Fun afternoon exploring some new zones around exit 54. 357. So maybe I still haven't seen the real anchorage, just a sunny colorful mirage. Before You Go. Hopefully one day someone will be able to ski continuously through the runnels section that would fuk'n, one note: You guys missed the best, and most exhilarating skiing of the route however, which the transition between the third and middle couloirs, and the middle couloir itself! Nice route guys.I'm envious as all hell. If still snow covered, beware of avalanche danger and choose the best route to the pass. Hand cracks are his specialty. He discovered a message from hours ago from his mom saying that the sheriff would not respond until Jacob explicitly texted him! If you want to find some of the best snow conditions in Washington Dragontail Peak is the place to go. updates, images and resources. Sweet pictures and great TR. By the end of August last year there was an unavoidable swath of smooth ice across the snowfield on the standard route. As I've said beforeyou guys are animals! Dragontail Peak is seven miles east of the PCT. 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. To the west we had a good view of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 15 h 11 min to complete. within 100 mi. FEATURING NEW Granite KITCHEN COUNT Thank you so much. Thanks for the pix guys. I took a few minutes to dry off and warm up before starting the descent down Aasgard. Descend the climbing route to Colchuck Col and then descend Colchuck Col to Colchuck Lake. After a change of footwear and organization of gear, we started hiking down Dragontail. With heavy packs, we slowly made our way through the forest. Seasonality. An afternoon of mellow touring in low visibility and soft snow gave way to high bluebird skies on the morning of ourDragon Tail lap. See above for approach descriptions. 2023 Climber Kyle. Dragontail Peak via Stuart Lake Trail. Kyle was able to get solid sticks in the duff (great lead Kyle! Reach Leavenworth by driving US 2 east from Everett or west from Wenatchee. Skinning the snow creek glaciers was a bit of a chore as the sun had turned the snow to glop and an incredible amount began balling up on my skins, once on the south side of dragontail I was so tired of the snow balling that I carried my skis for the final couple hundred feet or so. After a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018, we rolled north to the park in Powder7s Powder Wagon. Standard alpine equipment including crampons. 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. 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. gud job, at leest Yu gav the rope gunnr kredit! It was a super fun day overall and great to get back on the rock and just cruise a classic moderate with Jacob! Dragontail Peak, Serpentine Arete - 31 August 2017 Report of a Private Climb by two Mountaineers Members Photo - the SAR helicopter departing assgard Pass. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? 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). We were able to make the best out of conditions finding both powder and corn. 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. Once at the notch, continue across a short ways and turn right. 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. Winds decreasing (gales from the W on Thu night, light winds from the SE by Sun afternoon). 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". 2. The top is about 30-35 degrees, and about 3/4 the way down there's a steeper roll, around 38 to maybe . When we got to the base of the runnels, we quickly agreed it was too thin for us to climb. Looking forward to many more together . The climbing was sandy and loose in some places, but it was never loose and difficult. 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. From here, we set up our 40m rap onto the north face with a couple pins and a couple cams (booty!). The postholing was annoying, but we chose not to bring traction. 316 summits. Our plan was to climb Dragontail Peak by the Serpentine Arete car-to-car from the Colchuck Lake Trailhead on Thursday, August 31. Overview. Descend left, then traverse left (northeast) to the summitsome parties use ropes for this part. But I'm confused, did you have a non-skier rope gun or whats the deal with the guy with no skis? Your email address will not be published. That is very fascinating, Youre an excessively professional blogger. Home; About Us. 3. It offers beautiful scenery as well as great terrain with most of it being North facing. It was the safer thing to do. 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. Length 12.4 miElevation gain 5,620 ftRoute type Out & back. go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for Thanks to my friends willing to get up early even when they don't have to! We efficiently switched between simuling and brief short pitching to protect the more challenging sections. Generally considered a challenging route. It certainly made for the quickest, most enjoyable part of the whole descent. (jOkE!). We packed our gear and were on the trail by 7:00 AM. It looked pretty steep and intimidating with only intermittent jams. Excellent page - very helpful. Photos (7,350) Directions. We had made the right call to head out to Dragontail Peak. Required fields are marked *. Early the next morning we drove to around 1 mile before the trailhead before being stopped by snow. Colin approaches Dragontail Peak across Colchuck Lake. 04 apr 2021 Santa Fe Baldy solo ski, from Ski Santa Fe, NM. Thanks for the excellent page! 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. It was going to be a great day riding down Dragontail Peak. This includes side trips, extensions I prefer getting my work done, heading up in no rush, catching the sunset, and skiing in the dark. Dragontail Peak summit trail is a 3,215 ft black diamond singletrack trail located near Leavenworth Washington. A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. I have joined your rss feed and stay up for The spindrift was pretty intense at a couple of points - Tim traversing in: Shannon following near the transition to the 2nd Couloir: We rapped into the top of the runnels and finished via some thin ice over slab. The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. We crossed to a rock island and followed fourth class ledges up to a higher snow finger. Cross Mountaineer Creek on a good foot bridge and reach the signed junction after a couple miles. See Red Tape. Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 footMt. At the west end of Leavenworth, right before entering Tumwater Canyon, turn south on Icicle Creek road (there is a sign). There was no more 5th class to the summit. If snow free, there is a climbers trail in the scree on the left side of the slope--look for cairns. Dragontail Peak is located about 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Cascades. Thank you for reading this trip on Dragontail Peak. 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. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the pitons at the belay so I could not get any protection with all the thin seams. But eventually, they landed on the flat part of the Colchuck Moraine, so we are guessing they found someone to rescue and were just figuring out how to pick them up. On the mountain's northeast flank lies Colchuck Lake which drains into . We awoke the next morning around 4 am and packed up. 47.75N 121.09W (Elev. They are hardy trees. From our camp, it appeared there was at least some ice over the runnels, but it did not look like a lot. This beer is named after the beautiful Dragontail Peak above Colchuck Lake. Dropping in we had almost 3000 vert of perfect snow between us and Lake Colchuck. Although three straight days of sun at this time of year might be an anomaly . P.O. We had just made it over the moraine wall and were starting to ride the lower slopes in the sun. We all made tentative turns as it was quite icy from the get-go. 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 The choice depends on the climbing route desired. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest walls in the Cascades. 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. Tyndall Gorge, which runs perpendicular to the base of Dragon Tail, evidences the Rockiesglacial history. Your previous content has been restored. The trail initially follows the small creek which bisects the huge talus slope on the lower half of the ascent. During the day, we were radioed additional information that they might be on . Some of the text below was written by Bob. I guess it is almost summer. 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. From here, the three couloirs were plainly visible. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a608bc810922762285697226a9dd15f7" );document.getElementById("e87bcfad71").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments by email. In general the area was stacked with enough mountains to keep one busy for a lifetime. From US-2 in Leavenworth drive Icicle Creek Road (Forest Road 76) for 8.4 miles. better conditions.well, the forecast wasn't great, but I had become The massive complexity of the entire face unfolded before us. Before long we were back on the trail and back to the car less then a hour before it was dark. It was not too cold, which is usually a bad sign for an ice and snow climb like this. As he approached Aasgard Pass, I ran down the slopes to catch up to him. Forecast Discussion. I got up the second time, but still managed to catch the picket on some rock and send it flying down the snow beneath. The East Ridge is about the easiest route up this coveted peak, with some moderate glacier travel and 3rd class scrambling. Besides, it was nice to draft for once this season. Dragontail Peak, Triple Couloirs, 1st Ski Descent. All around us, there was a maze of granite gendarmes and towers. Required fields are marked *. After 4 miles is the Snow Lakes trailhead parking lot on the left side of the road at 2,200 feet elevation. Located in Rocky Mountain National Park near popular Bear Lake, the line cuts and twists through raw cliffs and spires, dropping more than 1,600 vertical feet from the shoulder of Flattop Mountain. 02 may 2021 Vallecito Mountain solo ski, from Taos Ski Valley, NM. Helping people explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This view is a classic Cascades scene. There are no activities scheduled at this location. In this snow condition, the pickets were mostly useless. There were a sprinkling of mid 5th moves. 90 in Hiking [+] OSM Way. 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. 1. If snow free, there is a climber's trail in the scree on . Start time: Alpine Start, maybe 3AMish. Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. 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. 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. As spring rolled around, we set our eyes on loftier goals. This post may contain affiliate links. During my last year at Gonzaga, I made it a priority to learn to ice climb with the more accessible ice in the region. The snow bypass is a great alternative if the runnels are thin. He was in. Triple Couloirs is definitely one of my proudest climbs. The malts provide a smooth mouthfeel while letting the character of the hops shine through. It is 4.5 miles one way to the lake with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. In late season, this snow slope turns to ice which increases the difficulty significantly. The plan was to ride the upper south Couloir before riding powder down to Colchuck Lake. Upon reaching the north side of Colchuck Lake, you will see the awe inspiring north face of Dragontail Peak directly across the lake. Thanks, Mrs. Krantz! This post may contain affiliate links. Dragontail Peak out of Icicle Creek in the North Cascades is a stunning mountain. 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'. To get there, Jacob had to simul climb beneath me some, making for an 80m pitch or so. On the way in, we met a party that was hiking out. Earlier in the week I had been in this zone heading up Mount Aix. The view, however, was incredible. At least the endless windboard is par for the course! It was still fun climbing and goes in probably almost any condition. "This route follows a prominent ridge for about 2000 feet on the NW face of Dragontail Peak to just below the summit block. Happy Valentines Day to @kellymjiang ! It was supposed to be mostly 4th class ledges, but he went too far right and got into some legitimate mid 5th terrain. It had been a great time on the summit but we were excited to start riding. Generally I'm not a fan of the dawn patrol. Thank you! It is a staggering mountain with various peaks formed by the ridges. Climbing gear and expertise required. (8), Images The easiest routes are scrambles from the south and / or the Colchuck Col at the top of the Colchuck Glacier to the east. Looking back we would occasionally see our tracks now in the shade. A number of fee forest camps can be found along the Icicle Creek road near the trailheads. Above us Dragontail Peak rose dramatically out of the valley making a beautiful backdrop. We carried cams from .2 to #1, nuts, a few pitons, shorter screws, and two pickets. -Stuart from the summit. 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. It would be some of the best May conditions that we could think of as the snow was bottomless. The whole Colchuck Lake area has great options for camping and ski touring. Follow the well used boot path around the west side of Colchuck Lake and then continue through the bushes around its south shore. Before long it was time to get snowboarding down Dragontail Peak. We arrived back at the car before sunset. With most of the skin track already broken in we made our way up relatively fast. Mailbox Peak. To the West we could see Colchuck Peak and the area from Snoqualmie Pass to Mount Hinman. 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. This route bypasses the east face snowfield if it's late season and very icy. Below the cliffs move to right side of gully. The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. 4879 ft) Last Update: 5:05 am PST Feb 28, 2023. Enjoying the View From the Summit of Dragontail Peak. Garmont Dragontail - Men's and other great shoes and boots for approach, hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com. Who skied it better? The The pitch ended with some 5.8 lichen covered slab, probably the crux of the entire route! 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. Southwest wind between 6 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. 2023 Climber Kyle. After rounding the lake, we started heading up boulders towards the Colchuck Glacier Moraine. As we were near the top, we heard and saw a helicopter approaching. 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. - Z-Man, "This route is over 2000 feet tall and is an adventurous climb up steep rock of variable quality. Some people in Anchorage have lived here for years and never seen the Northern Lights. From here, the three couloirs were plainly visible. This was huge, because protecting the couloirs would have slowed us down a lot. Stuart. CDT - Twin Lakes to Interstate 70; . At Colchuck Lake, an easy going 1.1 miles travels the east and south shores. 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