Cannisters NOT @ Summits!?

[MTNRUNR]

When there is a cannister placed, is it intended to be @ the Summit???

Summit being the highest point on that particular peak.

As I understand it...the one on Scar Ridge, West Peak ISN'T @ the summit???

Does anyone know if this is true? If it is true...are there others NOT @ the summit?

If the one on Scar Ridge isn't @ the high point but someone makes it to the cannister...does that "count" as having "bagged" that Peak???

Is there a list of peaks that do/don't have cannisters? Never found one on Wilson or Breadloaf in Vermont, just to mention a couple(these are in a wilderness area though). Don't believe theres one on NE CAnnon Ball either.

Hmmm...very interesting

 

[Puma concolor]

Yeah, this has been discussed before. The Scar Ridge cannister is there but it's not at the true summit ... apparently it's at an ante-summit to the East. As for Wilson, Breadloaf and Cannon Balls, nope, no cannister, but they are all essentially trailed hikes.

 

[Papa Bear]

Historically, cannisters were only put on peaks without trails. All the BWs in Maine had them (except Fort which has an old radio tranmitter), plus Vermont (Mendon, Dorset). Still working on NH.

Scar Ridge issue has been discussed in the past. Do a search.

I think all the others with cannisters are acknowledged to be the real peak. On a wooded summit like N. Kennegabo Divide, East Kennebago or Cupsuptic Snow it's hard to really tell but if you have to pick a spot and say "this is it" the cannister works as well as anything.

 

[RoySwkr]

When there is a cannister placed, is it intended to be @ the Summit???

Summit being the highest point on that particular peak.

Not always. There are many in the Catskills for instance that are placed at an obvious point and not necessarily the highest if you ran a level line. Similarly many in the West are not on exposed pinnacles but at a sheltered spot nearby. [The former one on the Horn of Cabot was on a tree not up on the rock.]

As I understand it...the one on Scar Ridge, West Peak ISN'T @ the summit???

This issue is much misunderstood including by previous responders. Scar Ridge has 2 points with the same highest contour http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=44.02861&lon=-71.59333
one of which has a 3774 elevation which has been used for the AMC NEHH list. This summit was shown as higher on the 15' quad http://docs.unh.edu/NH/frcn32se.jpg so it may well be higher. But the canister is apparently on the other one which is more distinct. I doubt if anyone knows which one is really higher. Why not just do both?

 

[bill bowden]

Canisters and Summits

Registers are usually placed where the first ascent team felt the summit was. In the White Mountain National Forest, many registees have been removed by (presumably) well-intentioned people. As a result, later parties have often found what they thought was the summit and "replaced" a missing register. I found 3 on Mount Kancamagus a few years ago and there are rumored to be six on South Hitchcock.

so hang in there, the intent is to be on the summit but the register may not be.

Bill

 

[MarkJ]

cannisters

We found 2 cannisters on S Hitch couple weeks back.The Carr mt cannister was quite full this fall,that's a trailed peak.Also Haystack,off Hazens Notch had a really old cannister up there,and that had a trail to it.Anybody know if a cannister is on Cushman?That was a thick one ,no luck finding it.How about signs? Postr and I did E Huntington with Roy Schweicker last month and He mentioned the guy who built signs for each peak he bagged.The only sign I have come across was on Kineo,and it was in great condition.Any sign finders out there??

 

[swamp]

Hey MJ,
There's a sign on Duck Pond Mt. I'll try to attach a picture but I'm fairly useless with this gizmo. On that peak I found the sign but no cannister.

 

[dRitter]

Scar West summit

Having been there recently, the cannister isn't exactly at the summit but it looked close to me and my GPS tagged it as there. Subjective viewing said otherwise but when there's 4 feet of snow it is hard to tell. Either way, I think in my chaotic ramblings I tagged it either way.

 

[bill bowden]

Re; canisters

Cushman had a register ca. 1996, definitely a nasty peak though.

Vermont 3000 footers have more registers than NH, often even on trailed peaks. the only Vermont peak where I couldn't find a register was West Dorset. Round Mountain was a real frustration, canister on ground and frozen shut but I could read Dennis C.'s signature.

 

[Stan]

The standards of bagging a peak relate to "exactions of your own conscience" as I recall so whether you log into a canister or not doesn't matter. Getting there is half the fun no matter how accurate they may be located.

They are an interesting read if you have the time and the weather doesn't pose the likelihood of soaking the register. I recall several years ago on an unseasonably nice November day ... Tripli road was still open with no snow at all ... bagging Middle Scar Ridge peak and poring over the entries, then bagging the West peak and high tailing it out of there before it got dark.

So, there are times you may just wish to blow a kiss to the register and get out of there and others, as I understand Scar Ridge to be these days, that you may just wish to flip the bird.

 

[MTNRUNR]

Great to get some History!!

Before I did this post I did a "search" but apparently used the wrong word(cannister)

Before I did the hike I checked the maps and set the location in GPS. When I finally made it to the "top"(which I wasn't sure I'd have time to do) I checked the GPS and found I was @ "the spot" ...I was reeeaaallly happy

Then I walked all around the area(which was quite open) and was definately @ the high point...but was concerned that there was no "cannister", however, I knew there were other's that didn't have them sooo...

Later I learned there was one there and thought s**t...I didn't get to the "summit" Figured on going back in the fall to check! Then I found, from Bob & Geri's August '04 hike, that I had indeed been to the "summit"...Phew!!!

Royswkr: Both the maps that you "attached" show the "summit" to be on the far west point...the cannister being on the other(lower) one.

Thanks to everyone for "educating" me about this!!! I've never been concerned about getting them open in the winter...but like to get a picture of them

Then, as you have mentioned, there are the 3000'ers...Ahhh

 

[RoySwkr]

The AMC 4000-Footer Committee seems to operate on a one-summit system
where you only need to visit one point to claim a summit, unlike say the
county highpointers where if there are 50 possibilities for highest point
you should visit them all. I believe that on the NEHH the canisters and
notebooks were paid for by the AMC and placed by a Committee member
(unlike the 3K where registers have been placed by a variety of people).
Hence presumably the register is at the point you should visit to claim
the summit, just as you should visit S Hancock if you want their patch
although there is little reason to believe it actually has a 200' col. My
opinion is that you need not actually sign the book if you don't believe
in registers, the jar is frozen shut, or you can't find it on a flattish
summit.

One time I went to Scar Ridge with one of the leading peakbaggers of the
era, who was #2 to finish the 111 in winter. He said the register was on
the official summit but he was going to the other one also, and only 2 of
7 went over there with him.

Royswkr: Both the maps that you "attached" show the "summit" to be on the far west point...the cannister being on the other(lower) one.

That is not quite true. The 15' quad shows the W peak is higher, and I
believe that under the Rule of Savage you assume it is still higher if
the 7.5' quad shows them the same, but the AMC has not yet adopted the
Rule of Savage Since the W peak has a spot elevation of 3774, its
highest point is in the range of 3774 to 3799 while the E peak is from
3760 to 3799 if the map is correct. Hence there is some chance that the E
peak is actually higher, and the sort of GPS and altimeters usually
carried by hikers are probably not accurate enough to make a final
determination. What you need is to get Brad Washburn interested in
surveying the rest of the White Mountains

 

[askus3]

One place a cannister is in the "wrong place" is on Mt. Frissell. It is on the summit, which is in the trees and doesn't count for anything. The cannister sign-in box should be down a little to the south along the trail where you are at the highest point in CT. I wonder how many people approach from the east, go to the summit sign in and never continue to the highest point in CT.

 

[Puma concolor]

Yes, but the summit cannister on Frissell explicity advises you that you are not at the HP of Connecticut and that you need to head downslope for that distinction.