David Hartle has created magic for the city of Pleasant Grove for more than seven years. After dotting the mountains with his numerous designs, Hartle will step down and hopefully pass the legacy to someone new.
David Hartle and his wife, Tandi, have a deep-rooted love for Pleasant Grove. And while they now live in Meadow, in Millard County, they lived in Pleasant Grove and attended high school in the central Utah County city.
One day, in his yard, Hartle — who has always had a passion for landscaping and art — decided to create a design using the lights and attempt to transfer it to the nearby mountainside. Locals affectionately refer to the mountain as “G Mountain,” and it is more formally known as Mahogany Mountain.
“I took seven of them and made the big dipper,” he said. “We didn’t understand the perception of it and how the mountain flattens designs. Everybody in town thought it was an alien or a landing strip.”
The design, while a bit scary for Pleasant Grove residents, inspired the Hartles to continue creating mountain designs.
One of their first designs was a Christmas star on the slope. What was initially intended to be a one-night engagement soon became an inspiring symbol for the community. The design stayed on the mountain for two to three weeks and gave the entire town a “warm glow,” according to Hartle.
“It’s become a family tradition to go look at that,” he said. “There are so many people who have reached out and said ‘Thank you.’”
The star was a smash hit, and Hartle and his team felt ready to make the lights a more frequent project. They have since created displays for the city’s famous Strawberry Days, hearts around Valentine’s Day for PG Cares and various Halloween designs. The process of getting the lights on the mountain is no small feat.
Hartle starts by finding designs and attempting to model them with a marker and dots on paper. If he can’t determine the design by looking at the unconnected dots, the idea gets scrapped or is adjusted until it becomes clear. If the design works, he takes his landscaping lights and begins tinkering with them — essentially creating a mini version of the design that can then be transferred to the mountainside.
Then comes the most physically demanding part. Hartle and his team of volunteers hike up the mountain with the lights, measuring tapes and strings. They spend hours on the mountain figuring out the dimensions and determining how to make it look best before finally setting up each of the lights. Hartle’s wife stays below in the city, giving feedback on how to adjust the lights as they go.
“Once it’s all up, you have to fix and maintain everything every couple of days,” he explained. “You have to get another crew back up there to pick everything up.”
The time-consuming and labor-intensive process is all worth it when the community gets to enjoy the lights.
“They love it and think it’s super fun … (The designs) all have a different meaning,” Hartle said.
One of the most meaningful designs emerged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing quarantine. In an attempt to boost morale and connect the community remotely, Hartle decided to conduct a contest for kids, with the winner’s design chosen as the next light project.
The winning design featured Utah with a heart inside of it. The design meant so much to the community, according to Hartle, and became a way for him to give back.
Now, after seven years of designing lighting displays, Hartle and his wife are stepping away from the projects.
“It’s heartbreaking. … After every light project, I’m in pain for a few days,” Hartle said. “After this last one, for the next week, I had a lot of pain and migraines.”
Throughout his diagnosis and pain from his severe stenosis, herniated discs and degenerative disc disease, Hartle has pushed through and managed to continue with the displays. His Strawberry Days design from last week was his last official design. He said he is immensely thankful for the opportunity the lights gave him to connect with the city.
“It’s made me still feel a part of the community even though we moved out four years ago,” Hartle said. “It’s been a great way to keep the connections and friendships.”
While no one has yet stepped in to take his place, Hartle said he is willing to teach anyone interested how to create the light displays.