(8), Images We talked about what to do, not being sure they were still even in the same place or still needing rescue. In the second couloir, the snow quality continued to deteriorate. I'm stoked to be back in Alaska! Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna are two Bulger List peaks inside The Enchantments of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. As we basked in the warm sun, Jacob checked his inReach. Jacob led more easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner. 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. 02 may 2021 Vallecito Mountain solo ski, from Taos Ski Valley, NM. This page was transferred to me by Bob Bolton. Not bad for a 2000 ft grade IV route! He suspected he had a broken knee. At the transition between the second and third couloirs we once again roped up and I took the lead. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. This includes side trips, extensions There are two trailheads used to climb Dragontail. | Download for iOS | Download for Android, A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. Before long it was time to get snowboarding down Dragontail Peak. Great day and perfect conditions- sounds like ~10 people climbed it and three skied it? (95), Comments Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 foot, . 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. The Dragontail Mountains are part of the Columbia Plateau, which is a large area of basaltic lava flows in the western United States. Generally I'm not a fan of the dawn patrol. Stuart. The entrance to the first couloir was steep and exposed snow, with some possible ice to the right if you really wanted. From the north side of the lake, follow the trail around its western shore and locate the Colchuck Glacier heading steeply up to the right upon reaching the south end of the lake. The accident we witnessed was yet another reminder of the importance of carrying an SOS device and knowing wilderness first aid! I earn a small commission on sales via these links at no additional cost to you. Challenges featuring Dragontail Peak. 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. Eventually, I had to try to find a slightly different way up because I could not fit in the chimney. The rest can easily be simul climbed or soloed. Close Nice!!! To the west we had a good view of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. Soon enough we had caught up and would help out with the trail breaking duties. This route bypasses the east face snowfield if it's late season and very icy. Stuart. Dragontail Peak. 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. For the Colchuck Lake approach, continue up the Icicle Creek road and turn left on road no. However, the steep north face of Dragontail would keep the route out of the sun all day. Cheers! A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. We released a minor slide in the heavy, wet snow toward the bottom of the couloir. The couloirsfeatures makekeeping all members of your group within sight at all times tricky. After 2 hours of hiking through the Alpine Lakes wilderness we finally made it to the base of Colchuck lake. Good thing I was not on lead! I chimneyed with my feet on the rock and back and butt against the snow, scooting up the moat. I had tried to get into Dragontail a few times already this year and Awesome! 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. The pitch ended with some 5.8 lichen covered slab, probably the crux of the entire route! Most climbed peaks Popular peaks. 350 feet above the notch, locate the highest point on the jagged summit ridge (difficult in whiteout conditions) and hike to its base. Climbing gear and expertise required. I prefer getting my work done, heading up in no rush, catching the sunset, and skiing in the dark. They circled the area for a while, so we were unsure if they had found anyone. The north and NE faces are also very impressive. telemarker If you would like to support me and this website, please purchase products through the affiliate links. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. With that settled, I followed the pitch. All around us, there was a maze of granite gendarmes and towers. This is the standard route up Dragontail peak and involves moderate angled snow climbing and easy Class 2+ scrambling. Also, apparently the northern lights show was the best in many years. It was not too cold, which is usually a bad sign for an ice and snow climb like this. That's a shame. With heavy packs, we slowly made our way through the forest. CDT - Twin Lakes to Interstate 70; Grays Peak Trailhead. I am very thankful to be able to adopt and continue to provide lots of information about this wonderful peak here on SummitPost. I don't know if it takes bigger cajones to drop a route like that blind. Just seems more committing. The highest point on the mountain is a three-sided peak known as Summit Pyramid. Couloirs. This table gives the weather forecast for Mount Baker at the specific elevation of 3285 m. Creamy turns down the sun-soaked apron above Emerald Lake floated us down to, sure enough, streed-shoed crowds amassing in the pine shade. Incredibly enough, there were yet another two climber/skiers intending to ski the TC's too, but later bailed down the backside. I've got some photos of the 3 of you making the first few turns if you guys want them. Camp as near the south end as possible. 316 summits. If you don't follow @brigettetakeuchi and her twin @kelsey.rt, you should consider it! Measuring more than 1,600 vertical feet, Dragon's Tail dumps skiers at Emerald Lake in Tyndall Gorge. Guided climbs of Dragontail Peak in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness offered by Northwest Mountain School and IMFGA guides John and Olivia Race. Soon enough Scott was dropping in and taking the first turns of our trip. The Mountaineers teaches skills and leads outdoor activities for all ages and levels in the Pacific Northwest. We were the first to make it this far recently, possibly even in the entire calendar year! Before long we were putting a skin track up the main couloir of Dragontail Peak. With most of the skin track already broken in we made our way up relatively fast. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. Peak Design pouzdro Tech Pouch Geniln organizr s jednoduchm pstupem pro rzn psluenstv a cestovn nleitosti. Start time: Alpine Start, maybe 3AMish. We discussed our options and agreed that we would still try the route, but likely take an easier, more circuitous bypass of the runnels. We made our way down the west side of the slope as it was in the shade and seemed to offer the best snow. I took a minute to digest the scene. In this snow condition, the pickets were mostly useless. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Eventually, the gully led us back to the ridge crest. Skied a nice clockwise loop around Dragontail Peak on May 9th, 2009. . Bear Lake offers some of the best bang-for-your-step views in the park. The prey? Elevation Gain. Rock on this peak is unusually sound and its expansive NW face is one of the finest walls in the Cascades. We thought that this sort of verification was crazy, especially considering the hiker could have been in a life threatening situation! The couloir faces southeast and receives ample sun. 600 Sherbourne Leavenworth, WA 98826 (509)-548-6977. This route is long and committing! The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. Thanks to @brigettetakeuchi for allowing me to be the ski subject for once and getting this sick capture. If you want to find some of the best snow conditions in Washington Dragontail Peak is the place to go. Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' Tieton Gorge Climbing; Snow Creek Wall. Ascend southeast on a broad, steep slope to Aasgard Pass. 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. Reach Leavenworth by driving US 2 east from Everett or west from Wenatchee. The surroundings mark one of the states most iconic places. I'm excited to see what they'll do in the coming years. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the pitons at the belay so I could not get any protection with all the thin seams. 4. Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 29. At least the endless windboard is par for the course! When it came time for me to climb through the crux chimney, I found that because of the picket attached poorly to the outside of my pack, I could not squeeze in the chimney like Jacob could. Kyle leading the short mixed section, looking for that turf! Excellent page - very helpful. After clawing our way down a piece of vegetation at a time we were below the cliffs. Above us Dragontail Peak rose dramatically out of the valley making a beautiful backdrop. 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 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. The malts provide a smooth mouthfeel while letting the character of the hops shine through. From there, it was more steepness over hardpacked crud. Washington Trails Association 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 625-1367. Theres very little actual ice climbing on this route, especially in this condition. A climb of Dragontail Peak will surely bringhappiness to anyone attempting any of the many classic routes. The suede leather upper is durable, equipped with Gore-Tex Extended Comfort technology for versatile climate comfort. @heinelogan or @samchaneles ? The route here climbs through "the runnels", some ice gullies that can be either fat, easy ice or paper thin ice sheets . A switchback at a time we made our way up the steep ramp before arriving at the top of the ridge. This was my favorite section of the entire climb. Some of us had to work this weekend, so thanks for the vicarious dose of alpine life. Still, there was one tough looking chimney ahead of us. Chimney! 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. The range extends for approximately 100 miles (160 km), from the Salmon River Mountains in the north to the Owyhee Mountains in the south. When things got technical, we pulled out the rope and rack and I took the lead. Thanks, Trip: Dragontail Peak TC Ski - Triple Couloirs: Option #3 Date: 3/21/2010 Trip Report: I've had my eye on the N. Face of Dragontail all season as it relates to Triple Couloirs. Before long we were up at the col and about to move over to the Southwest face. It would be some of the best May conditions that we could think of as the snow was bottomless. Continue reading, 93 However, the answer quickly became clear. 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. Submit one here . 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. 4879 ft) Last Update: 5:05 am PST Feb 28, 2023. Sweet pictures and great TR. Fortunately we still had a few hours of daylight and headlamps in our backpacks. Dragontail Peak Map & Directions. I got up at 2 am, ate breakfast, and started the drive over to Leavenworth. A few days before heading out a storm came from East to West. At first the trail parallels Mountaineer Creek and gains 1,100 feet in 2.5 miles. In the fall, the area becomes world famous for the larch trees that turn golden yellow beginning in early October. Predam nove ski-alp lyziarky SCARPA GEA,aj na Tech,cislo 37-38,vonkajsi skelet je dlhy 280 mm,vnutorna vlozka je dlha 24 cm,podrazka Vibram,nepouzite,este v krabici,cena 100 eur,viem poslat aj na dobierku,tel.0950 284530 email 34tomo343@gmail.com . 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." So we continued on and hoped the rescue would come quickly. You cannot paste images directly. I guess it is almost summer. Required fields are marked *. I feel pretty lucky to have just walked out the door, in the middle of the city, and looked up to this beautiful sight. Ascend southeast on a broad, steep slope to Aasgard Pass. Making out way up our attention was on the main southern couloir that went from the side of the summit. Thanks! 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