canisters on trailless peaks

[arghman]

what's the history behind the canisters on trailless peaks? is there a generally accepted altitude (3000ft?) for which a peak is "canister-worthy"?

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Welcome to VFTT, chamaemorus! Are you a fan of Rubus chamaemorus?

Since you live in NH I assume that you are asking about cannisters on New England peaks. From what I understand most of the trailless 3,000 footer peaks have cannisters originally put there by the first hikers to reach the peaks on the various lists (both official and unofficial) that the Four Thousand Footer Committee maintains. Some cannisters seem to have been removed by WMNF staff in Wilderness areas.

I have no idea whether cannisters generally have been put on peaks on the Trailwrights list, or on the 2,900 footer peaks that some people also bag (in NH).

 

[RoySwkr]

I don't think there is any particular elevation for canisters, I have seen them on mere molehills

I have no idea whether cannisters generally have been put on peaks on the Trailwrights list.

There are only 2 notable bushwhacks on the Trailwrights list, and they both have canisters. The one on NW Hancock is left from when it was on the NE100 list.

Some people like to put up canisters. There is a guy climbing the New England 1000 Highest who puts a golf pencil in each, he is on his third box of 144. Other people find canisters offensive and remove them, even where the landowners allow them. Whether a given peak has a canister may depend on which type of person was there most recently

 

[sardog1]

Welcome to VFTT, chamaemorus! Are you a fan of Rubus chamaemorus?

Enough with the pleasantries already -- let's get down to business. Exactly where'd you shoot that bloom and berry?

(As a big fan of the berries, I don't actually expect you to tell.)

Welcome to VFTT!

 

[Mike]

I have no idea whether cannisters generally have been put on peaks on the Trailwrights list, or on the 2,900 footer peaks that some people also bag (in NH).

Mo, how does one acquire a copy of the 2900 ftrs list?

 

[arghman]

Mo, how does one acquire a copy of the 2900 ftrs list?

Or the 3000 footer list for that matter...
[not that I intend to go after it, I just like geography ]

re: photo -- I've added that to my description. [& also undergone username-change surgery, thanks darren!]

I was just wondering if the canisters thing was recent or if there's any evidence (e.g. articles in Appalachia or something) for somebody, say, in the 1920's having the bright idea to put up a glass jar & notebook on one of the trailless peaks.

 

[Grumpy]

I was just wondering if the canisters thing was recent or if there's any evidence (e.g. articles in Appalachia or something) for somebody, say, in the 1920's having the bright idea to put up a glass jar & notebook on one of the trailless peaks.

I don't have an answer to this particular question, but it did get me to thinking:

Maybe summit canisters have a lot in common with the logbooks and even the graffiti we commonly find in trailside shelters. And what about those old cave paintings . . .? All these things seem to satisfy a primitive impulse to leave our mark, record our presence and relate our story to those who may follow in our footsteps.

G.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

FWIW, the 46ers had two arguments to install their canisters when they first put them up. One of the arguments, was to mark the summit to keep people from tramping around, looking for it. The second argument was that people were leaving their 'mark' (ribons, jars, etc) all over the place as proof they had been there. By installing an official canister it eliminated these problems.