Looking to the West and just a couple of degrees North (viewing from the Harriet House), the majestic "M" mountain rises skyward. The mountain has in the past served as Merit Badges of Boy Scouts (Troop 135), for retribution against the "U" of the University of New Mexico. It is the catcher of ashes of many of our friends. It has been the subject of many artist, water colors, oils, photo.
Troop 135 issued a Hiking Merit Badge for those Scouts willing to climb to the top of "M" mountain and plant additional white washed rocks on the letter. It passed as something near a 14 mile hike. So we hedged a bit.
The rivalry between the letter men of the MINES and the UNM was carried on annually often resulting in the "U" on Albuquerque's scant mountain becoming a "M". The boys from UNM would attempt to retaliate in kind only to find that (a) the MINERS carried water (by one means or another) to make white wash , no firetruck to get water to them as was the practice in Albuquerque, (b) the directions to get to the top often had them in Magdalena or on the way there.
COMMENT;
Truly beautiful.... a little info on the "M" mountain and the school. Now (in the past 32 years) they light up the "M" for every occasion that happens at Tech or in town. I looks really weird when driving into town and look up there and see a lit "M" floating in the sky. What must tourists think when they see it. Anyway they also light it for the SHS ball games especially the big games .. They turn the M upside down with the lights and make a "W" for Warriors. Pretty neat. The reason I say 32 years, is I think it was when Deb, my daughter, was a sophomore at SHS and they were competing for the Spirit Stick at school for Homecoming. There were several Tech Professor's children in her class and someway got Tech to make the "M" into a "W ....they did so many other crazy things like that ...... of course they won the spirit stick for their class.
