The project included restoring the G monument and surrounding landscape, located in the foothills above Pleasant Grove, on the western slope south of Grove Creek Canyon and north of Battle Creek Canyon. The restoration was a collaborative effort.

The original G was created on the mountain in 1920 by students of Pleasant Grove High School.

Students from the school gathered rocks from the Battle Creek and Grove Creek sides of Little Mountain to form the block G. In the years following, students would have “G Day” each year to whitewash the G and help to maintain it.

Since that time, students and community members have periodically worked to preserve and repair the G on the mountain. In recent years, the G has become badly damaged. Because of this, the collaboration between the school, city and community members began.

The surface was changed from chicken wire with white aluminum slats to a gunite material, which is similar to concrete, according to City Administrator Scott Darrington. The stairs were redone and the front of the G now includes a walk path. It has LED lights that will be able to be lit remotely.

“The two biggest improvements are the ability to light it remotely and the surfacing is more solid than it was previously,” Darrington said. “There is also some concrete that was put in for some standing area.”

Darrington said the budget for the project is around $700,00, but it looks like it will end up costing less. The cost includes both demolition and rebuilding. Pleasant Grove City has paid $200,000 and over $400,000 has been raised through donations, with more donations still coming in, he said.

On the Pleasant Grove Community Connection Facebook page, a post about the new G on the mountain was followed by excited comments from citizens, some saying “It doesn’t get better than this,” “I loved being a part of this” and “Makes me proud of our G and Viking heritage.”

Also included with the post, which was dated Nov. 1, were some interesting numbers about the project gathered by former resident Deny Farnworth:

• There are 5,890 steps up from Kiwanis Park to the G and 4,800 steps down.
• The elevation is 1,000 feet from Kiwanis Park to the top of the G.
• The project includes 490 yards of concrete, 100 gallons of paint, 8,470 pounds of rebar and steel, 20,000 pounds of road base, 40,000 pounds of crushed rock, 96 concrete blocks and 10,500 gallons of water.
• The aluminum slats were on the G for 38 years.
• The project took more than 30,000 hours of work from city employees, volunteers and helicopter pilots and 1,300 individuals have donated to the restoration project so far.

To learn more about the project and the “G,” a documentary titled “G Mountain Documentary” can be viewed on YouTube on the PGSN (Pleasant Grove Sports Network) channel.