Forum Index > Trip Reports > Enchantments- Dragontail Peak 4/22-23/06
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
dicey
custom title



Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 2870 | TRs | Pics
Location: giving cornices a wider berth
dicey
custom title
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 3:38 pm 
Last May I attempted Dragontail with Laurie, Brian, and Gabriel. We didn't reach the summit, but I learned a few important lessons about physical limitations on that trip. Last year, we didn't hit snow until ascending towards Aasgard pass. This year, we hit snow 2 miles from the trailhead! Laurie, Joe and myself left Seattle headed for Leavenworth late friday afternoon. After dinner at Gustavs, we headed out Icicle Creek rd to Bridge Creek Campground. The road to Colchuck/Stuart lake trailhead is gated here (2000ft?), and we would car camp friday night and get an early start in the morning. Saturday morning we were walking up the road by 7:15am. We reasoned we would wear our tennis shoes for as long as we could, then switch to boots once we hit solid snow. We hit solid snow about two miles up the road, but it was still rock hard in the early morning hours, so we ended up wearing the tennies all the way to the trailhead (3400ft), where we switched to boots and stashed our tennies for the return trip. We started up the trail at 9am. The snow was still rock hard and very slippery. I knew from previous experience and from recent trip reports that the bridge over mountaineers creek would be 'spicy', and it lived up to my expectations. We strapped on crampons for the delicate walk across; a slip here would lead to one rescue scenario I hoped to avoid. I figured coming back across would be more difficult the next day, as the snow would be soft in the afternoon - and it was, but more on that later. Whew! One bridge down, one to go. We got a little off track because I didn't see the turnoff to Colchuck and we ended up in the meadows looking right smack at stuart (good picture ops, anyway). No harm, we backtracked until we found our way again. The second bridge wasn't quite as sketchy as the foot bed was wider, but cornices overhanging the handrail still give one pause! After one or two more routefinding trial and error puzzles we made it to Colchuck Lake with plenty of time to haul our packs up aasgard pass if we had wanted to. But, we didn't want to anymore because then we would also have to carry them back down - plus, it looked windy up there - plus, it was so nice here smile.gif We ended up walking across the lake (close to shore!!) and settting up camp at the base of Aasgard pass, between the last trees and the lake. It was only 1:30, so we spent our time building nice snow structures with seating, digging down at the lake to get water, wandering around, napping, watching another party walk across the lake, napping, etc, etc. We went to sleep around 7pm biggrin.gif At 5am we were cramponing our way up Aasgard pass by headlamp. After about 30 minutes, the sky had lightened enough that we didn't need them anymore. We reached the top of the pass by 6:45 and took a 30 minute break before heading to the summit of Dragontail. As we approached the col, the wind was really picking up. 25-35 mph gusts had us struggling for balance and icy spindrift pelted the exposed parts of our faces - ouch! I have a small cut on my neck where a piece of windblown ice struck! A simple but steep snowclimb from the col had us on the summit by 8:30am, with views in every direction. We all stood on the summit for pics, hoping a gust of wind wouldn't knock us down to the lake 3 thousand feet below. We weren't ready to head back down yet, plus we wanted the slopes below aasgard to soften a bit so we could plunge step/glissade back down. We wandered over and up towards Enchantment peaks, and summited one of the lesser (8360ish) ones. This perch offered an interesting angle of Prussik peak, nearly obscured by the darker rock behind it. We gazed over at Little Annapurna, wondering if we had time to take it, but we also didn't want the slopes below aasgard to soften too much, making them prone to avalanche. We decided to head back, as we had a long way to go. We plunged stepped down the upper part from the pass and glissaded the lower section. The lower section was still pretty icy, and our path was not discernable from below - we hardly left any mark at all!! After lazing around camp for another hour or so we packed up and headed out at 1pm. This time we spread out and walked right across the middle of the lake with snowshoes on. I stopped a few times for pictures, but I really wanted to get to the other end as quickly as possible. 18 minutes seemed like an eternity to me, but I also kind of enjoyed the perspective and uninhibited views from out there. Not something you get to do everyday!! We wore our snowshoes for most of the descent, but took them off once we reached the bridge at mountaineer creek. It had melted a bit, looked really thin in places and was dripping water. Someone had postholed through the middle of it, and none of us wanted to cross it. But we had to get across somehow, but how?? We walked downstream less than a quarter mile and found a less menacing looking snow crossing that we improved with the shovel a bit. Once on the other side, we met up with the trail just a few yards uphill. Once we reached the trailhead, we picked up our tennies, but left our boots and snowshoes on for as long as possible to avoid having to carry them. After the loooooong roadwalk (it always seems to double on the way out), we made it back to the car at 6pm. What a great weekend! I wore a t-shirt, shorts, puffy coat, snowshoes, and crampons all on the same weekend (but not all at the same time) wink.gif
colchuck info kiosk in april
colchuck info kiosk in april
sketchy
sketchy
cashmere
cashmere
dragontail glacier
dragontail glacier
summit view 2
summit view 2
summit view 1
summit view 1
upper enchantments
upper enchantments
little annapurna
little annapurna
just kidding
just kidding

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Tom
Admin



Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 17835 | TRs | Pics
Tom
Admin
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 3:41 pm 
Sweet. up.gif hockeygrin.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
TrailPair
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Apr 2005
Posts: 1699 | TRs | Pics
TrailPair
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 3:48 pm 
an awesome adventure.....thanx for sharing

This thing called work is interfering with my play
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
JimK
Member



Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
JimK
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:06 pm 
I've been waiting for this one. Nice photos of the Upper Enchantments from Dragontail. A very different appearance from October larch time. Glad to see you had success this year. How much of that "just kidding" terrain did you climb? smile.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer



Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 10958 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to Tukwila
Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:08 pm 
Wow...very, very nice Dicey! I'm kicking myself for not having taken you up on the offer. wink.gif

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Tazz
Member
Member


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7902 | TRs | Pics
Tazz
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:09 pm 
slobber.gif I had been waiting all day for this trip report. Nice work! great pics! I want to go now rant.gif smile.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker



Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:12 pm 
Nice report Dicey. Thanks.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
wbs
member



Joined: 11 Aug 2003
Posts: 661 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kirkland WA
wbs
member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:30 pm 
cool.gif and to see a snowy dicey report not related to one of the "it's dumping" threads - who would'a thought. Nice views you have there up.gif Sure beats my weekend view across a coffee table pearched high atop Mt. Sofa shakehead.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Jeff R
Closet hiker.



Joined: 10 Apr 2005
Posts: 972 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everret
Jeff R
Closet hiker.
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:39 pm 
tis' the season
From this picture-
Colchuck lake and Aasgard pass
Colchuck lake and Aasgard pass
I had an inkling of what you were up too, nice! That's a viable shortcut to Asgard.

Ebrace life!
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
jimmymac
Zip Lock Bagger



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 3705 | TRs | Pics
Location: Lake Wittenmyer, WA
jimmymac
Zip Lock Bagger
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 4:51 pm 
I don't remember seeing quite as much blue in your pics from last year's early season trips. winksmile.gif Congrats on a successful trip and thanks for the great report. Now if we can just take care of those pesky moats...

"Profound serenity is the product of unfaltering Trust and heightened vulnerability."
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
dicey
custom title



Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 2870 | TRs | Pics
Location: giving cornices a wider berth
dicey
custom title
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 5:00 pm 
JimK wrote:
How much of that "just kidding" terrain did you climb? smile.gif
lol.gif I originally labeled that one 'Joe navigates a particularly steep section of Aasgard', but I thought someone might take me seriously. Ah, camera magic...looks pretty convincing though, eh? wink.gif

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
naturealbeing
Member
Member


Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Posts: 1565 | TRs | Pics
Location: Great Mystery
naturealbeing
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 5:10 pm 
Jeff and I were wondering what you and your friends were up to. You've been quite for awhile and there's still plenty of snow out there to play in. Good job on your summits. It would seem by your report it was a fun adventure for all. BTW, I didn't know that TH sign bagging was legal in the Enchantments.
Trailhead Sign Bagging.
Trailhead Sign Bagging.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Edd
Member
Member


Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 296 | TRs | Pics
Edd
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 5:37 pm 
Sweet, thanks for the report and pics. cool.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
dkemp
DoxManDude



Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 204 | TRs | Pics
Location: RrraaaaNiieeerrBeeerrrr
dkemp
DoxManDude
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 6:27 pm 
You rock! tongue.gif up.gif smile.gif winksmile.gif wink.gif biggrin.gif

Get up early, go all day, come home tired.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Don
Member
Member


Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 2013 | TRs | Pics
Location: Fairwood, WA
Don
Member
PostMon Apr 24, 2006 6:45 pm 
Awesome pics and TR Dicey! But, where were the moats? embarassedlaugh.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > Enchantments- Dragontail Peak 4/22-23/06
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum