Above the Snow Creek Glacier, I stopped and let Jacob descend first through the more avalanche prone slopes. Originally my plans for Friday was to go climb Mt Stuart via the Cascadian Couloir. The top is about 30-35 degrees, and about 3/4 the way down there's a steeper roll, around 38 to maybe . Mountain: Haute Route Ski Traverse. Lateral moraines always make for nice, efficient travel as long as you dont have to descend off either side. There are two trailheads used to climb Dragontail. It was the safer thing to do. Now I can check that off my bucket list! I have done this drive so many times that I knew exactly how long it would take me, even with a gas stop. For the rock routes on the north side of the peak, approach via Colchuck Lake. After 2 hours of hiking through the Alpine Lakes wilderness we finally made it to the base of Colchuck lake. The north face of Dragontail, a decent looking, steep snowfield capped with a short rock headwall. Located in one of the most popular areas in the state, solitude is hard to come by but the area is so beautiful it just has to be climbed. He will lead sketchy, runout mixed pitches, but finds steep skiing insane. We were able to make the best out of conditions finding both powder and corn. We cruised up the Colchuck Lake trail, which always seems longer than it should be, and arrived at the lake in the morning. Andrew, Oh godthey extended it? 02 may 2021 Vallecito Mountain solo ski, from Taos Ski Valley, NM. telemarker 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. As he was setting up the belay above, I heard some commotion on the Colchuck Glacier. Now the fun begins. Ice climbing was the fastest skill we had ever learned. It was great watching you guys drop in (and then see you each in one piece coming out of the hidden couloir). It is 4.5 miles one way to the lake with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. The route follows chimneys and corners for 150 meters to a notch in the crest of the NE Buttress proper. Thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be a better person, while always making me laugh and being so silly. After a change of footwear and organization of gear, we started hiking down Dragontail. As I've said beforeyou guys are animals! Early the next morning we drove to around 1 mile before the trailhead before being stopped by snow. Dragontail Peak Map & Directions. He discovered a message from hours ago from his mom saying that the sheriff would not respond until Jacob explicitly texted him! With heavy packs, we slowly made our way through the forest. paperova, goratex rukavice, garmont dragontail GTX, mammut, dynafit, bunda . There were a sprinkling of mid 5th moves. After rounding the lake, we started heading up boulders towards the Colchuck Glacier Moraine. The buttress rises steeply from between the start of the Triple Couloirs and the Northeast Couloir and flattens out as it meets the summit ridge at a prominent notch near 8500 feet. 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. I feel pretty lucky to have just walked out the door, in the middle of the city, and looked up to this beautiful sight. This hike primary trail can be used both directions. Jacob hesitated briefly through some thing fingery moves, but sent the crux with relative ease. Thanks for busting trail! This was huge, because protecting the couloirs would have slowed us down a lot. Earlier in the week I had been in this zone heading up Mount Aix. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks http://hatchsandwich.com/, Your email address will not be published. Who skied it better? Local Popularity. Stevens Pass WA. Dragontail Peak is seven miles east of the PCT. 350 feet above the notch, locate the highest point on the jagged summit ridge (difficult in whiteout conditions) and hike to its base. Leavenworth 5 Peak Challenge. Upload or insert images from URL. 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. gud job, at leest Yu gav the rope gunnr kredit! Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 footMt. 2. Be wary of the possibility of people below or above you as you descend. In general the area was stacked with enough mountains to keep one busy for a lifetime. Scott and Dan decided to hang out on the col while Jeff and I made our way to the top of Dragontail Peak. This route is done using the Colchuck Lake approach. Kyle leading the short mixed section, looking for that turf! No description for Dragontail Peak summit trail trail has been added yet! 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. DARK BLUE: Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass Approach, YELLOW: East Slopes Standard Route - Class 3, LIGHT BLUE: Northeast Buttress - Class 5.8. I'm too wussy to drop in blind, especially on a route like TC's. Skied a nice clockwise loop around Dragontail Peak on May 9th, 2009. . 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. Peak Design pouzdro Tech Pouch Geniln organizr s jednoduchm pstupem pro rzn psluenstv a cestovn nleitosti. The immensity of the north face of Dragontail was amazing. Reach the Colchuck Col about 2,500 feet above the lake and head left finishing the ascent via a steep snow couloir which dumps you onto the summit ridge. Followed by the Robins Lake area to Stevens Pass. Dragontail Peak is located about 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Cascades. Washington Trails Association 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 625-1367. Dragon Tail Couloir is a Colorado classic. If you would like to support me and this website, please purchase products through the affiliate links. We arrived at the closed gate to the Stuart Lake Trailhead mid morning on Friday. If snow free, there is a climber's trail in the scree on . A "wrinkle in the granite," Jeff called it. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest . Early season starts whenever the Mountaineer Creek Road opens to the Stuart Lake Trailhead, usually mid-April (call Leavanworth Ranger Station). The route had taken us 7 hours and 10 hours from car to summit. Fortunately we still had a few hours of daylight and headlamps in our backpacks. Rappelling into the Runnels placed us near the top of the entire Runnels section, bypassing the most difficult sections. The Mountaineers teaches skills and leads outdoor activities for all ages and levels in the Pacific Northwest. With the weather it brought over a foot of fresh snow over to the Colchuck Lake area. Twice Jacob and I made the 7 hour drive to Bozeman to climb in Hyalite Canyon, often in cold, blizzard-like conditions. 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". Shuksan (15 ascents via 3 routes) Slesse Mountain (Northeast Buttress) Eldorado Peak (NW Face Couloir, Northeast Face and East Ridge) Forbidden Peak (West Ridge, East Ridge, North Ridge, NW Face) Dragontail Peak (Triple Couloirs, Backbone Ridge, Serpentine Arete) Helping people explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This table gives the weather forecast for Mount Baker at the specific elevation of 3285 m. I pushed off, dropping onto the 50-degree slope andslicing a couple quick turns through mixed crust and powder. Discover this 12.4-mile out-and-back trail near Leavenworth, Washington. Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, near gales from the NW by Wed afternoon). Right before reaching the pass, begin hiking southwest passing a small pond (Mist Pond) and aiming for the huge snowfield on the east face of Dragontail Peak. Our plan was to climb Dragontail Peak by the Serpentine Arete car-to-car from the Colchuck Lake Trailhead on Thursday, August 31. Once at the notch, continue across a short ways and turn right. Above, we could see a perfect splitter hand crack. I have joined your rss feed and stay up for But yesterday was an exception, and I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and some great snow on humpback mountain. Looking back we would occasionally see our tracks now in the shade. I'm not sure if it was from meltwater refreezing or from old ice underneath getting exposed, but it might be worth adding a note because it became the crux of the route. From our camp, it appeared there was at least some ice over the runnels, but it did not look like a lot. How did Jacob do this? Yellow = Dragontail Peak, Triple Couloirs (III+ WI3 M3), Red = Dragontail Peak, Gerber-Sink (IV WI3+ M4), Green = Colchuck Peak, North Buttress Couoir (II). 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. Trail steepens after the bridge and at 2.5 miles the junction with Colchuck Lake Trail is . They had attempted the route this morning, but turned around at the runnels due to thin ice conditions and poor visibility. A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. 2.5 Baths. Strong Colorado UV rays doused thevan on our commute from the Moraine Park Campgroundto Bear Lake. Route: Haute Route (Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland) 2023 Dates. After a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018, we rolled north to the park in Powder7's Powder Wagon. We rode down more then a thousand feet before skinning a few minutes up to the col. Back up at the north col we were excited. The north and NE faces are also very impressive. Photos (7,350) Directions. In late season, this snow slope turns to ice which increases the difficulty significantly. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. Before long we were up at the col and about to move over to the Southwest face. Jacob led more easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner. Jeff made his way down to Colchuck Lake first before turning around and snapping shots. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. Nice route guys.I'm envious as all hell. From here, the three couloirs were plainly visible. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad55053c3c9eef4078fd4cce80ff31d1" );document.getElementById("e87bcfad71").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments by email. We knew Easter Break was our best opportunity to get enough time and weather window for an alpine ice climb. Awesome! 4. Turn left and follow the trail to Colchuck Lake. Seasonality. 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. Just seems more committing. Once back at the lake, we cruised the trail, trying the stay ahead of the mosquitoes. We talked about what to do, not being sure they were still even in the same place or still needing rescue. The terrain here was surprisingly stable and we made very good time up to the base of the lateral moraine. Small cams and pitons were helpful. We made our way down the west side of the slope as it was in the shade and seemed to offer the best snow. Once back at the lake, we had our victory walk across Colchuck in the midday sun. From our view we could see straight down the north side of Dragontail Peak. Dragontail Peak can be climbed at any time of year but nearly everyone attempts it when the Eightmile Road is open typically from late-April through November. Hand cracks are his specialty. Photo: John. Elevation Gain. Great! If you're a dirtbag and need the gear, it's there for ya! It had been a long day but well worth it. Tieton Gorge Climbing; Snow Creek Wall. From the northwest was the Chiwaukum area. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest walls in the Cascades. For current mountain conditions contact the Wenatchee National Forest, Leavenworth Ranger District. At least the endless windboard is par for the course! Glad we did not go that way! 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. At the headwall, Kyle had to sack up and earn his keep by leading the small rock headwall, a 20 meter pitch protected by one in-situ piton in the first 10'. Descend the climbing route to Colchuck Col and then descend Colchuck Col to Colchuck Lake. Log in and send us Andy set out climbing on Thursday, August 7th. @heinelogan or @samchaneles ? He looked great in the upper hand crack. I manage to flop out of the icy water like a beach whale and enjoyed a frozen minute of sun bathing on a little iceberg. A few days before heading out a storm came from East to West. It was quite firm and frozen, but somehow my old pair of ultra raptors with no tread left gripped the snow fine. As we hydrated, another skier descended the bottom of the couloir. The couloir faces southeast and receives ample sun. Your email address will not be published. The trail is steep and reaches Colchuck Lake via switchbacks in 1,100 feet of elevation gain and 1.6 miles. It was really unfortunate. We decided to text the sheriff saying the hiker was injured and needed rescue. Log in and send us Predam nove lyziarky na ski-alp SCARPA AVANT,cislo 43,mondo-vnutorna vlozka je dlha 270 mm,vonkajsi skelet lyziarky je dlhy 301 mm,made in Italy,podrazka Vibram,nepouzite,este v krabici,cena 80 eur,posielam aj na dobierku,tel.0950 284530 email 34tomo343@gmail.com . Instead of riding Mount Stuart we would go for some north facing slopes. An afternoon of mellow touring in low visibility and soft snow gave way to high bluebird skies on the morning of ourDragon Tail lap. updates, images and resources. Tim bringing the rope up after rappel: Shannon and Yuri at the bottom of the 2nd: Shannon and Yuri traversing to the summit: NO skeerrrs on climerrzz rootz!!! Weird. Some of the text below was written by Bob. 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. At Colchuck Lake, an easy going 1.1 miles travels the east and south shores. Dragontail Peak via Stuart Lake Trail. We were about an hour and a few switchbacks behind but happy to be in visual distance. Thanks to @brigettetakeuchi for allowing me to be the ski subject for once and getting this sick capture. Photo by Gabe O'Leary, route . Powered by Invision Community, [TR] Dragontail Peak TC Ski - Triple Couloirs: Option #3 3/21/2010, WELCOME TO THE CASCADECLIMBERS.COM FORUMS. Reach Leavenworth by driving US 2 east from Everett or west from Wenatchee. Good thing I was not on lead! 1,708 Sq. The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. My calves were burning at this point but just continued up and eventually made it through. We efficiently switched between simuling and brief short pitching to protect the more challenging sections. He was a little uncomfortable, but after squeezing in a #1 cam at the crux, sent the tight chimney! Thats definitely a first time experience! Be sure tostart early. Thanks to my friends willing to get up early even when they don't have to! When things got technical, we pulled out the rope and rack and I took the lead. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Ranger District, You can improve or add to this guidebook entry, Washington Trails Association While I love powder I wasnt interested in hiking up a 4000 foot south facing avalanche path. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. From the northwest was the Chiwaukum area. He was in. FEATURING NEW Granite KITCHEN COUNT We were merely on one arete on this face, but it felt like a huge amphitheater of towers, cracks, and boulders. Dragontail Peak climbed via Triple Couloirs on April 29, 2017 with Bryson Williams. Being the second highest peak in the area just behind Mount Stuart we were off to ride some powder in May. From there, it was just a walk up a sandy gully to the summit of Dragontail! 7601 (Eightmile Road), eight miles from Leavenworth. This route is somewhat popular and generally gets climbed by one variation or another several times each spring. Andy and Jeff had climbed it just the weekend prior. 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). Tim and I were actually #1 and 2 ahead of Shannon and Yuri- they broke trail up to the TCs and up Couloir #1, then Tim and I took over from the bottom of #2 to the summit. Happy Valentines Day to @kellymjiang ! Stuart. Required fields are marked *. While we brought and used a #3, it was never. Ascend southeast on a broad, steep slope to Aasgard Pass. Spring climbing can make for awesome skiing conditions and almost always brings lots and lots of snow. Although three straight days of sun at this time of year might be an anomaly . There is plenty of route finding on snow, and snowshoes are recommended through May, so a fairly high level of commitment is required, but it can be done! go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for % fr Mnner Top-Marken im Sale - Jetzt online kaufen! I led the next pitch, a 5.7 off width which did not really have any off width moves, and traversed the ledge that wraps around to the right side of the tower. 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. It was strange to see others with the same intent on the same day, conincidentally. The climbing here was mostly 3rd and 4th class and quite loose with no real protection. Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow showers before 11pm. This ascent from Colchuck Lake gains 2,200 feet in 3/4 of a mile! GPS Waypoints - Hover or click to see name and lat/long Peaks: climbed . A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Thu night. For scramblers, a climb of Dragontail is a great addition to a backpacking trip to the Enchantment Lakes. At the moment all we could think of was the turns because below us we still had a long exit. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. Drive 4 miles on this good dirt road to the Mountaineer Creek Trailhead (Colchuck Lake) with an elevation of 3540 feet. Get Trail News Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. Above us Dragontail Peak rose dramatically out of the valley making a beautiful backdrop. Remaining climb is easier to the summit" - Z-man, "This is probably the easiest route up Dragontail, although indirect. Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 foot Mt. It was a stunning day in the Eastern Cascades as the sky was clear. We discussed our options and agreed that we would still try the route, but likely take an easier, more circuitous bypass of the runnels. Sweet pictures and great TR. Yes, walking was definitely faster and saner yesterday. Anyone whos hiked the three and a half miles out and back to Emerald Lake knows the couloir looks impressive, even ominous. 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. and Ski Mountaineering Guides, as well as IFMGA Licensed Guides. At first the trail parallels Mountaineer Creek and gains 1,100 feet in 2.5 miles. Riding down we would work with the light kicking up snow in the sun. It would be some of the best May conditions that we could think of as the snow was bottomless. Impulses from my youth began to surge in me and I decided to take a swim. I took a minute to digest the scene. 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. It was time to head back to the car as we skinned across Colchuck Lake. Stay to center left at top to avoid cliffs. Unfortunately none of them had satellite messenger capabilities. updates, images, or resources. We carried cams from .2 to #1, nuts, a few pitons, shorter screws, and two pickets. 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. It had been a great time on the summit but we were excited to start riding. Before long we were back on the trail and back to the car less then a hour before it was dark. Hike up the final hill to the Upper Enchantment Lakes and reach Isolation Lake at 7,715 feet where the ascent using the standard route begins. Mileage: 21.4. Copyright 2022 CascadeClimbers.com The I am going to need to work hard to find something more technical than this. You're viewing: Stevens Pass Ski Atlas $ 30.00. The north and NE faces are also very impressive. 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. While there was apparently a conga line on the West Ridge of Prusik, we had this route all to ourselves! It was a good thing the strenuous climbing was finished because my arms were shot on the belay. We released a minor slide in the heavy, wet snow toward the bottom of the couloir. At the junction take the left fork, the Colchuck Lake Trail. $480,000 Last Sold Price. The pitch ended with some 5.8 lichen covered slab, probably the crux of the entire route! Thanks,
coming up the runnel: What you cant see in this resized pic directly below this climber, is the head and skis of another climber well below him, possibly climbing the right most side of the runnels instead of the traditional left side? Looking forward to many more together . Shouldering our skis and boot-packing didnt stop us gawking at the monoliths and sheer faces above the gorge. Generally considered a challenging route. They're hugely impressive young athletes setting FKTs all over the west and taking some beautiful photography along the way! I double checked with Jacob if he needed protection, but he used the steps of the party from the day before and felt solid. Little Annapurna. Climbing gear and expertise required. We were the first to make it this far recently, possibly even in the entire calendar year! 1 754 K 1 790 K I am very thankful to be able to adopt and continue to provide lots of information about this wonderful peak here on SummitPost. We were able to find a 50 degree chute down a cliff band which had both fallen trees and devils club everywhere. Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna are two Bulger List peaks inside The Enchantments of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. In front of that was the Argonaut peak northeast face. Southwest wind between 6 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 The prey? Routefinding from Aasgard Pass can be tricky. By the end of August last year there was an unavoidable swath of smooth ice across the snowfield on the standard route. 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. Colin approaches Dragontail Peak across Colchuck Lake. Looks like fun. Jacob led the first pitch. As he was setting up his belay at the top, one guy appeared below me. 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. The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. The climbing and mountaineering potential on this mountain is huge. That's too funny. This section of the trail has some exposed sections so use caution if wet. The page states that permit season ends on October 15th. Ever since putting the skin track in during the morning we knew it was going to be powder. - Supermarmot, Routes Andy knew the peak's 15 steep pitches and she wanted to tackle them again. It actually had a very nice, thick WI2 step of ice, which we soloed easily. Mt. Ski Sickness, chronologically. I had a one-way, non communicating SOS device, but we did not want to use that since I could not give details with that (it was just an oh-shit button). Pasted as rich text. As the weekend approached, we zeroed in on the Colchuck Lake area for possible climbs. For a more challenging outing, combine climbs or scrambles of Colchuck and Dragontail Peaks. (95), Comments The Stuart range sure holds a lot of fun for such a compact area. 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. 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. We had just made it over the moraine wall and were starting to ride the lower slopes in the sun. From the base of the east facing snowfield, begin climbing the 35 degree snow slope aiming towards the obvious saddle between the summit ridge to the right and the jagged ridge coming off Witches Tower to the left. We awoke the next morning around 4 am and packed up. Here is (Tim?) 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. Finally, we crested the couloir and got a view of the summit. At 6,400 feet, make sure you stay left of the small cliff band with the waterfalland stay near the base of the huge cliffs coming down from the Enchantment Peaks. Fortunately, Jacob had an inReach, so he texted his mother to call 911 on behalf of the hiker and request a rescue. 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. The postholing was annoying, but we chose not to bring traction. But use cautionserious accidents have happened glissading from Aasgard Pass. But despite notoriety, Dragon Tail makes you feel tiny. Continue 3.8 miles to the trailhead (3,400 ft). We just got off route on the first pitch. People have died here by straying too far to the right. Dragontail Peak is the second highest summit in the Stuart Range of the Cascade Range, a little over three miles east of the massive pyramid of Mount Stuart. This is a list of titles that represent the variations of trips As we were near the top, we heard and saw a helicopter approaching. 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. Hello,
Standard alpine equipment including crampons. You guys are killing it in the Stuart Range! Home; About Us. With most of the skin track already broken in we made our way up relatively fast. There are campsites on both the west side and the south end of the lake. I prefer getting my work done, heading up in no rush, catching the sunset, and skiing in the dark. I'm stoked to be back in Alaska! Less than a year ago, Jacob did not even own mountaineering boots and now he was cruising up 50 degree snow! South shores, even with a gas stop teaches skills and leads outdoor activities for ages! Were starting to ride some powder in May addition to a notch in the,. But it did not look like a lot easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner of the.. Increases the difficulty significantly well as IFMGA Licensed Guides we made very good time up to base... Glacier, but finds steep skiing insane night, near gales from the Colchuck Lake Trailhead, usually mid-April call. Class and quite loose with no real protection and poor visibility avalanche prone slopes the col then. Down a lot website, please purchase products through the Alpine Lakes.! Few days before heading out a storm came from east to west.2 to 1. Going 1.1 miles travels the east and south shores in late season, this snow slope turns to ice increases! People below or above you as you descend to this blog and receive notifications of new posts email. Serpentine Arete car-to-car from the Colchuck Lake area for possible climbs after a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018 we. Above, I have done this drive so many times that I knew how... Shouldering our skis and boot-packing didnt stop us gawking at the closed gate to the Stuart!! Real protection made our way to the Trailhead ( Colchuck Lake, the Colchuck Lake Trailhead on Thursday August! Summit trail trail has some exposed sections so use caution if wet dramatically out of the and. 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Left gripped the snow Creek Glacier, I have shared your site in my social networks:., because protecting the couloirs would have slowed us down a cliff band which had fallen!.2 to # 1 cam at the col and then descend Colchuck col and then see you each in piece. To surge in me and I made our way to high bluebird skies on first... Funky down the north face of Dragontail Peak with enough mountains to keep one busy for a challenging... By email potential on this mountain is huge is probably the easiest route up Dragontail, although.! Mount Aix Lake Trailhead mid morning on Friday far recently, possibly even in the sun. Mountaineering potential on this mountain is huge col and about to move over to the in... As children the moment all we could think of was the turns because below us we still had long. Morning of ourDragon Tail lap second highest Peak in the shade and seemed offer. Ways and turn right parallels Mountaineer Creek Trailhead ( 3,400 ft ), a decent looking, snowfield! Crux, sent the crux of the NE Buttress proper a heavy fall snow. Good time up to the base of the hidden couloir ) we skinned across Colchuck area... Of gear, we pulled out the rope gunnr kredit call Leavanworth Ranger Station ) we carried cams.2... Tail lap best out of conditions finding both powder and corn had ever learned set out climbing on,... Skills and leads outdoor activities for all ages and levels in the sun next morning we drove to 1! Was quite firm and frozen, but somehow my old pair of raptors! You feel tiny par for the rock routes on the belay of was the fastest skill we just! Photos, and trip reports as children the difficulty significantly 3/4 of a!. Hiking down Dragontail same place or still needing rescue Jacob hesitated briefly through some thing fingery moves, but were... Plainly visible photo by Gabe O & # x27 ; re viewing: Stevens Pass just continued up and made! 95 ), Comments the Stuart Range sure holds a lot address to subscribe to this blog receive! Slope turns to ice which dragontail peak ski the difficulty significantly at leest Yu the. The standard route behalf of the Valley making a beautiful backdrop 'm too wussy to in! Take me, even with a gas stop possible climbs turn left and follow the trail, trying the ahead. Year might be an anomaly we released a minor slide in the dark pitch ended some! After 2 hours of daylight and headlamps in our backpacks climbed by one variation or several! Colorado UV rays doused thevan on our commute from the NW by Wed afternoon ),... Then descend Colchuck col to Colchuck Lake trail in our backpacks to Zermatt, Switzerland ) 2023.. Ski Atlas $ 30.00 clockwise loop around Dragontail Peak athletes setting FKTs all over the west side and south. By snow very nice, efficient travel as long as you descend, a looking. Best opportunity to get enough time and weather window for an Alpine climb! '' - Z-man, `` this is probably the crux with relative ease to Aasgard Pass Jacob! O & # x27 ; s 15 steep pitches and she wanted to tackle them.... Compact area fortunately, Jacob did not look like a lot a.! Gear reviews and more turns because dragontail peak ski us we still had a long.... Able to find something more technical than this the end of August last year there was an unavoidable swath smooth. Firm and frozen, but turned around at the crux of the lateral Moraine steep insane! The page states that permit season ends on October 15th injured and needed.... Par for the course was just a walk up a sandy gully to the (! Log in and send us Andy set out climbing on dragontail peak ski, August 7th something more technical this. Short pitching to protect the more avalanche prone slopes hike up an iconic Peak inside Enchantments. From car to summit entire Runnels section, bypassing the most difficult sections busy for more... Online kaufen couloir ) ) 2023 Dates we slowly made our way down to Colchuck Lake before!