Pointless Cannisters?

[Double Bow]

On Sunday, I was up on Carr Mtn and found that there was a cannister at the summit. From my experiences, I've only seen or heard of cannisters being at the summit of trailless peaks. Is there a reason to have a cannister on top of this 3,453' trailed peak or for that matter on top of any peak with official trails? Are there any other places where this is the case?

Perhaps we could make a list of peak with trails and cannisters!

 

[TenPeaks]

I heard there is a canister on Mt. Resolution, but when I was up there a couple of years ago I didn't find it.

 

[dms]

TenPeaks, the Parker Trail does not go over the actual summit of Resolution, the summit is about .3 mi. to the northeast of the trail peak. There used to be a register there. As to Carr, I don 't understand why there would be a register there, I haven't been there in several years, but in the past there wasn't one.

 

[TenPeaks]

dms, I was on Resolution a couple years ago and remember lots of herd paths going here and there. I wandered off trail for a while looking for 1) the highest point (it was a rather broad flat summit if I remember correctly) and 2) an unobstructed view of Mt. Washington. I did find some fresh bear scat while up there and didn't want to be crashing through some of the brush in case he was still around. That could be why I never saw the canister.

A few days after my hike someone else posted a trip report mentioning the canister. I replied to them asking if in fact they were sure the canister was on Resolution and not one of the other nearby peaks. They assured me they were on Resolution and the canister was an old mason jar tied to a tree.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I did a the peak of resolution several years ago and don't remember seeing a cannister either. At the time though I probably wasn't actively searching for it.

Keith

 

[Papa Bear]

Mosquito Mountain in The Forks, Maine has a Rubbermaid' canister inside a hollow cairn at the summit. Papa Bear might tell me that I'm wrong on this one, but as far as I know, that mountain has no significance other than it makes a nice post-Kennebec hike.

Actually it's in North Woods Walks by Christopher Keene which says:

The best kept secret in The Forks region is the views atop Mosquito Mountain. They are every bit as grand as those from such mountains as Sally or Boundary Bald. Once they were only accessible by a rough bushwhack, but now a well-blazed trail leads to the 2,200 foot open summit.

Julie: how can you say such a mountain has "no significance other than blah blah ..."

It happens to be number 16 on the "Best Kept Secrets List", (but don't tell anyone ).

 

[RoySwkr]

Is there a reason to have a cannister on top of this 3,453' trailed peak or for that matter on top of any peak with official trails?

Perhaps the same reason that there are registers in leantos with trails to them. Some like to write and some like to read.

 

[dougb]

Letterbox?

Perhaps it's a letterbox (www.letterbox.org) as opposed to a cannister?

 

[Double Bow]

No, this was a Nalgene cannister with a screw off lid that was attached with rope to the remains of the firetower.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

How about we DON'T tell what peaks have cannisters? In the Adirondacks, if the existance of a cannister on a trailless mountain gets too much publicity, it gets removed (officially) or stolen (vandalized). I wouldn't want it to happen there (Whites?).

 

[Pete_Hickey]

.... From my experiences, I've only seen or heard of cannisters being at the summit of trailless peaks. Is there a reason to have one .... on top of any peak with official trails? Are there any other places where this is the case?

If you replace canisters with registers, it may be common. Two peaks I climbed in the past few days (in a hotel in Vegas right now). Whitney had a register in a metal box attached to a shelter.

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/tmp/telescope.jpg

Although there was still snow on the way up, I imagine the winds would keep the bals summit clear enough that the box would be easy enough to find.

Then, Whitney had a metal box attacked to shelter. Lots of snow there from about 10K feet and up, but I guess the shelter is easy enough to find in winter. Canisters can be tough to find on NE peaks.

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/tmp/whitney.jpg

I've seen ammo-box style registers on other peaks our west as well.

 

[Davehiker]

Carr Mt. Cannister

I didn't see the canister there on 7/12/05.

 

[skiguy]

Pointless?

Not that I advocate leaving One's remains on the summit of any Mountain..but pointless is hardly true. With all the lists out there and hikers and climbers attempting to leave their proof and later verify it among what ever community, the person who started this register must have had some POINT! I would be interested to find out what Point they were trying to make.
It is interesting what might be significant to one could only be trivial to another. I am always amazed when I go to the Town Dump to get rid of what I think is garbage, only to find out it is someone elses treasure.

 

[sierra]

I know alot of you know this, but out west there are canisters on most prominent peaks with trails or without, espechally the bigger peaks. I love them, I solo and like spending time on the summitts I get to, often I find myself reading the extensive list looking for famous names, once I found my name in a log from 5 yrs prior, I was like " Hey I know that dude he's a great climber!!!) ok IM a nerd.

 

[dms]

So many registers to sign, so little time!!