Spencer Hansen begins the work of replacing the lights on the Christmas Star in West The Dalles in preparation for the Holiday Season.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 25, 2026 — The view from the top of the basalt cliff above west The Dalles is spectacular. The view from the outside of a giant metal star bolted into that cliff, with hundreds of feet of open air below, is quite another matter.
On Friday morning, Oct. 23, professional climbers Spencer Hansen, 28, and Jeff Mortenson, 43, went out onto the star to replace its failing LED lights. They brought their climbing gear, studied the anchor points and figured out how to reach the metal framework jutting out over the drop.
Jeff Mortenson prepared to climb out and meet Hansen as he was tasked with replacing the lights on the south side of the star.
For those watching from the cliff, it was a stomach-tightening sight. For Hansen and Mortenson, it was a job that called for the skills they use professionally — and a little extra money on their days off.
Hansen took the lead, using a long pole, or ‘grip’ to guide his climbing rope through an anchor point at the top of the star. He then used his rope system to pull himself into position and begin removing the old lights and installing the new ones.
Hansen working from his anchor point at the top of the star, which is approximately 300 feet above the ground and then tails off into a quarry that is another 100 feet deep.
The star is made from 2-inch galvanized fencing pipe anchored into the basalt with concrete. It sits roughly 300 feet above the ground, overlooking Taylor Lake and the entire The Dalles. The climbers needed more than 150 feet of new LED lighting rope, costing about $380, and $60 worth of zip ties to secure it to the structure.
The work was essential to keeping one of The Dalles’ most recognizable holiday landmark shining. The Fun Group planned a test run Friday night, firing up the propane generator to see how the new lights looked against the dark winter sky before the season begins. It shone brightly above Sid White field as the TDHS Homecoming football game unfolded.
The star is now scheduled to shine nightly from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, continuing a tradition that began 35 years ago. It kicks off the Starlight Parade in Downtown The Dalles as floats festooned with lights and Christmas Images light up the faces of children.
A new generation takes over
Cody Ricks on ladder assists Jeff Mortenson as they worked to replace lights on the star.
The repair also marked a changing of the guard for the volunteer group behind the star.
Kurt Conger, who recently retired as the Fun Group’s leader, had asked Cody Ricks, a 34-year-old Northern Wasco County PUD lineman, to take over. Ricks and Conger determined the lights needed replacing, and Ricks recruited Hansen and Mortenson for the climb.
Ricks has been part of the lighting rotation for two years. Conger first invited him to help keep the star lit, and Ricks brought his wife, Yasmin, and son, Jordan, along when it was his turn to fire up the generator.
“I was excited Kurt came to me two years ago and asked me, ‘How about I put you on the schedule to light the star?’” Ricks said.
Watching his family’s reaction as the star came alive helped him understand the tradition’s value.
“I’m looking forward to keeping this going,” Ricks said.
That commitment now includes the less glamorous work of replacing lights and maintaining the equipment that makes the annual display possible.
File Photo - Louis Red Cloud with the help of his dad Gabe upgraded the star with LED lights in 2018 with some impressive climbing. A helicopter was used to put the star in place in the 1990s.
A bright idea that stuck
The Fun Group began in 1991 with a handful of friends who wanted to put stars around The Dalles, including one big enough to become a landmark.
The idea took shape on Sally and Tony Fasulo’s back porch, where John Wood proposed the project. Bert Hodges knew the perfect location: a rocky outcropping on his property known as Ginny’s rock, overlooking the city.
The original group paid $350 apiece to fund the project. Members hauled pipe, wiring and bulb receptacles up the steep hillside by hand, then installed hundreds of incandescent bulbs powered by a gas generator. They got the star lit for the Starlight Parade that year.
The early years were rough. Vandals broke bulbs, damaged wiring and even threw a 40-foot ladder off the cliff. After the original structure was badly damaged, the group rebuilt it with galvanized fencing pipe. Local crop-dusting operator John Shearer volunteered a helicopter to lift the replacement star into position.
Over the decades, the group moved from incandescent bulbs to LED lighting and continued maintaining the structure. The star has also been lit during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to commemorate Fun Group members who have died.
Allan Peterson dons his original Fun Group hat from the ‘90s. It was a bit of a madcap start, but perserverence has led to three decades of Holiday fun.
Tony Fasulo and Allan Peterson are the remaining members of the original crew. A larger group of volunteers now carries on the work, with Ricks stepping into Conger’s leadership role.
The Original Vision has Glown Up
The Fun Group’s influence extends beyond the landmark above west The Dalles. The Carney family maintains the star on Chinook Drive, formerly known as the Mengis Star. A 40-foot Vista Star shines on the east side near the water reservoir above Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, near Oakwood Drive and Thompson Track. Another star, lit by Doug Kirchhofer, stands on the hills along 18th Street near Thompson Track. The Valkov Star on Claudia Lane, west of the hospital, adds another point of light to the community’s holiday landscape.
In essence, Star Keepers have captured the city.
The Fun Group welcomes donations to help maintain the landmark star and the other stars around the community. Checks can be mailed to the Fun Group, 673 Brentwood Drive East, The Dalles, OR 97058.
When the stars light up again for the holiday season, it will be thanks to volunteers who keep the tradition alive — including the climbers willing to venture out over the edge to make sure the lights still shine.
Keepers of the Light
The Fun Group’s history includes original members Bert Hodges, Phil Pashek, Jerry Kelly, Ken Proctor, John Wood, Ron McHale, Tony Fasulo and Allan Peterson. Later and current members include Alex Hattenhauer, Bill Matthews, Dave Carney, Donna Carney, Dave Re, David Jacobs, Doug Hattenhauer, Gabe Red Cloud, Greg Weast, Jerry Christensen, Jim Bergstrom, Jim Wilcox, Ken McBain, Kurt Conger, Larry Toll, Melissa Lee, Myke Smith, Norm Miller, Robyn Conger, Ross Bailey, Russ Brown, Scott Mengis, Tanner Elliott, Ted Valkov, Terry Nelson and Tom Peterson. Cody Ricks has taken over leadership from Conger, while Jeff Mortenson and Spencer Hansen brought their professional climbing skills to the recent lighting repair. This list is just a portion of the people who have made this possible through the years, including hundres of individual donations.
In the 1990s, the Fun Group’s star tradition extended beyond the lights themselves, with gatherings on the hillside beneath the star featuring bonfires, steaks, potatoes and pies. The celebrations brought friends together in a rugged setting overlooking The Dalles, and sometimes included an unexpected arrival: Hewitt Hillis on horseback. The parties became part of the star’s early history, turning the hillside landmark into a gathering place as well as a holiday beacon.
