This route is somewhat popular and generally gets climbed by one variation or another several times each spring. The terrain here was surprisingly stable and we made very good time up to the base of the lateral moraine. Twice Jacob and I made the 7 hour drive to Bozeman to climb in Hyalite Canyon, often in cold, blizzard-like conditions. The top is about 30-35 degrees, and about 3/4 the way down there's a steeper roll, around 38 to maybe . Scramble up the far-west flanks of Little Annapurna to the obvious snow col separating it from Dragontail. Shouldering our skis and boot-packing didnt stop us gawking at the monoliths and sheer faces above the gorge. On the approach, before the first pitch, a six-foot boulder barred her way. Earlier in the week I had been in this zone heading up Mount Aix. It was this huge, 20 ft long, 4 ft wide ledge, perfect for switching to rock shoes! As I've said beforeyou guys are animals! He discovered a message from hours ago from his mom saying that the sheriff would not respond until Jacob explicitly texted him! Tyndall Gorge, which runs perpendicular to the base of Dragon Tail, evidences the Rockiesglacial history. We awoke the next morning around 4 am and packed up. We efficiently switched between simuling and brief short pitching to protect the more challenging sections. Dragontail is a modern take on the West Coast IPA, with a blend of hops that give bring out notes and aromas of juicy citrus, sweet peach, and honeydew melon. If snow free, there is a climber's trail in the scree on . Confidence on steep snow and assurance of good weather is a must. Thanks to my friends willing to get up early even when they don't have to! Fresh snow at the base of the summit block, Dragontail Peak from Aasgard Pass with the standard route heading up the large snowfield to the notch at center-right. Thanks for the support of Western Washington Honda Dealers and our other corporate sponsors. Upon reaching the north side of Colchuck Lake, you will see the awe inspiring north face of Dragontail Peak directly across the lake. Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 foot, . Colin approaches Dragontail Peak across Colchuck Lake. Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna are two Bulger List peaks inside The Enchantments of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for CDT - Twin Lakes to Interstate 70; Grays Peak. It had been a great day with a fun crew on Dragontail Peak. Both approaches are reached via the Icicle Creek road south of Leavenworth. Ski Sickness, chronologically. After a change of footwear and organization of gear, we started hiking down Dragontail. Head southwest on the Stuart Lake Trail. good to see more skiers being drawn to that classic route. Contact Us. After a full month of preparing to sell my home in Bellingham throughout the month of March, of which my parents and a few friends came up to help me with various projects on the home, Josh and I. To the west we had a good view of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. Ascend southeast on a broad, steep slope to Aasgard Pass. Cross Mountaineer Creek on a good foot bridge and reach the signed junction after a couple miles. Routefinding from Aasgard Pass can be tricky. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest walls in the Cascades. After a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018, we rolled north to the park in Powder7's Powder Wagon. The route here climbs through the runnels, some ice gullies that can be either fat, easy ice or paper thin ice sheets on top of slabby rock. Continue until you get to Colchuck lake. The couloir faces southeast and receives ample sun. 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 started with an easy slab traverse and then a super fun 5.8 dihedral! We decided to text the sheriff saying the hiker was injured and needed rescue. Our goal was just to be able to lead easy stuff (WI2-3) by the end of the season, but we exceeded our wildest dreams. The Serpentine Arte is a massive rock ridge that slithers (sorry) out of the Colchuck Glacier, weaving 2000 feet upward to the summit of Dragontail Peak. From the Snow Lakes trailhead, hike the long Snow Lakes trail passing the Snow Creek Wall, on the left, continuing around the north side of Nada Lake and reaching lower Snow Lake after about 6 miles at 5,430 feet. I don't know if it takes bigger cajones to drop a route like that blind. The Hidden starts off steep and remains so, all the way to the exit. Temperatures will be well below freezing (max -10C on Wed afternoon, min -17C on Sun night). It was time to head back to the car as we skinned across Colchuck Lake. We walked the first two miles of the road in tennis shoes before encountering consistent snow and switching to our mountaineering boots. Close Riding down we would work with the light kicking up snow in the sun. The crux of the route is moving from the first hidden couloir to the second couloir, which is in the middle of the face. Now the fun begins. (12), Additions & Corrections I have joined your rss feed and stay up for 47.75N 121.09W (Elev. Print/PDF map. I finally got this ski off my chest, having thought about it all season. At the junction take the left fork, the Colchuck Lake Trail. It was awesome to see him riding from our perspective as we had a clean view all the way to the bottom. I'm hoping to get back out there again in the next couple weekends (weather permitting) and I'll PM you to make good on the beer offer. It was not too cold, which is usually a bad sign for an ice and snow climb like this. There are campsites on both the west side and the south end of the lake. at 11:30 on Mondy night. 7601 (Eightmile Road), eight miles from Leavenworth. NOTE: In early season, almost the entire descent can be glissaded. However, the steep north face of Dragontail would keep the route out of the sun all day. From Aasgard Pass (7,800 ft), ascend southwest up the slope to the saddle at 8,500 ft. From the saddle, ascend northwest about 300 feet to the summit. Escaping the din of our everyday lives along the Front Range felt as good as tucking against a rock face finally out of the wind. At first the trail parallels Mountaineer Creek and gains 1,100 feet in 2.5 miles. Seattle Back Court 100 Peak Challenge . If you are looking for a way around the permit system, you can camp in the Crystal Creek drainage south of the Enchantment Lakes basin by either dropping down from Perfection Lake or by approaching via Crystal Creek from the Ingalls Creek trail. The exact pitch count is not essential as the upper 2/3rds of the route are low 5th class (with some mid-5th steps) and belays can be had at any time. Tax ID: 27-3009280. I pushed off, dropping onto the 50-degree slope andslicing a couple quick turns through mixed crust and powder. 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." There are two trailheads used to climb Dragontail. Dragontail Peak. You're viewing: Stevens Pass Ski Atlas $ 30.00. The massive complexity of the entire face unfolded before us. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. Below us was going to be an adventure as the trail was hard to find. 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. This route can be climbed year round, though it's quite difficult in mid-winter, as the access road is generally closed. Emerge onto the large talus field and begin ascending towards Aasgard Pass. 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. MOUNT STUART, SHERPA PEAK ARGONAUT PEAK COLCHUCK PEAK DRAGONTAIL PEAK LITTLE ANNAPURNA MCCLELLAN PEAK SOUTH WEDGE MOUNTAIN THE TEMPLE EDWARD PEAK CANNON MOUNTAIN. But yesterday was an exception, and I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and some great snow on humpback mountain. The north face of Dragontail, a decent looking, steep snowfield capped with a short rock headwall. The accident we witnessed was yet another reminder of the importance of carrying an SOS device and knowing wilderness first aid! Andy set out climbing on Thursday, August 7th. Stuart. As always, read the avalanche and weather forecasts before you go. Ft. 3904 Shawnee Ridge St, Las Vegas, NV 89129. Monday Night: Snow. Standard alpine equipment including crampons. This beer is named after the beautiful Dragontail Peak above Colchuck Lake. Mountaineers Books is a registered trademark of The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Discover trails like Dragontail Peak East Ridge via Asgard Pass Washington, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. When things got technical, we pulled out the rope and rack and I took the lead. The page states that permit season ends on October 15th. (95), Comments 1 754 K 1 790 K Early the next morning we drove to around 1 mile before the trailhead before being stopped by snow. 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. Trailhead Co-ordinates: 47.5279, -120.8205 Open in Google Maps. Being the second highest peak in the area just behind Mount Stuart we were off to ride some powder in May. In front of that was the Argonaut peak northeast face. Overview. Our tax identification number is EIN 91-0900134. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/dragontail-peak, https://www.wta.org/@@site-logo/wta-logo.png, Summer Trail Work: Be Ready for WTA's Backcountry Trips. and extended the rescue for so much longer. Descend the climbing route to Colchuck Col and then descend Colchuck Col to Colchuck Lake. Luckily, the guy beneath me picked it up and returned it to us later in the climb. Not bad for a 2000 ft grade IV route! The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. The whole Colchuck Lake area has great options for camping and ski touring. It was strange to see others with the same intent on the same day, conincidentally. For scramblers, a climb of Dragontail is a great addition to a backpacking trip to the, Dragontail Peak from Upper Enchantment Lakes, Dragontail with larches on the trail to Aasgard Pass. Looking forward to many more together . A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Thu night. You will emerge onto a talus slope on the south side of the peak. Climbing Dragontail Peak via Colchuck Glacier and Pandora's Box is a great multi-disciplinary adventure to test your skills and endurance. Andrew, Oh godthey extended it? It was quite exhausting. Guided climbs of Dragontail Peak in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness offered by Northwest Mountain School and IMFGA guides John and Olivia Race. The name Dragontail comes from the jagged ridge of rock needles on the thin ridge crest SW of the summit resembling a long spiny trail of a dragon. Not wanting to commit to the three 60m raps down the un-ice runnels between the 2nd and Hidden couloirs, I discovered the following option for the ascent and descent. | Download for iOS | Download for Android, A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. Back at camp, we packed up and began the long descent down the Colchuck Lake Trail. 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". So we continued on and hoped the rescue would come quickly. Unfortunately, on Saturday Kyle Flick, Will Terrano and I weren't the only ones with TC on our agenda. It was a super fun day overall and great to get back on the rock and just cruise a classic moderate with Jacob! Jacob led more easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner. From the European Alps to the far more formidable Issy Alps, we had a great year. Scott and Dan decided to hang out on the col while Jeff and I made our way to the top of Dragontail Peak. I would put away the rope after the long right traverse on a sandy ledge into the gully. 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. That is very fascinating, Youre an excessively professional blogger. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? View Dragontail Peak Image Gallery - 363 Images. He will lead sketchy, runout mixed pitches, but finds steep skiing insane. Once at the notch, continue across a short ways and turn right. Stuart. Trail steepens after the bridge and at 2.5 miles the junction with Colchuck Lake Trail is . Park at the end of the road and begin hiking on the Mt. - Supermarmot, Routes Both the South Couloir of Dragontail Peak and the Colchuck glacier area were in great conditions. Extremely cold (max 0F on Sat afternoon, min -8F on Thu night). Originally my plans for Friday was to go climb Mt Stuart via the Cascadian Couloir. Get Trail News Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. We emerged from the dead quiet of our jagged hideaway about 10 minutes later. Route: Haute Route (Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland) 2023 Dates. Sweet pictures and great TR. Triple Couloirs is definitely one of my proudest climbs. You can post now and register later. Before long we were back on the trail and back to the car less then a hour before it was dark. Glad we did not go that way! and peak combinations. As a result, we had to wade through knee deep, loose sugar snow. Besides, it was nice to draft for once this season. I've had my eye on the N. Face of Dragontail all season as it relates to Triple Couloirs. Eventually, we reached a point where an obvious sandy ledge trended right for 20 m. 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