This was definitely Jacobs pitch. I yelled to some skiers lower down on the glacier who were hiking up, hoping they could help out the injured hiker and maybe lower him on skis to a safer place. He discovered a message from hours ago from his mom saying that the sheriff would not respond until Jacob explicitly texted him! Thanks to my friends willing to get up early even when they don't have to! 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. After a light snowfall, the air becomes clear and crisp and coupled with peak larch color, the scenery is probably the best in the country for a couple weeks in October. Guided climbs of Dragontail Peak in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness offered by Northwest Mountain School and IMFGA guides John and Olivia Race. The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. It was going to be a great day riding down Dragontail Peak. Little Annapurna. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest . Climbing gear and expertise required. The top of the ridge is surprisingly flat considering its craggy facade, offering an easy south-side traverse over meadow and consolidated talus toward the summit block of Dragontail." I contacted a friend, who had heard that Triple Couloirs was still too thin to climb the previous week, but might be a little better this weekend. We considered rappelling, but it would take at least 8-10 rappels (without established rap anchors) on our single 60m rope down the steep face, so it would take us hours to get down. It was a good thing the strenuous climbing was finished because my arms were shot on the belay. I feel pretty lucky to have just walked out the door, in the middle of the city, and looked up to this beautiful sight. Scramble or climb one or both peaks via Colchuck Col or Assgard Pass in The Enchantments area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. They had attempted the route this morning, but turned around at the runnels due to thin ice conditions and poor visibility. Climbing gear and expertise required. You cannot paste images directly. Frozen Colchuck Lake and Dragontail Peak. Fun afternoon exploring some new zones around exit 54. Though most of the area was in the sun it was still easy to find areas in the shade. I earn a small commission on sales via these links at no additional cost to you. The weather was calm and mild, so it was a pleasant evening. I pulled into the trailhead at 4:59 am, just one minute early! Summertime brings warm daytime temperatures and cool nights and the fantastic granite in the entire Stuart range shines brightly for all the climbers who waited all winter to get their hands on the granite once again. Thanks,
This is another classic line that climbs the 2000+ foot northwest face of Dragontail via the ridge (or rib) immediately left of the Serpentine Arete. I stuck more to the face, trusting my picks in super thin ice. Elevation: 8,840 feet (2,690 meters) GPS Coordinates: 472843N 1205000W; Dragontail Peak was imaginatively named for its sharp ridges of rock that extend along its ridgeline that resembles a dragon's tail. Still, it is awesome. 600 Sherbourne Leavenworth, WA 98826 (509)-548-6977. We climbed Triple Couloirs on the same face a little over a year ago, so we thought it would be cool to return and do a rock route. I led the rest of the climb, using the alpine nose I have developed on so many long moderate climbs like this one. I met up with Dan in Bellevue and we made the long drive towards Icicle Creek. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Eventually, I had to try to find a slightly different way up because I could not fit in the chimney. Ascend snow (early season) or talus to glacier (no crevasses but can be icy by mid-season) and follow glacier to Colchuck Col. A couple of hundred feet left (east) of Colchuck Col, ascend the couloir to a notch in the ridge (Pandora's Box). We talked about what to do, not being sure they were still even in the same place or still needing rescue. Hiking Dragontail Peak. (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. The snow heats up quick, a fact that the notorious Flattop winds can lure you into forgetting. Bing Maps has a collection of great trails with directions to trail heads as well as photos. Sometime in the early afternoon, we reached Colchuck Lake and set up camp on the south shore. If all went according to plans we would find powder up on Dragontail Peak. Eventually, I spotted a rappel anchor. How did Jacob do this? Log in and send us But yesterday was an exception, and I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and some great snow on humpback mountain. Keep up the good work. Thanks to @brigettetakeuchi for allowing me to be the ski subject for once and getting this sick capture. From the summit of Dragontail Peak, descend southeast to the saddle at 8,500 ft. Then descend east on a long snow slope to Aasgard Pass. We discussed our options and agreed that we would still try the route, but likely take an easier, more circuitous bypass of the runnels. Home; About Us. A switchback at a time we made our way up the steep ramp before arriving at the top of the ridge. Required fields are marked *. From our vantage point we had a clear view of the Enchantment Mountains and the Central Cascades. Monday Night: Snow. You can post now and register later. Kyle was able to get solid sticks in the duff (great lead Kyle! This page was transferred to me by Bob Bolton. About NMS; . This route is somewhat popular and generally gets climbed by one variation or another several times each spring. CDT - Twin Lakes to Interstate 70; Grays Peak Trailhead. 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 Dragontail Peak, also known as Dragon Tail, is a mountain in the Stuart Range, in Chelan County, Washington.While climbing an adjacent peak, Lex Maxwell, Bob McCall, and Bill Prater remarked that the needles on the crest, southwest of the summit, resembled a "dragon tail". Who skied it better? The couloirsfeatures makekeeping all members of your group within sight at all times tricky. We expected to return to the car around nightfall Thursday. Jacob led this one. The Hidden starts off steep and remains so, all the way to the exit. Once at the notch, continue across a short ways and turn right. This was my favorite section of the entire climb. Here are a few photos from yesterday: Tim and I took a variation at the start to bypass some congestion. Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna are two Bulger List peaks inside The Enchantments of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Back at camp, we packed up and began the long descent down the Colchuck Lake Trail. Stevens Pass WA. Skied the Triple Couloirs on Dragontail Peak yesterday. Finally, we crested the couloir and got a view of the summit. Things are different this time around - more exploring close to town, not much powder lying around, micro adventures - but it is fun to get to experience local Anchorage. Log in and send us Jacob was up and ready to go. Some people in Anchorage have lived here for years and never seen the Northern Lights. Nice route guys.I'm envious as all hell. Before long we were putting a skin track up the main couloir of Dragontail Peak. He will lead sketchy, runout mixed pitches, but finds steep skiing insane. It inspired confidence all the way down to our North Face topout. I took a minute to digest the scene. A number of fee forest camps can be found along the Icicle Creek road near the trailheads. Its northwest face is almost a mile wide and 3000 feet high. It was quite exhausting. Colchuck Peak is a prominent peak in the Stuart Range and a worthy goal with some very fine climbs on its northeast side, though it is often overlooked in favor of Dragontail Peak immediately to the east with its spectacular north face. They circled the area for a while, so we were unsure if they had found anyone. Soon enough both Scott and Dan were gone and we were hiking back to the chute. If snow free, there is a climber's trail in the scree on . Garmont Dragontail - Men's and other great shoes and boots for approach, hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com. Luckily, the guy beneath me picked it up and returned it to us later in the climb. Camping is permitted in the Snow Lakes, Enchantment Lakes, and Colchuck Lake area only if you possess the required overnight permit. The rope drag was heinous as I belayed him up. They had followed me the entire route all the way to the summit! NOTE: In early season, almost the entire descent can be glissaded. Dragontail Peak. After 4 miles is the Snow Lakes trailhead parking lot on the left side of the road at 2,200 feet elevation. A "wrinkle in the granite," Jeff called it. If you're a dirtbag and need the gear, it's there for ya! On the approach, before the first pitch, a six-foot boulder barred her way. Standard alpine equipment including crampons. I've got some photos of the 3 of you making the first few turns if you guys want them. Confidence on steep snow and assurance of good weather is a must. Rocky Mountain National Park sees more than four million visitors each year, and because it stays open longest, Bear Lake Road carries the brunt of the parks winter traffic. Mileage: 21.4. From our camp, it appeared there was at least some ice over the runnels, but it did not look like a lot. Low around 21. Past the arete a ledge system is gained trending Southwest, paralleling the buttress 100 meters or so below the crest. Instead we continued up and right. Scott and Dan decided to hang out on the col while Jeff and I made our way to the top of Dragontail Peak. Baker (30+ ascents via 5 routes, ski descent) Mt. Looks like fun. Dragontail Peak, Serpentine Arete - 31 August 2017 Report of a Private Climb by two Mountaineers Members Photo - the SAR helicopter departing assgard Pass. 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