Y Mountain
| Y Mountain | |
|---|---|
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,572 ft (2,613 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 788 ft (240 m) |
| Coordinates | 40°15′24″N 111°36′25″W / 40.2566226°N 111.606863°WCoordinates: 40°15′24″N 111°36′25″W / 40.2566226°N 111.606863°W |
| Geography | |
 Y Mountain
Location in Utah
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| Location | Provo, Utah U.S. |
| Parent range | Wasatch Front |
| Topo map | USGS Bridal Veil Falls |
Y Mountain is a mountain located directly east of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, United States. The Slide Canyon, or Y Mountain Trail, leads to a large block Y located 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from a parking area at the mountain's base. This hillside letter was built over a hundred years ago as the insignia for BYU. For years the trail to the Y has been one of the most hiked trails in Utah Valley and provides a scenic view of Provo and Orem, the rest of the many cities in Utah Valley and Utah Lake. The trail is also regularly used by hikers, bikers, paragliders and hunters to access the backcountry in the Slide Canyon area.
The large white Y on the side of the mountain has become the nationally recognized insignia for BYU and the reason why BYU is often called "the Y". It is made of rock, with a concrete retaining wall made in 1908 and is 380 feet high and 130 feet wide (116 by 40 m). The Y is larger than the letters of the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.
There are 14 strands of lights placed around the perimeter of the Y, which are lit five times a year by the Intercollegiate Knights. It is lit for Freshman Orientation, Homecoming, Y Days, and graduation in April and August. When the Y is lit, club members are selected to guard the Y to ensure the generator keeps the lights on until nearly midnight. The same volunteer guards assist the university grounds employees with setting up the lights (and removing them several days later) and remaining on duty to protect against vandalism as long as the lights are in place. In 2016, the incandescent lights were replaced with LED lights that can be turned on or off from the campus below.
Pre-1900s - Y Mountain was known formerly as its Ute name, Wahdahhekawee, which means "Blessed Mountain." One common LDS folktale is that the Native Americans told the LDS settlers that they had seen angels which told them that the people who lived in this area would be blessed with great prosperity.
Early 1906 - When the junior class of Brigham Young High School (BYHS) wanted to paint '07 on the side of the mountain, the BYHS senior class became upset. To settle this conflict, BYU President George H. Brimhall and BYHS Principal Edwin S. Hinckley proposed that they paint the letters BYU on the mountain instead.
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Wikipedia