Home > Trip Reports > June 22, 2013, Dragontail - the easy way

June 22, 2013, Dragontail - the easy way

6/22/13
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
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Posted by mikerolfs on 6/23/13 12:46am
Jtack and I had a grand day above Lake Colchuck on Saturday, June 22.  The area is popular.  We met 26 people on the way up, and another 61 on the return (I kept a tally).  Jamie counted 34 cars in the lot at 6am and 76 at 5pm with overflow on both sides of the road for roughly a quarter mile.  At the lake, there were tents erected in every site including the "day use only" area and some sloping spots.  We met a Wenatchee couple and 8 Mountaineers on top of Dragontail, and we watched two guys work on a steep crack route on Witches Tower. 





The guys on Witches Tower were just approaching their route as we went by on the way up:




They were one pitch up on our return.  Steep route!


We kept dry feet on mostly bare trail all the way up Aasgard Pass.  This was not discouraging because the whole way up the north side, we could see continuous snow on the south side.  The higher we went, the stronger our optimism grew that we would be able to ski the entire pass on return.  By the time we were 3/4 up, we were convinced that there was a continuous line from the top all the way to the lake.  Coverage in the upper Enchantment basin was excellent.  We switched from sneakers to skis at Aasgard Pass.


Clouds came and went, creating peak-a-boo views from the summit.


We got a brief glimpse of Mt. Daniel.  Looks like coverage is still excellent there


The skiing was great!  From the base of the summit rocks to the boulder hop trail at the head of Lake Colchuck, 3400' of continuous skiing that had both of us hooting with joy!

Jamie above the basin


Me loving the big open slope


Aasgard Pass skiing



There was snow all the way to the lake, and we skied right to the trail.  Not a single step of slide alder bushwacking.  It was amazing.




A funny thing happened on top.  Jamie and I had just started skiing and there were a string of Mountaineers coming up the snowfield.  They wore helmet, harness, ropes and axe.  We must have looked cavalier, giggling and goofing off without any obvious climbing gear and coming right off the summit ridge.   As I skied by I said a casual "hi" and I imagine a slow motion jaw drop because when I looked over my shoulder there was a pack tumbling down the hill toward me followed by a loose water bottle.  I tackled the pack and backed up to catch the nalgene bottle.  "Thanks!"  "you're welcome!" 

funny event.
That looks like fun! Much better that climbing up or down the rockpile there. Nice timing.

Great TR and photos.  ;)

That's myself and partner Ryan Daudistel on The Witches Tower.

Thank for posting those shots!!

We made the first ascent of a line that goes through the wild flake roof and then the bigger roof above. 6 pitches, 5.10 C1 for now, it's prepped to go free, likely 5.11+/12-. The close up of us is the 2nd pitch, splitter thin hands, onsight free at 5.10-.

It was fun listening to you guys hoot and holler your way down dtail as we battled out way up those steep cracks!

author=Sol Wertkin link=topic=28873.msg121510#msg121510 date=1372039342]
That's myself and partner Ryan Daudistel on The Witches Tower.

Thank for posting those shots!!

We made the first ascent of a line that goes through the wild flake roof and then the bigger roof above. 6 pitches, 5.10 C1 for now, it's prepped to go free, likely 5.11+/12-. The close up of us is the 2nd pitch, splitter thin hands, onsight free at 5.10-.

It was fun listening to you guys hoot and holler your way down dtail as we battled out way up those steep cracks!


Awesome!  I thought there must be something serious going on.  I went home that night and looked at the routes described in Becky's 2nd edition.  None of the routes described looked anything like what you were doing.  Fun to witness history.

Mike,

Cool TR and photos.  Such a fun area you have to play in!

Nice but still needing a pic of Jamie packing skis on his shoulder to make me feel totally inadequate.  Way to get after it, Sol and Ryan!  That's not my route up Witches Tower.

Lots of locals in action!  Thanks for posting Mike.  And way to explore the choss Sol and Ryan.  I've always wondered about Witches Tower.  I never would have guessed it was 6 pitches!

author=jwplotz link=topic=28873.msg121516#msg121516 date=1372048173">
Thanks for posting Mike.


John I hope you noticed the title to this trip report is a tip of the hat to you and Scott.  We talked about your triple couloir ski on our walk up - and shuddered :)


author=glenn_b link=topic=28873.msg121515#msg121515 date=1372045934">
Nice but still needing a pic of Jamie packing skis on his shoulder to make me feel totally inadequate. 





John/Scott, as Mike noted, we eyed your line all the way to the top of the pass, all the more impressive in real life.  A great ski, for me, thanks to the consummate fun hog (Mike) I was lured down Aasguard, and there was a spot or two that made me pucker just a little, but as is always the case so exciting to have done it, not to mention the added bonus, of stepping of on the trail at the lake! A few shots of the Fun hog in his element!









Nice report.

When I look at this picture of Witches Tower, I wonder what the lichen on the tower signifies.



Does the sharp transition from almost-no-lichen (below) to lots-of-lichen (above) indicate a massive amount of rock fall? Or does it mark the line of a not-so-long-extinct glacier? To my eye, the latter seems more likely.

Either alternative is pretty interesting. It's been a long time since I was up there and spent much time looking at the tower.

What an interesting observation.  We commented on not wanting to spend much time under the clean rock faces, but maybe they don't indicate recent rock fall after all.   Here are three more photos that might suggest the glacier explanation:






I'd guess these are the trim lines from the most recent glaciation aka the Little Ice Age.  Maybe some geologist type could weigh in.  Makes you wonder what the skiing would have been like in 1850 or so.

author=mikerolfs link=topic=28873.msg121595#msg121595 date=1372227587]
Here are three more photos that might suggest the glacier explanation:


I find those photos convincing for the glacier hypothesis.

It's like an alpine bathtub ring.

It would be fun to kick back and stare at the crags and try to imagine the Snow Creek Glacier as it once was.

Way to get after it in the summer, fellas.  Mike, at the risk of yet another trip ambition turning me into a modern day ski Sisyphus, I still am inspired for the mythical, magical winter day when the trip is skiable across the lake and safe goodness from the top back to the lake.

Great report. My favorite mountain in the cascades.

Thanks for the tip of the hat, by far the most memorable trip i've ever had. But rad to see Sol and Ryan doing their thing. Now that looks like the hard way! Any way up or down anything in that area is spectacular.

Neat observation on the glacial retreat too. I've wondered about that, but never connected the dots.

Funny. Past couple seasons i've taken to using the verb j-tack, "j-tacking" , or "j-tackit" to mean, shouldering your sticks for any length of dry trail. Ie... " do you want to rack em, or just j-tack this section?


I am a huge geography nerd and love the photos of the old glacial scars. Awesome to think that the enchantments used to be a huge Glacial Ice cap.

When Jason and I were traversing through the Agnes valley it was awesome to see the western mountains had huge rock faces on there SE slopes, no doubt from an ancient glacier.

Ale as I have said many times you continue to inspire so many people including myself. Keep on keeping on!

This is the kind of conversation I thrive for!  Nice!  I'm a believer on the glacier hypothesis.  I think I must have been a glacier in a previous life  ;D

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2013-06-23 07:46:37