Peak Registers

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RoguePhotonic
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Peak Registers

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Some of you all like having registers like I do so if you plan on climbing any peaks these have none or need something more if you would like to supply one:

Bigelow Peak (no register)
Stanton Peak (no register)
Red And White (plastic jar, a couple pieces of paper)
Saddle Mountain (no register)
Sharktooth Peak (no register on map noted summit. False summit to the North has plastic jar register)
Volcanic Knob (no register)
Recess Peak (no register)
Small peak south of Recess Peak has a broken jar with nothing in it.
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maverick
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by maverick »

Thanks for giving our fellow peakbaggers this info Rogue. :thumbsup:
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by giantbrookie »

Hi Rogue,

Thanks for reporting this sad news. This adds to the long list of reports that have piled up on the various climbing/peak bagging sites over the years. It is very sad that the register loss has become chronic on Sierra peaks. I've been to only one of the peaks on your list--Red and White--and in 1985 it had a full fledged register (can't recall whether it was the cylinder type or the box type with screw-down lid).

I feel very fortunate that I did almost all of my peak bagging in the days before registers began to routinely vanish (vast majority of my summit climbs 1994 and before). In all my summit climbs (I think I'm somewhere in the 80's of SPS summits plus many other non SPS summits), I only encountered one missing register. This, sadly, was on seldom visited Picket Guard Peak (2003), a summit where one might expect entries to go very far back owing to the low number of people climbing it each year. In that case, I figured someone might have been careless and let the cannister roll off the slanted summit block over N Face. However, I had visited many summits before including some with rather tiny summit blocks, and all of them had intact registers, so fumble-itis may not necessarily be the explanation. Several of the registers I was lucky enough to sign in were the first-placed editions full of old time Sierra mountaineering legends. The two that I remember best (since replaced because they filled) were Mt Williamson (placed 1919; I visited in 1978) and Mt Barnard (placed 1936; I visited in 1996).
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by rlown »

isn't it illegal to put that sort of stuff into a wilderness area? like geocache boxes?

just asking. don't know the rules.. seems illegal as it would be considered trash or unaccompanied equipment.
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by giantbrookie »

rlown wrote:isn't it illegal to put that sort of stuff into a wilderness area? like geocache boxes?

just asking. don't know the rules.. seems illegal as it would be considered trash or unaccompanied equipment.
I don't know what the regs are, but registers were once placed and maintained by the Sierra Club, at least for all of the SPS peaks--non SPS peaks tended to have "unofficial" registers. The contents of filled registers were supposed to be stored at the Bancroft Library of UC Berkeley.

I would guess all of the SPS peaks had initial placement of registers (the containers in which the books and pencils were) done by the 60's if not earlier. These were in two forms: a rectangular aluminum box with a hinged lid that was closed secured with a screw and nut: this tended to be for the major peaks and very popular peaks. In some cases I recall these boxes were fixed to rock below by some mortar but in many cases they were not. The box type commonly had the peak name embossed on the lid. In some cases, perhaps when the original was lost, the box type has been replaced by a military ammo box. The cylinder type has a tightly fitting lid (not threaded) over a robust aluminum cylinder. It does not have the name of the peak on it and it is always loosely placed in the summit cairn in a spot where folks will be able to find it but secure enough so that it won't fall over. In some cases with really tiny or hairy summit blocks the register is placed below the highest rock. . I don't know if the practice of register maintenance is still the same or not today, for I am no longer an active peak bagger.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Early placed peak registers would pre-date the wilderness act and would be grandfathered. On a more practical side, if you were to take that no permanent fixtures legal too strictly, then it is also time to get rid of all trail signs, all trails, all weather stations, and lets go to the extreme and simply shut the wilderness off to any use at all. Given some of the huge camp messes I have seen in the Sierra, the last thing I would worry about are a few peak registers.

When I climbed I often would not sign a register (did not see any sense in adding my name to a peak that was climbed daily), but sometimes did if the experience was unique or the peak seldom climbed. I once climbed the wrong peak! I was headed for Mt Sill and instead climbed an unnamed peak to the west, and thankfully there was a mason jar on top with a small notebook that informed me that I was on the wrong peak! Some peaks also just have a small film canister. I suspect that some of the peaks that you cannot find a register still have one, but it is just in an obscure place or the rock cairn that marked it has fallen over.
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by RoguePhotonic »

All those peaks I made a major effort to check everywhere for a register so I am sure they have none.

I mostly enjoy registers for the history of the peak. I like to know how often they are climbed a year.
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by KathyW »

http://summitregister.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by KathyW »

rlown wrote:isn't it illegal to put that sort of stuff into a wilderness area? like geocache boxes?

just asking. don't know the rules.. seems illegal as it would be considered trash or unaccompanied equipment.

There are some folks that think summit registers are trash and they remove them. I suppose there are also some folks that think trail markers and signs are trash too. Where should the line be drawn? We can get carried away with issues that are not important at all in the grand scheme of things. I know I can get on a rant about overly engineered trails like the John Muir Trail - I think those ruin the wilderness experience, but other people love those steps.
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rlown
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Re: Peak Registers

Post by rlown »

It takes several orthogonal committees to decide, and years of banter. :) Most of the signs are wrong anyway.

It was more pointed at the geocachers which seems to be the latest fad. Don't leave stuff in a wilderness area.. It's really not ok. One of our crew found a geocache in the dinkeys.. guess there are seven left to find. It was a really nice Army ammo box.. even had a gun lock in it. idiots.
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