries, the "T" remained lighted until almost 5 a.m.

Despite less sunlight to charge the batteries during the winter months, Hockaday said the lights still will glow for several hours.

The new lights also were planted with a white disc to make the painted "T" stand out a bit more during the day. He said the discs in particular help the top part of the "T" become more visible.

Hockaday said the cost of replacing the solar-powered lights was about $500, of which the club will request reimbursement from the city's lodgers tax advisory board.

The Rotary Club earlier had hoped to enlist Tucumcari High School seniors with this year's light-replacement effort. THS students had whitewashed the big "T" annually since at least the 1940s until recent years, when the mountain's owners restricted access.

Hockaday said Tucumcari Mountain's current owners "were very concerned it would set a precedent," especially when they still deal with trespassers.

In March 2022, a climber became stranded for nearly four hours on a steep ledge of the mesa. After his rescue by firefighters, the man fled. He later was arrested and charged with resisting and evading police and trespassing.

Hockaday said liability also was a concern with the mesa's owners. Tucumcari Mountain remains private property.

The Rotary Club a few years ago proposed a more elaborate "T" of dozens more lights, plus white stone to make it stand out more during the day.

Hockaday said that idea has been placed "on the back burner" for now, though the organization may pursue it in the future.

"This is a good thing for our community," he said of the refurbished lights. "It shows, 'We're here!'"