The first problem is the date. The carving is not new, but can it really be 200 years old? If not, who would have carved a false date? If so, how can the tree still be alive? In my experience, aspen rarely live to 200 years. But, for the carving to be authentic, this aspen would have to be 240? 250? Is that possible?
The next problem is the identity of the carver. By nationality, Spanish? French? American? Russian? Probably not the last two. While Lewis and Clarke had opened the way for Manual Lisa and others to begin establishing trade along the Missouri River in the eighteen-teens, there doesn't seem to have been much American traffic in the southern Rockies prior to Jed Smith and the other mountain men. As for Vitus Bering, he was long dead. Besides, were the Russians using Arabic numerals in 1819, or would it have been Cyrillic? Anyway, that leaves the Spanish or the French. French Canadian voyageurs were exploring the Rockies long before Lewis and Clarke (Sacagawea was married to one; Charbonneau, I think), but this carving is a long way from Montreal. A long way, too, from Madrid. Nonetheless, the ground in question belonged officially to Spain—the Viceroyalty of New Spain. So, Spanish, then?
A third problem is the meaning of the inscription. If it is Spanish, what does it say? "C IL JYME Hhi" Roman numerals? Day and month? I love her?
I'll take any help I can get on this one.
Contact your local archaeologist/heritage program manager, they may have records of similar carvings. Our heritage program has some records like that up here.
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