Natala discovered what may be the oldest Cascades register on the summit
of North Star Mtn. (Bonanza area) last Monday. The container is a rusted
metal rectangular box, approx. 1.5" X 2"X .5", possibly a match or pill
box. Several very fragile pieces of paper are contained therein. The first
page clearly indicates the date - September 25, 1900. Additional
information on that first entry are nearly illegible. A follow-on page
indicates "3rd Ascent - May 29, 1938" which would be the ski ascent
indicated in Beckey by Ralph Eskenazi, Sigurd Hall, and Dwight Watson
(from the Phelps Creek basin). Additional pages were too fragile to open
without damaging them.
The date of the ascent jibes with the early prospecting in upper Railroad
Creek and it is likely the first ascent party consisted of miners
exploring the high country.
I asked Don whether the register was actually on North Star
Mountain, since I had begun to think that the Watson party had
skied Cloudy Peak instead. He confirmed that it was in fact
North Star.