Summit Registers

[Nate]

For the trailless 3k peaks in New England, do most of them have register jars on their summits? Is it well known which peaks don't? Is there a particular group that maintains these registers (AMC?)? How good are they about replacing missing registers? I ask because in my boredom, if I happen to attack some of these peaks, my fear is that I'll reach some wooded, viewless summit, and there won't even be a slip of paper to sign my name to (I know, I'm horribly OCD about these things), or that there isn't a register because I've inadvertantly ascended to a subsidary peak (and I assume the register is missing, rather than know that I'm not quite at my desitination because I haven't encountered the register yet).

 

[arghman]

I ask because in my boredom, if I happen to attack some of these peaks, my fear is that I'll reach some wooded, viewless summit, and there won't even be a slip of paper to sign my name to

bring a small plastic gatorade bottle and some paper and some string and a fluorescent ribbon and a GPS.

my not-to-be-repeated bushwhack to Mt Kelsey two years ago led a friend & I to the jar there but the lid had rusted through & there was no paper.

 

[Double Bow]

Speaking strictly of the trailless 3Ks,

This is, again, part of the adventure, not knowing what to expecct. A lot of peaks have them. Some don't. Most have a sign at the summit. Some don't. There is no list of which ones have what and which peaks might not have anything at all.

The pursuit of the NH or NE 3Ks is infinately less "official" that the pursuit of their taller bretheren. The cannisters that are there were put there by AMC folks awhile ago but, their maintainence and upkeep are not frequently addressed.

With the sheer number of peaks and the effort that goes into climbing some of these remote, viewless, wooded, think spruce covered mountains, you have to be a little "off" to find this to be a worthwhile endevour. Fortunately for me, the cheese fell off my cracker a loooong time ago!

(BTW, I always bring index cards, Ziplock baggies, and something to write with whenever I go hiking or bushwhacking for a variety of reasons.)

 

[bill bowden]

registers on trailless summits

It is pretty much a labor of love placing registers on trailless summits. there is a somewhat organized effort to have registers on the NEHH peaks but the 3000 footers and NHHH have registers primarily placed by presumably public spirited hikers.
Within wilderness areas, these registers are at least occasionally removed by National Forest personnel. So there is essentialy no guarantee yea or nay about registers. I found three on Kancamagus, there are rumored to 6 on South Hitchcock. The multiple registers on Fool Killer have apparently been removed (Thanks pb).
If you suffer from more than the normal sort of need to validate your climb by finding a register (and what bushwhacker is normal?); try Vermont where the only peak I didn't find a register on was East Dorset (last purported sentence may need the gibberish to english translation) Round was a close second, I found the register but couldn't open it and had the frustration of reading Dennis Crispo's name without adding my own.

 

[dms]

3k registers

Many of the 3k registers were placed by Dennis C. years ago, and from my experience the attrition rate is higher in ME, than in NH and VT. I think fewer people are doing the ME peaks. Many of the registers are deteriorated or broken. I always try to bring a spare replacement register with me. Even if it is broken you can usually see some remenant of string or tape where it had been tied to a tree. On my most recent trip to ME we did 3 very remote peaks and on two we found registers, the third was missing, so I placed a new one there.

 

[Nate]

Dennis Crispo's name has come up in posts every once in awhile - it sounds like he was really involved in the bushwhacking scene, especially with all the canisters it sounds like he installed. Whatever happened to him? Does he still wander the trailless peaks of New England, or have they stopped letting him out of the home? (the one for crazy hiker types)

 

[dms]

Dennis is definitely one of the "legends" of peakbagging, he's done it all. The first completers marked a tree on the summit with an ax cut, I think Dennis pioneered the use of the 3k summit registers. a very enjoyable guy to hike with.

 

[Nate]

Who else are considered some of the local legends of bushwhacking? Are there any interesting stories relating to any of them and their accomplishments?

 

[dms]

I hope Roy S. will read this thread, he's more qualified than me to name those folks, because he is certainly high on the list. Just for starters, Tom and Diane Sawyer, who have done the NE 3k's in WINTER!! How do you top that??

 

[Tom Rankin]

Who else are considered some of the local legends of bushwhacking? Are there any interesting stories relating to any of them and their accomplishments?

Mr. Swanson, take a bow!

John has also done all the NE 770's

 

[dms]

Tom, also on that short list, is Dennis Crispo and Sue Eilers. With all due respect to all the ones I've hiked with, no one, and I mean no one, is better with a map and compass than John H. Swanson.

 

[dr_wu002]

Well, a local legend for me would have to be Tom Wheeler (Dalraida on VFTT). He might not be a huge peak bagger but it seems like he knows nearly every old logging road & camp, abandonned trail, weird feature and obscure historical fact about the Whites that I could ever want to know. If you ever see him posting a trip, jump on board. He's always got a fun story or something to point off to in the distance.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Raymond]

And don't forget Erik "The" Schlimmer. He's done the 770, too.

 

[post'r boy]

The "Missin' Link" is up and comin'. dude can smell a cannister 1 mile away!
plus he's 6'6" tall. great fer scopin' higher terrain!!

 

[audrey]

We didn't find a register on East Bear in Maine. I claim credit because we spent almost on hour trying to find it. Glad to hear that East Dorset doesn't have one - that was a long search too; nice open woods, though!

 

[Dennis C.]

"Rekindling the bushwhack fires"

Nate, life's a series of stages, and with the Northeast 770 completed, it was time to move on to other challenges. In more recent years it's been a push for the state high points and a lot of trail work outings both in the White Mtns (AMC Adopt-A-Trail) and locally in Andover (MA) reservations. Trail work is very rewarding and something we never run out of! But that doesn't mean I won't get out on occasion to do another peak or two.

What I really enjoy the most on VFTT is sharing information about the off trail peak approaches and encouraging the next generation to pursue these 3000 footers. It's an incredible adventure! The toughest part was not the climbing, but the long distance driving. Bushwhacking is something best done with others, and you can cut costs and share driving chores. Also, bring register replacements for those New England 3000s.

 

[RoySwkr]

I hope Roy S. will read this thread, he's more qualified than me to name those folks, because he is certainly high on the list. Just for starters, Tom and Diane Sawyer, who have done the NE 3k's in WINTER!! How do you top that??

The 770 in winter of course

The first 3 on the NH 3k were Tom Sawyer, Ray Chaput, and Bev Nolan who were all rushing to be first and did not usually hike with each other. Ray put a wood sign on most peaks but they are mostly gone, Bev put a register on most peaks with a "Brunswick Recreation" felt-tip pen whose ink turned out to vanish in sunlight so after a few years you could reuse the pages Ray later hiked the length of NH and is still putting signs on small peaks near Twin Mtn such as Flat Top and South Sugarloaf, Bev found a new honey and went back to 4k with him.

I'm not sure who was first on the VT 3K, it might have been Deane Morrison.

For the NE/ME 3K, Tom Sawyer was far and away the first, while Gene Daniell, Deane Morrison, Frank Pilar, and Sam Hagner agreed to complete together. Several years later, Dennis Crispo was #6 after climbing both No.6 Mtn and nearby #6.5 "Crispo Peak".

To show how fleeting fame as a peakbagger is, I'll bet there are few people on this board who have even heard of some of these people, who were mostly using 2wd vehicles and 15' quads that didn't even show the mountains accurately much less the roads.

 

[post'r boy]

what about narsico torres from denmark me???
anybody know him??? he's in all the jars!!!

 

[dms]

Narcisso T.

I've done several 3's with Narcisso, a great guy. He did a lot of solo 3's. In fact, I just got off the phone with him for advice on the Spruces and Big Shanty, which I'am doing this Wednesday. Like most wackers he has absolute and total recall of his routes for those peaks!!

 

[post'r boy]

cool! everytime i see his name i wonder .... who is this guy!!!!
tell him i say hi!!
p.s. he doesn't know me