This hike primary trail can be used both directions. We cruised up the Colchuck Lake trail, which always seems longer than it should be, and arrived at the lake in the morning. good to see more skiers being drawn to that classic route. With solid hand and foot holds we pushed up the final 20 feet and soon enough we were on the summit. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. By My main skill on display was an ability to tread extremely carefully as to not trundle rocks down on Jacob. Forecast Discussion. 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. Fortunately we still had a few hours of daylight and headlamps in our backpacks. 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. Like I said before, way to get up in there. During the day, we were radioed additional information that they might be on . In late season, this snow slope turns to ice which increases the difficulty significantly. 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. Cross Mountaineer Creek on a good foot bridge and reach the signed junction after a couple miles. Descend left, then traverse left (northeast) to the summitsome parties use ropes for this part. Dragontail Peak via Stuart Lake Trail. 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 men's Dragontail Tech GTX by GARMONT is a technical, precise and lightweight approach shoe for the skilled consumer looking for the ultimate in technology with high performance. Fun afternoon exploring some new zones around exit 54. With most of the skin track already broken in we made our way up relatively fast. On the mountain's northeast flank lies Colchuck Lake which drains into . Thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be a better person, while always making me laugh and being so silly. Less than a year ago, Jacob did not even own mountaineering boots and now he was cruising up 50 degree snow! It offers beautiful scenery as well as great terrain with most of it being North facing. For scramblers, a climb of Dragontail is a great addition to a backpacking trip to the Enchantment Lakes. Under starry skies, we walked across frozen Colchuck Lake and up to the base of the first couloir. Chad Zuber/Shutterstock The enchanting Dragontail Peak. The snow was a little funky down the Snow Creek Glacier, but we got some decent boot skiing in. 3. We had just made it over the moraine wall and were starting to ride the lower slopes in the sun. Dragontail Peak. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Generally I'm not a fan of the dawn patrol. Log in and send us Dragon Tail doesnt claim secret-gem status. It was time to head back to the car as we skinned across Colchuck Lake. After clawing our way down a piece of vegetation at a time we were below the cliffs. Stevens Pass WA. Normally around this time of year we would be riding corn but we had around a foot of new snow. Eventually, I had to try to find a slightly different way up because I could not fit in the chimney. Its northwest face is almost a mile wide and 3000 feet high. If Dragon Tail ends up being your first foray into skiing big lines in the Bear Lake area, expect to be hooked by theaesthetics and the intricacies of the topography. Ft. 3904 Shawnee Ridge St, Las Vegas, NV 89129. Your email address will not be published. It was great watching you guys drop in (and then see you each in one piece coming out of the hidden couloir). Arriving around 3 in the afternoon, we had the summit completely to ourselves! 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. For Colorado adventure skiers, springtime means hunting season. CDT - Twin Lakes to Interstate 70; . WTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! Local Popularity. Gain: 7000' ish (cliffs really throw off the gps) Elapsed Time: 13:38. The Dragontail Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Idaho. Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. 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. The surroundings mark one of the states most iconic places. The Jaws of a Giant. 04 apr 2021 Santa Fe Baldy solo ski, from Ski Santa Fe, NM. Mailbox Peak. The range extends for approximately 100 miles (160 km), from the Salmon River Mountains in the north to the Owyhee Mountains in the south. 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. However, we were able to find small pockets of softer stuff. We conducted a thorough search of Dragontail, including this route and all moats at its base. Additional information. 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. Required fields are marked *. I don't know if it takes bigger cajones to drop a route like that blind. Southwest wind between 6 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Excellent page - very helpful. A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Thu night. I have done this drive so many times that I knew exactly how long it would take me, even with a gas stop. Eventually, I spotted a rappel anchor. Besides, it was nice to draft for once this season. This includes side trips, extensions (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. 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. Alternatively, ~30 feet below Pandora's Box, exit left and scramble up Class 4 rock about 20 feet, then follow the ridge line left. 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. Paste as plain text instead, As always, read the avalanche and weather forecasts before you go. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks http://hatchsandwich.com/, Your email address will not be published. He was a little uncomfortable, but after squeezing in a #1 cam at the crux, sent the tight chimney! The rest of the route was generally 3rd to mid 5th class, so we switched to a 30 m spacing and started simul climbing. If snow free, there is a climbers trail in the scree on the left side of the slope--look for cairns. Suddenly, one of my picks blew and I fell onto the rope! 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. Thanks for the support of Western Washington Honda Dealers and our other corporate sponsors. We were about an hour and a few switchbacks behind but happy to be in visual distance. Submit one here . Drive 4 miles on this good dirt road to the Mountaineer Creek Trailhead (Colchuck Lake) with an elevation of 3540 feet. Triple Couloirs, the famous route up the north face of Dragontail Peak, was once a far-fetched dream, but now seemed within reach. Eventually, the gully led us back to the ridge crest. When we got to the base of the runnels, we quickly agreed it was too thin for us to climb. It inspired confidence all the way down to our North Face topout. It would be some of the best May conditions that we could think of as the snow was bottomless. Sweet pictures and great TR. Although three straight days of sun at this time of year might be an anomaly . The easiest routes are scrambles from the south and / or the Colchuck Col at the top of the Colchuck Glacier to the east. You're viewing: Stevens Pass Ski Atlas $ 30.00. Before long we were up at the col and about to move over to the Southwest face. (12), Additions & Corrections Creamy turns down the sun-soaked apron above Emerald Lake floated us down to, sure enough, streed-shoed crowds amassing in the pine shade. Ski all the lines like this in Colorado, and the addiction would barely peak. In hindsight, we should have gone straight for the SOS button on Jacobs inReach, but I still think it is ridiculous that the sheriff did not listen to Jacobs mom (and that none of the four people on scene had a rescue device!) as long as the avy danger is low and the snow is firm. SOLD JUN 14, 2022. Fliegenfischen von Zpoicaegn aus dem Bereich Angeln gnstig bei JoggenOnline bestellen: Groe Auswahl Top Marken Beste Preise October 23: Launch of Winter Season Kickoff with Icelantic, The Story Behind the First Ski to Fight Climate Change, 2023-2024 Rossignol Sender Free 110 Review. Kyle leading the short mixed section, looking for that turf! Skied the Triple Couloirs on Dragontail Peak yesterday. It is 4.5 miles one way to the lake with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Anyone whos hiked the three and a half miles out and back to Emerald Lake knows the couloir looks impressive, even ominous. Start time: Alpine Start, maybe 3AMish. - Supermarmot, Routes updates, images, or resources. We passed when we needed to, and everyone was cordial and having a great time. It was quite exhausting. Finally we were all back on Colchuck Lake and looking at our tracks. As a result, we had to wade through knee deep, loose sugar snow. Theres very little actual ice climbing on this route, especially in this condition. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Weight: 1.3 lbs: Dimensions: 10 10 0.31 in: . Dragontail Peak, Triple Couloirs, 1st Ski Descent. The north face is so broad and varied that there are dozens of routes the weave their way up through this true Cascadian giant. Beautiful 2000 square foot, 4-bedroom single-story home with a 3-car garage, granite kitchen counters, and tile throughout the wet areas. It was this huge, 20 ft long, 4 ft wide ledge, perfect for switching to rock shoes! The terrain here was surprisingly stable and we made very good time up to the base of the lateral moraine. Skiing big-mountain lines got you thinking about badass skiers? Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. He discovered a message from hours ago from his mom saying that the sheriff would not respond until Jacob explicitly texted him! 350 feet above the notch, locate the highest point on the jagged summit ridge (difficult in whiteout conditions) and hike to its base. Andy and Jeff had climbed it just the weekend prior. It began to hit us why this was such a famous climb. A "wrinkle in the granite," Jeff called it. I had tried to get into Dragontail a few times already this year and I'm excited to see what they'll do in the coming years. Looking forward to many more together . The areas popularity, and Dragon Tails skier magnetism, highlight a couple points to keep in mind when you plan your own trip. The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Climbing gear and expertise required. DARK BLUE: Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass Approach, YELLOW: East Slopes Standard Route - Class 3, LIGHT BLUE: Northeast Buttress - Class 5.8. Making out way up our attention was on the main southern couloir that went from the side of the summit. 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. As I've said beforeyou guys are animals! The Mountaineers teaches skills and leads outdoor activities for all ages and levels in the Pacific Northwest. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "skidragontailpeak" Flickr tag. 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. Cross over the broad snow-saddle and make for the southern skyline, scrambling up a short class 2/3 section to the ridgetop. The name was officially accepted in 1955. However, the answer quickly became clear. Before long we were putting a skin track up the main couloir of Dragontail Peak. Unfortunately none of them had satellite messenger capabilities. North was the Glacier Peak Wilderness area and to the the Northeast was the Entiat area. From here, the three couloirs were plainly visible. As we basked in the warm sun, Jacob checked his inReach. Close The summit ridge extends about 1/2 mile and includes several summit towers. We awoke the next morning around 4 am and packed up. Changing into our trail shoes two miles before the car was a great welcome. Be wary of the possibility of people below or above you as you descend. ), and the party below us (Geoff Georges and Jeessica Todd) told us later they were able to get a solid ice-screw in the turf. Washington Trails Association is 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 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. Not bad for a 2000 ft grade IV route! Head southwest on the Stuart Lake Trail. He was approaching it Teleross style, by hiking up the backside, and planned to do the raps. This route bypasses the east face snowfield if it's late season and very icy. 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. By the end of August last year there was an unavoidable swath of smooth ice across the snowfield on the standard route. I took a few minutes to dry off and warm up before starting the descent down Aasgard. Found 285 results. 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. I earn a small commission on sales via these links at no additional cost to you. Though most of the area was in the sun it was still easy to find areas in the shade. 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. Thank you so much. 25 apr 2021 Sin Nombre solo ski, from Taos Ski Valley, NM.