Copper Mountain Ski Area. 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 350 feet above the notch, locate the highest point on the jagged summit ridge (difficult in whiteout conditions) and hike to its base. However, any time the Mountaineers Creek road is open, this route . Happy Valentines Day to @kellymjiang ! They are hardy trees. We climbed to the top of the Hidden Couloir, and broke out onto the North Face. Here is (Tim?) He was in. The crux of the route is moving from the first hidden couloir to the second couloir, which is in the middle of the face. Triple Couloirs is definitely one of my proudest climbs. (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. From the northwest was the Chiwaukum area. Riding down we would work with the light kicking up snow in the sun. Display as a link instead, Tyndall Gorge, which runs perpendicular to the base of Dragon Tail, evidences the Rockiesglacial history. With heavy packs, we slowly made our way through the forest. Thank you! 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. Climbing gear and expertise required. Dispersed camping is not allowed between the road and Icicle Creek . Photos (7,350) Directions. "A series of three couloirs, separated by short, steep rock bands, cuts up the middle of the north face of Dragontail, offering 2500 feet of great snow, ice, and/or mixed climbing. From the notch the crest can be followed over excellent mid-fifth class cracks for about 200 meters to a distinct exposed arete. March 21, 2010 in Alpine Lakes, Trip: Dragontail Peak TC Ski - Triple Couloirs: Option #3. Dan getting ready to drop into the Hidden. 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. Over the weekend, Jacob and I met up to climb Serpentine Arete, a long 2000 ft moderate route up the huge, complex north face of Dragontail Peak in the Enchantments. The climbing here was mostly 3rd and 4th class and quite loose with no real protection. Notes. While I love powder I wasnt interested in hiking up a 4000 foot south facing avalanche path. The name was officially accepted in 1955. For current mountain conditions contact the Wenatchee National Forest, Leavenworth Ranger District. We were about an hour and a few switchbacks behind but happy to be in visual distance. As we were near the top, we heard and saw a helicopter approaching. Like I said before, way to get up in there. To the west we had a good view of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. Log in and send us The surroundings mark one of the states most iconic places. 17 may 2021 Ontological Obscurity @12,728' solo ski from Taos Ski Valley, NM. 1,708 Sq. Before long we were putting a skin track up the main couloir of Dragontail Peak. Bear Lake offers some of the best bang-for-your-step views in the park. Serpentine Arete rises out of Colchuck Glacier between the peaks. Still, there was one tough looking chimney ahead of us. We conducted a thorough search of Dragontail, including this route and all moats at its base. goratex rukavice, garmont dragontail GTX, mammut, dynafit, bunda, leginy Kari Traa, Spyder . By the end of August last year there was an unavoidable swath of smooth ice across the snowfield on the standard route. It inspired confidence all the way down to our North Face topout. The trail gradually climbs through forest along Mountaineer Creek and crosses creek at 1.5 miles on a log bridge. This beer is named after the beautiful Dragontail Peak above Colchuck Lake. In addition to the stated desireable climbing season of July-October, Dragontail is also one of the more reasonable large backcountry peaks to be climbed in the early season. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Temperatures will be well below freezing (max -10C on Wed afternoon, min -17C on Sun night). Before You Go. On March 28, Thurmer's wife called 911 and said she was concerned because she . 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. Ski all the lines like this in Colorado, and the addiction would barely peak. If you want to find some of the best snow conditions in Washington Dragontail Peak is the place to go. Sure, email them to me: touring29@gmail.com. 2023 Climber Kyle. We were about 3 hours from the car. For the Colchuck Lake approach, continue up the Icicle Creek road and turn left on road no. Jacob led more easy terrain until reaching a 5.5-5.6 corner. Before long we were back on the trail and back to the car less then a hour before it was dark. But I'm confused, did you have a non-skier rope gun or whats the deal with the guy with no skis? 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. Drive 4 miles on this good dirt road to the Mountaineer Creek Trailhead (Colchuck Lake) with an elevation of 3540 feet. Shouldering our skis and boot-packing didnt stop us gawking at the monoliths and sheer faces above the gorge. Impulses from my youth began to surge in me and I decided to take a swim. 47.75N 121.09W (Elev. 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. You cannot paste images directly. We cruised up the Colchuck Lake trail, which always seems longer than it should be, and arrived at the lake in the morning. Climbing gear and expertise required. Log in and send us Dragontail Peak Weather (Days 0-3): The weather forecast for Dragontail Peak is: A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Mon morning. Follow the trail as it stays well left of the waterfall and reach Aasgard Pass at 7,800 feet. To the west we had a good view of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. We crossed to a rock island and followed fourth class ledges up to a higher snow finger. Thank you so much. Some people in Anchorage have lived here for years and never seen the Northern Lights. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dragontail Peak is the second highest peak in the Stuart Range, exceeded only by 9,415 foot Mt. Its just chossy scrambling from there. We were in. I'm excited to see what they'll do in the coming years. 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. We expected to return to the car around nightfall Thursday. The north face of Dragontail, a decent looking, steep snowfield capped with a short rock headwall. Dragon Tail doesnt claim secret-gem status. 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. Nice route guys.I'm envious as all hell. Print/PDF map. If I do this again, I will unrope here and just move together. Follow the well used boot path around the west side of Colchuck Lake and then continue through the bushes around its south shore. 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. Will descending the variable snow of the Hidden. Luckily, it was dead calm and I was able to communicate with them from 1000 ft above. Education Get all the details on our educational programs, including our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), Wilderness First Aid (WFA), and much more. Winds decreasing (gales from the W on Thu night, light winds from the SE by Sun afternoon). Dragontail Peak is seven miles east of the PCT. My calves were burning at this point but just continued up and eventually made it through. The best times to visit this trail are . Thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be a better person, while always making me laugh and being so silly. @heinelogan or @samchaneles ? But yesterday was an exception, and I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and some great snow on humpback mountain. Looking forward to many more together . Parts of each of the Triple Couloirs are visible cutting the center of the peak, and the Gerber Sink follows runnels connecting prominent snow bands to the right of center, finishing in the 3rd couloir. 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. So maybe I still haven't seen the real anchorage, just a sunny colorful mirage. The view, however, was incredible. Challenges featuring Dragontail Peak. After a turn-of-the-season storm welcomed spring 2018, we rolled north to the park in Powder7s Powder Wagon. searching for extra of your magnificent post. Dragontail Peak; Dragontail Peak Triple Couloirs; Dragontail Peak; Aasgard Pass Hike; Goose Egg Mountain. 04 apr 2021 Santa Fe Baldy solo ski, from Ski Santa Fe, NM. I took a minute to digest the scene. Tax ID: 27-3009280. Looking back we would occasionally see our tracks now in the shade. The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. View Dragontail Peak Image Gallery - 363 Images. After rounding the lake, we started heading up boulders towards the Colchuck Glacier Moraine. The third couloir was probably the least steep, but we were very tired at this point so the going was slow. Versandkostenfrei ab 50 Versand in 24h 100 Tage Rckgabe Bis 50% im Outlet By 8:00am, we joined the conga line up the Hidden Couloir, having been bested by no fewer than 8 other climbers. Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, near gales from the NW by Wed afternoon). From our camp, it appeared there was at least some ice over the runnels, but it did not look like a lot. Descend the climbing route to Colchuck Col and then descend Colchuck Col to Colchuck Lake. This is the standard route up Dragontail peak and involves moderate angled snow climbing and easy Class 2+ scrambling. The prey? The malts provide a smooth mouthfeel while letting the character of the hops shine through. They were my "bail cams" anyway, so no big deal. 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. Thanks. It is a staggering mountain with various peaks formed by the ridges. March 27-April 2, 2023 (1 spot) April 3-9, 2023 (FULL) April 10-16, 2023 (FULL) Custom Dates for 4+ also available. There is an easy walkup route on the south side of the peak. This includes side trips, extensions We talked about what to do, not being sure they were still even in the same place or still needing rescue. 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. Thanks for the pix guys. By go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for Below the cliffs move to right side of gully. Arriving around 3 in the afternoon, we had the summit completely to ourselves! Sweet pictures and great TR. 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. After 4 miles is the Snow Lakes trailhead parking lot on the left side of the road at 2,200 feet elevation. Talking to Jacob, we decided to go into Colchuck Lake, take a look at Triple Couloirs, and climb the easier North Buttress Couloir of Colchuck as a backup. 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. and extended the rescue for so much longer. He will lead sketchy, runout mixed pitches, but finds steep skiing insane. Dragon Tail Couloir is a Colorado classic. 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). Washington Trails Association is 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Washington Trails Association 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 625-1367. Chimney! This post may contain affiliate links. As we basked in the warm sun, Jacob checked his inReach. Thanks for the support of Western Washington Honda Dealers and our other corporate sponsors. You guys are killing it in the Stuart Range! The north and NE faces are also very impressive. Alternatively, ~30 feet below Pandora's Box, exit left and scramble up Class 4 rock about 20 feet, then follow the ridge line left. 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. Forecast Discussion. Incredibly enough, there were yet another two climber/skiers intending to ski the TC's too, but later bailed down the backside. $480,000 Last Sold Price. Stay to center left at top to avoid cliffs. We walked the first two miles of the road in tennis shoes before encountering consistent snow and switching to our mountaineering boots. 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. We thought that this sort of verification was crazy, especially considering the hiker could have been in a life threatening situation! Seattle Back Court 100 Peak Challenge . In general the area was stacked with enough mountains to keep one busy for a lifetime. This was my favorite section of the entire climb. This post may contain affiliate links. It was a super fun day overall and great to get back on the rock and just cruise a classic moderate with Jacob! Be wary of the possibility of people below or above you as you descend. We just got off route on the first pitch. A lengthy and difficult hike up an iconic peak inside the Enchantments. Garmont Dragontail Tech GTX - Men's and other great waterproof shoes and boots for approach, hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com. The Above, we could see a perfect splitter hand crack. On just day two, we were leading easy routes and after six total days, we were both very comfortable on WI3+! 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. Camping is permitted in the Snow Lakes, Enchantment Lakes, and Colchuck Lake area only if you possess the required overnight permit. Its position above Colchuck Lake was tantalizing. Some of us had to work this weekend, so thanks for the vicarious dose of alpine life. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Thank you! Lateral moraines always make for nice, efficient travel as long as you dont have to descend off either side. Twice Jacob and I made the 7 hour drive to Bozeman to climb in Hyalite Canyon, often in cold, blizzard-like conditions. Western Washington Honda Dealers and our other corporate sponsors people in Anchorage have lived here for years and never the... 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