High Sierra Topix

I was lucky enough to see N. Clyde's signature on Barnard (gone now) and Lawson too. And of course LeConte's on Woodsworth. I just recently found scraps going back to 1930!, but I'll not say where. I enjoy the old register hunt as it necessarily leads to less and less traveled points.

Old topic that I wanted some confirmation on.. Is it really true that Black Kaweah's register gone? The one with Starr's Blood that is.. If it is I really can't believe what kind of person would have the guts to take down something so historically significant and valued by not only mountaineers but also historians. Really does make me sick to think that neither I nor my children nor my grandchildren will ever be able to see that register. And certainly any other old registers. There has to be some way to keep the location of the oldest registers secret. It's important to document which registers need books or boxes and the like but as I was reading from the head of this matter of the SPS, he says that he doesn't want the location of old registers to be known on the internet. At this point it might be a bit late for that, since practically all of them have been stolen, save a few. Not sure what the solution is, but it really is disappointing to see history being ripped off the mountains.

Yep unfortunately Black, Red, and Mt. Kaweah seem to all have their register stolen around the same time.

It certainly is a shame as it's always fun to climb a peak and read way back at when and who climbed the peak. It's always great insight into how often a peak might have been climbed also.

That's really unfortunate about the confirmation that Black Kaweah's is gone. I was really hopeful to see that one in the next few years.I guess clearly that mountain sees more ascents than is needed to ward off thieves..

Well get onto Lawson while you can. That one is still special.

Definitely will. On this summer's list! Along with Kaweah Queen. There actually used to be a register on Pyra-Queen Col. I take it that's gone too?

Kaweah Queen is only a glass jar with a single piece of paper someone put in it. If you can replace that with something better it would be good.

I never looked for a register on Pyra Queen Col. So it might be there or not.

I actually read about that in another report. Thanks for the reminder. If no one does it before I head up there this summer I'll be sure to pack in a notebook. What's another couple ounces when I'm already carrying 14 days worth of food, camera gear, and possibly an ice axe? haha

One comment that I didn't see anywhere else:

If you replace a peak register, make sure you include a strong PENCIL instead of a pen. Many's the time when I have reached the top of a satisfying climb only to find the (sometimes several) pens in the summit register have gone dry. I climbed an especially satisfying rock out in away from shore along HWY 1 called Slate Spire and everything there had been corroded to nothingness because of the salt mist. A pencil never will, and it can always be resharpened with a pocket knife.
Cheers!
-Dominic

Hi Dominic,

Welcome to HST! Thanks for your input on the subject.