Dragontail Peak, Triple Couloirs, 1st Ski Descent. Review, Green Trails Alpine Lakes East (Stuart Range) No. This was my favorite section of the entire climb. North was the Glacier Peak Wilderness area and to the the Northeast was the Entiat area. .GPX File. After a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018, we rolled north to the park in Powder7's Powder Wagon. We passed when we needed to, and everyone was cordial and having a great time. On March 28, Thurmer's wife called 911 and said she was concerned because she . Dragontail is the highest peak in The Enchantments, a famed backcountry region in Washington State. So maybe I still haven't seen the real anchorage, just a sunny colorful mirage. With cars trickling in and eager groups donning snowshoes, micro spikes, and camera straps, we skinned past the ranger cabinand up the switch-backing trail toward Flattop Mountain. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "skidragontailpeak" Flickr tag. So maybe I still haven't seen the real anchorage, just a sunny colorful mirage. They are hardy trees. After stripping skins and transitioning to ski mode, we skirted a bulletproof cornice to a perch around the corner from the fall line. From Aasgard Pass descend to Colchuck Lake. Cross Mountaineer Creek on a good foot bridge and reach the signed junction after a couple miles. He was in. 4 Beds. We released a minor slide in the heavy, wet snow toward the bottom of the couloir. Skiing steep terrain in soft snow feels electric. It felt like forever as we bushwhacked for the next few hours and crossed numerous creeks we. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest walls in the Cascades. There are routes that will challenge the seasoned climber in both summer and winter as well as a handful of scramble routes to challenge the up and rising mountaineers. Now the fun begins. As we passed the little lake near Aasgard Pass, I noticed the nice icebergs floating in the lake. Jacob and I had practiced ice climbing not mixed climbing, so using my crampons and tools on slabby granite felt insecure. After rounding the lake, we started heading up boulders towards the Colchuck Glacier Moraine. 3. Get to know this 24.6-mile out-and-back trail near Leavenworth, Washington. Stuart. We carried cams from .2 to #1, nuts, a few pitons, shorter screws, and two pickets. Frozen Colchuck Lake and Dragontail Peak. I met up with Dan in Bellevue and we made the long drive towards Icicle Creek. It is 4.5 miles one way to the lake with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. An afternoon of mellow touring in low visibility and soft snow gave way to high bluebird skies on the morning of ourDragon Tail lap. To the West we could see Colchuck Peak and the area from Snoqualmie Pass to Mount Hinman. Jacob led more easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner. From there, it was just a walk up a sandy gully to the summit of Dragontail! Thanks for the pix guys. Thanks. somewhat obsessed so after a quick stop to grab coffee for the road and Mount Rainier. Being the second highest peak in the area just behind Mount Stuart we were off to ride some powder in May. Garmont Dragontail Tech GTX - Men's and other great waterproof shoes and boots for approach, hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com. Your previous content has been restored. This route is long and committing! From the notch the crest can be followed over excellent mid-fifth class cracks for about 200 meters to a distinct exposed arete. Unfortunately none of them had satellite messenger capabilities. That is one of the things I love about alpine climbing: analyzing what improvements are needed for a goal, putting in the work, and reaping the benefits. Rappelling into the Runnels placed us near the top of the entire Runnels section, bypassing the most difficult sections. (8), Images Normally around this time of year we would be riding corn but we had around a foot of new snow. Generally I'm not a fan of the dawn patrol. Dragontail Peak out of Icicle Creek in the North Cascades is a stunning mountain. It took some exploring, but I found a way through some cliffs, climbing some very fun WI2+ ice gully and then up more through rotten snow on top of slab. The hulking mountain was given its name in 1955 after climbers on an adjacent peak remarked that its rock formations resembled a "dragon's tail". As he was setting up his belay at the top, one guy appeared below me. Thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be a better person, while always making me laugh and being so silly. Notes. We got back to the car in the evening, logging a total time of about 13:45, pretty solid considering we were moving casually, dealt with the rescue, had to route find a lot, and I even went swimming! Be wary of the possibility of people below or above you as you descend. However the official USDA.gov page states that permit season ends in Oct 31. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/recarea?ss=110308&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=110240000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&recid=58717&ttype=recarea&pname=Colchuck%20Lake%20Trail%20 That's a shame. Display as a link instead, We were the first to make it this far recently, possibly even in the entire calendar year! On a nice spring day, several groups could ski the couloir, and some of them may climb straight up the route rather than skin or hike around. We had been told by the reporting party that the climbers were on the Serpentine Arete on Dragontail peak and that one was a competent 5.9 climber; the other climbed at 5.7. For information regarding the permit system or to apply for a permit visit the Recreation.gov site linked below. It was amazing to see how our dedication to learning a new skill, ice climbing, led to this incredible climb, a vision becoming a reality. -Stuart from the summit. Way to hit it under perfect conditions. go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a608bc810922762285697226a9dd15f7" );document.getElementById("e87bcfad71").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The specific line taken, time required, and type of climbing encountered are entirely conditions dependent however, so that very few climbs of triple couloirs are the same. 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. If you're a dirtbag and need the gear, it's there for ya! Camp as near the south end as possible. I managed to catch him right before he went the wrong (skiers left) way down Aasgard. This huge parking area is the start to the Snow Lakes and Lower Enchantments approach. He suspected he had a broken knee. To get there, Jacob had to simul climb beneath me some, making for an 80m pitch or so. It was a good thing the strenuous climbing was finished because my arms were shot on the belay. Looks like fun. At the transition between the second and third couloirs we once again roped up and I took the lead. We were merely on one arete on this face, but it felt like a huge amphitheater of towers, cracks, and boulders. Impulses from my youth began to surge in me and I decided to take a swim. For the Colchuck Lake approach, continue up the Icicle Creek road and turn left on road no. Triple Couloirs is definitely one of my proudest climbs. There were a sprinkling of mid 5th moves. We packed our gear and were on the trail by 7:00 AM. Washington Scrambles Challenge. Some people in Anchorage have lived here for years and never seen the Northern Lights. We thought that this sort of verification was crazy, especially considering the hiker could have been in a life threatening situation! Excellent page - very helpful. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. We emerged from the dead quiet of our jagged hideaway about 10 minutes later. The third couloir was probably the least steep, but we were very tired at this point so the going was slow. Dragontail Peak; Dragontail Peak Triple Couloirs; Dragontail Peak; Aasgard Pass Hike; Goose Egg Mountain. The north face is so broad and varied that there are dozens of routes the weave their way up through this true Cascadian giant. Your email address will not be published. As I imagined the jammed parking lot and our imminent return to civilization, a raven glided by, swoopingbetween cliffs, leading the descent. Im not sure what good rapping down would do, since we had no real first aid gear with us and there was already a party on the scene. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. The surroundings mark one of the states most iconic places. The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. There is one section that constricts to the length of my skis, and a self-beloay with axe was handy to sideslip this short, steep section of snow over rock. I had tried to get into Dragontail a few times already this year and This route bypasses the east face snowfield if it's late season and very icy. Colin approaches Dragontail Peak across Colchuck Lake. Ski Sickness, chronologically. Descend left, then traverse left (northeast) to the summitsome parties use ropes for this part. I have done this drive so many times that I knew exactly how long it would take me, even with a gas stop. Drive 4 miles on this good dirt road to the Mountaineer Creek Trailhead (Colchuck Lake) with an elevation of 3540 feet. Weird. Just outside of Leavenworth we set up our tents at 8 mile campground and planned the next day. We conducted a thorough search of Dragontail, including this route and all moats at its base. The rest of the route was generally 3rd to mid 5th class, so we switched to a 30 m spacing and started simul climbing. Fun afternoon exploring some new zones around exit 54. But whatever, it's not like waiting in line on Outer Space. Start time: Alpine Start, maybe 3AMish. We were able to make the best out of conditions finding both powder and corn. Scramble up the far-west flanks of Little Annapurna to the obvious snow col separating it from Dragontail. Some of us had to work this weekend, so thanks for the vicarious dose of alpine life. The original plan was to meet up with Jeff and Scott at there base camp at the lake but we were late so it was going to be a game of catch up. This was definitely Jacobs pitch. Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 foot, . From the northwest was the Chiwaukum area. Chimney! Mailbox Peak. Climbing Dragontail Peak via Colchuck Glacier and Pandora's Box is a great multi-disciplinary adventure to test your skills and endurance. Expand. Dragontail Peak is located within the Enchantments, off of the Icicle Creek access road. Mt. The rope drag was heinous as I belayed him up. Did you know WTA has a mobile app? We waited around at the top of the TC's for the another two hours for the other three parties to top out, so as not to bombard them with our slough. The choice depends on the climbing route desired. The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. While we brought and used a #3, it was never. It offers beautiful scenery as well as great terrain with most of it being North facing. Great! When we got to the base of the runnels, we quickly agreed it was too thin for us to climb. Upon reaching the north side of Colchuck Lake, you will see the awe inspiring north face of Dragontail Peak directly across the lake. To the southwest you could see Mount Stuart and Sherpa Peak. The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. In the upper half of the pitch, I kept wandering upwards, eventually running out of rope and needing Jacob to simul a few feet to make a belay. From our camp, it appeared there was at least some ice over the runnels, but it did not look like a lot. Box 329 Leavenworth, WA 98826 phone: 509-548-5823 fax: 320-388 . (4 ), A Weekend in the Enchantments: 4 Peaks in a Row, Getting Back Into the Swing of Things: Triple Couloirs Car to Car, Dragontail Says Welcome Back to the Bulgers, Friends in High Places, on the Longest Day of the Year, Colchuck and Dragontail via Scramble Routes, Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Mixed, Scrambling, Skiing. Incredibly enough, there were yet another two climber/skiers intending to ski the TC's too, but later bailed down the backside. There are no activities scheduled at this location. Shouldering our skis and boot-packing didnt stop us gawking at the monoliths and sheer faces above the gorge. goratex rukavice, garmont dragontail GTX, mammut, dynafit, bunda, leginy Kari Traa, Spyder . Remaining climb is easier to the summit" - Z-man, "This is probably the easiest route up Dragontail, although indirect. Dragontail Peak. (95), Comments Above us Dragontail Peak rose dramatically out of the valley making a beautiful backdrop. Monday Night: Snow. Tax ID: 27-3009280. Strong Colorado UV rays doused thevan on our commute from the Moraine Park Campgroundto Bear Lake. Additional information. The terrain here was surprisingly stable and we made very good time up to the base of the lateral moraine. Once making our way across the lake we could see both Jeff and Scott breaking the skin track. Still, there was one tough looking chimney ahead of us. The Dragontail Mountains are part of the Columbia Plateau, which is a large area of basaltic lava flows in the western United States. @heinelogan or @samchaneles ? Somehow, the descent down Aasgard did not feel as bad this time, but I think I was just well rested from all the belaying and climbing. Its position above Colchuck Lake was tantalizing. I'm excited to see what they'll do in the coming years. As spring rolled around, we set our eyes on loftier goals. Scramble or climb one or both peaks via Colchuck Col or Assgard Pass in The Enchantments area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. From the higher snow, I spotted a nice rocky ledge we could get to and figured that would be a good place to rack up. Although this route is one of the easier routes for any high Bulger, it isn't a cakewalk and good fitness is required to make it happen. He did not hit any rocks, so I expected him to just get up and be fine, but I heard him moaning about his knee. Generally I'm not a fan of the dawn patrol. Dragontail Peak is seven miles east of the PCT. Thanks for busting trail! At least the endless windboard is par for the course! The Jaws of a Giant. within 100 mi. I led the rest of the climb, using the alpine nose I have developed on so many long moderate climbs like this one. You guys are killing it in the Stuart Range! A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Thu night. Tieton Gorge Climbing; Snow Creek Wall. During the day, we were radioed additional information that they might be on . 208SX. The name was officially accepted in 1955. Less than a year ago, Jacob did not even own mountaineering boots and now he was cruising up 50 degree snow! There are two trailheads used to climb Dragontail. At this point, most of the steep climbing was finished. Making out way up our attention was on the main southern couloir that went from the side of the summit. The snow heats up quick, a fact that the notorious Flattop winds can lure you into forgetting. A few minutes from the junction, cross the creek again on another log bridge and continue another couple miles switch-backing up to the lake. This sort of verification was crazy, especially considering the hiker could have been in a life situation... Surge in me and pushing me to be a better person, while making. United states bailed down the backside Annapurna to the base of the Peak Peak and the just. The morning of ourDragon Tail lap the surroundings mark one of my proudest climbs like forever we. 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Decent boot skiing in # x27 ; s wife called 911 and said she concerned!
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