Dragontail Peak via Backbone Ridge

Introduction:

Stephen and I climbed the Backbone Ridge route on the massive northern aspect of Dragontail Peak over the days of July 28^th and 29^th. The route, according to the Nelson’s “Selected Climbs in the Cascades: Volume 1,” is Grade IV+ and goes at 5.9. The climb is roughly 600 meters long and has very enjoyable harder sections interspersed with mid-fifth and easier climbing. The climb itself is anywhere from 12-14 pitches depending on how you break up the leads and terrain. The crux is a 5.9 offwidth that is only protectable by a #6 Camalot, and there are also a couple more .9 moves higher up on the route on the Fin and above the offwidth. 

Stephen and I took a 60 meter 9.5 mm rope, a rack of wires, cams from a blue Metolius to a #4 Camalot with doubles from #’s 0.5-1 and a single #6. We brought eight single length slings, three cordelletes, a few double length slings, and two quickdraws. I brought La Sportiva Boulder X High-Tops, and Stephen brought Guide Tennies for approach shoes. We both wore TC Pros, and brought an ice axe for the roughly 60 meter snow traverse to the base of the ridge and the initial descent slope off the south side of the mountain. Stephen brought a light sleeping bag and lots of extra clothes, while I brought a heavier sleeping bag and very little clothing. I had a small 25 liter pack, while Stephen had a 60 liter CiloGear pack. I brought my Nikon D5100 DSLR to capture the badassery that is the Stuart Range and the Enchantments. We also brought a light Jetboil to melt snow at the bivy site below the summit.

We planned to do the climb in one day and camp just below the summit, and outside the zone within which one needs the elusive Forest Circus permits, to help ease the stress of doing the whole thing in a day and allow us to actually enjoy the climb.

Wednesday the 27^th

            My Mom, my dog Sadie, and I met Stephen in the Burlington Haggens parking lot shortly after 3:00 PM, and then the “Energizer Bunny” and I set off for Leavenworth shortly thereafter. The drive over went by without incident, except of course waiting to make a left onto Highway 2 in Sultan after getting some coffee (it was too funny watching Stephen grumble). We got food for the climb at the Safeway in Leavenworth and ate some pizza a Rudolf’s before we headed up the Icicle to the Mountaineer’s Creek “dirt bag” camp. We sorted the rack and packed what we could in our bags. We spent the next couple hours just relaxing and talking about everything from guiding, death in the mountains, and other routes to “the Dark Knight’s” Joker, Brad Pitt’s accent in the “Inglorious Basterds,” and who speaks the “third best Italian.” We hit the hay around 11:00 PM after deciding to wake up at around 2:30 AM.   

Thursday the 28^th

            We both slept through our alarms and woke up shortly before 4:00 AM (sleeping Zeke and Stephen gave zero shits about alarms). We threw our stuff in the truck and we blasted off to the Stuart Lake Trailhead under the influence of “Californiacation” and some Red Bull (Stephen not me…). We got to the trailhead, packed up our gear, and ate some oatmeal under the lightening sky. Soon enough we set off up the Stuart Lake trail towards the junction with the Colchuck Lake trail. After hitting the junction and crossing Mountaineer’s Creek, we climbed for a while more until we were just below 5000’. We took a break on a rock slab, and then we continued all the way to the southern shore of Colchuck Lake. At that point we left the actual trail and continued up and left towards the base of the Backbone ridge. We took another nice break at a glacial creek to drink and fill up our water bottles one last time before we started the climb. From there, we trended up and more left onto a ridge separating two snowfields. We dropped our packs and scoped out where the route starts and how we were going to cross the snow to it. We decided to cross the snowfield by angling up and left to a flat ramp on rock that led to lower angle ledges with trees on them. Stephen led off and cut steps with his ice axe up and across the slope. The snow was crossed without a hitch and soon we were scrambling across third class ledges towards the offwidth. Stephen found a pack somewhere up the scrambling containing Petzl strap-on crampons, an old Jetboil, a pair of Asolo mountain boots, and numerous other items. After some more progressively harder scrambling, Stephen decided to take a break to get the rack out and harness up for roped climbing. We were ready for roped climbing, but we didn’t rope up. Instead, we soloed up a low-fifth variation to the first pitch of the route described in Blake’s new “Cascades Rock” guidebook.

Backbone Ridge from the other side of the snowfield that guards many of the northwest face's routes. Note the offwidth pitch near the highest tree on the ridge

We traversed this snow up and right towards the flat(ish) ramp leading off left.This was our start and it worked quite well.

Colchuck and the recent rockfall that hammered the surface of the Colchuck Glacier.

Colchuck Lake and Cashmere Mountain from the moraine near the start of the ridge.

Eventually, Stephen called down that he could see an offwidth, and I soon found him on a ledge setting a belay anchor and getting ready to tackle some wide. He got the #4 and #6 out, tied in, and was soon off up the offwidth. He dispatched it by simply dropping his pack and hauling it on a runner, and by walking the #6 up for around 10 meters. Soon he was above the offwidth and on a large ledge. I got ready to follow and soon I was climbing up some wide crack. Having not climbed offwidths very much, it was a little harder for me then Stephen, but with a bit of stemming with my right and arm-baring/jamming with my left side I slowly dispatched the crux of the route. While it was the most difficult climbing on the route for me, it made me think and was some the more fun climbing on the route. I hit the anchor, and soon Stephen was up leading a rather long 55 meter pitch up some lower angle cracks. Another long pitch followed with some really enjoyable crack moves and a long traverse following an optional 5.9 offwidth (way easier than the crux one). We climbed another pitch on easier ground until we hit terrain that was ideal for simul climbing. I took the rack and led off up this lower angle terrain. I stuck to the left of the crest for a while until I had to move up and right for a bit. I passed a “cannon hole” formed by a big block and the ridge and climbed under a short roof above it. We slowly advanced towards the Fin and hit some flatter terrain a little below it with a couple small bivy sites. I climbed a short wall and set up a belay above it from which I brought Stephen up. We took a nice, long break there and readjusted our systems for the final little push to the Fin. From this break spot I climbed up and right towards the base of the Fin, passing more bivy sites on some flatter terrain. A short mid fifth wall led me onto the Fin itself, and a few more feet of climbing brought me to a horn beneath a corner that I slung for a belay.

Me thrashing my way up the offwidth after Stephen led it. Photo By: Stephen Williams

Me on the optional 5.9 offwidth on pitch 3 I believe. This pitch was wandering and very fun, with some solid crack and slab moves followed my an awesome traverse (seen here)! Photo By: Stephen Williams.

Stephen readjusting his simuling system.

Stephen being a mountain guide!

Colchuck Lake and the surrounding area with some perspective thrown in.

The Fin.

The Fin again. Man, so epic!

Stephen came up to the belay and we transitioned back to roped climbing. He led off up the corner and across a large ledge to the base of a couple of cracks splitting the wall above. I followed the mid fifth corner and got to the anchor shortly after. We transferred the rack and Stephen led up the wall. He tried to use the cracks to the left, but the right ended up being more featured and more conducive to gear. He pulled onto another big ledge and moved farther up along it to the base of a long, left-trending crack. I followed and had a blast on this pitch! It was super fun climbing! From here, we mainly followed Blake’s description of staying on the left side of the Fin. Stephen led off up and left along the left-trending crack to the very left edge of the Fin where he built a belay and brought me up. Once again, this was a stellar pitch! Exposed, thought-provoking, and fun! From this odd stance, Stephen led off across another traversing crack, the “crux” of the Fin, under a large overhanging block. Some more climbing along the traversing crack led to an upward trending crack at the top of which Stephen slung a horn for a belay. I followed my favorite pitch of the entire route, all the while with a smile on my face! There was a point where one could walk along the crack and simply undercling it. The harder moves just required a look around to drop them a grade or two. I was almost sad when I reached Stephen at the belay. We did some finagling at the belay and soon Stephen was back off climbing across one final crack towards a notch at the crest of the Fin. Soon he was out of my view across the other side of the Fin, and shortly thereafter I was following his moves towards his position. Again, this pitch had some stellar climbing and an interesting first move from the belay to the crack on the other side of the Fin. Nothing was too hard, but there were certainly places where one could make it harder if one wasn’t careful. I got to Stephen’s position on the other side of the Fin and above the third couloir of the Triple Couloirs route. Stephen offered me the next lead, but my legs were pretty worked at that point so I declined it. He led off on loose gravel and blocks up and right under a couple large spires/gendarmes until he hit another notch. He belayed just after the notch because of a large amount of rope drag.  I followed our last roped pitch and moved past his belay and onto the other side of the gully.

Me riding high on the Fin. Some of the best climbing I've ever done! Photo By: Stephen Williams

Me crossing the ridge crest to above the 3rd couloir of the Triple Couloirs Route. Photo By: Stephen Williams.

We unroped there and scrambled up and over to the south side of Dragontail. We moved past a couple snow patches to what appeared to be the bivy sites. We dropped our packs there and took a little break. Stephen was convinced that these were not the bivy sites, but the summit was waiting for us so I grabbed my camera and we hiked up a faint trail to the summit. When we got just below the summit we encountered what turned out to be the actual bivy sites Stephen had heard of, a nice flat bit of gravel and dirt in a notch that could probably fit three people side by side. We met the climbers that topped out on the Serpentine Arête just as we had topped out on the Backbone Ridge. Soon they started the vertical mile of elevation loss that would get them to the car. Stephen and I were glad we opted for the two day approach. We spent some time on the summit, I took photos, and we fantasized about other climbs, routes, and the awesome mass of rock and ice that is Mount Stuart.

The Core of the Enchantments from the summit of Dragontail.

Prusik Peak and Temple Ridge. SO MUCH GOOD ROCK!!!!!

This is another one of my personal favorites! I take good candid people photos apparently... Who knew?

HERMERGHERD IT'S THE STUART RANGE!!!!

Stuart and Colchuck. Brothers from the same Mother, The Earth.

After some relaxing under the sun, we headed back down to the packs. We lazed around some more until Stephen started melting snow for rehydration and “cooking” our dinners. We switched off melting snow and drinking for a while, talking about random shit for most of it. Soon it was sunset/dinner time, so we got our dinners ready to cook. I went to the bathroom after my dinner cooked and I threw Stephen’s in before I wandered uphill to use the restroom. Stephen scrambled back over to the sun under the north side just before I started “cooking.” After I returned from my restroom break, he suggested that we eat dinner under the setting sun, so I followed him back over to the north side of the mountain. On a nice ledge overlooking a gully, we ate dinner and admired the alpenglow that was bathing the Cascades in orange light. It was great to just sit, talk, and take in the view. It was my first true Stuart Range sunset, and it is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. After the Earth turned away from the Sun, the mosquitoes got bad and we scrambled back to our packs. We packed our bags and hiked back to the nice bivy spot just below the summit. Stephen used is pack and clothes for a pad and I got the rope. Soon we were both in our bags and ready to fall asleep. I woke up a couple times during the night to try and do some night photos, but I was simply too tired and lazy to pull my camera from the bottom of my bag and set it up. Instead, I simply stared up at the sea of stars that comprise the Milky Way and beyond, trying to make a mental picture of it that can last for a lifetime.

Tahoma and part of Dragontail's summit ridge in twilight.

Looking north from under Dragontail's summit.

Friday the 29^th

Eventually, the sun crested over the notch and we both woke up at around 9:30 AM. Our bodies were a bit reluctant to compel to our demands to say the least. We started the stove and made hot water for oatmeal and coffee. We took another stroll to the summit and I took some more photos. Tahoma was on the horizon, rising sharply out of the foothills to 14000 or so feet. A couple of day hikers from Leavenworth scrambled up to the summit just as we were finishing packing. We talked to them for a while and soon were off down the way they came, towards the snow and the top of Aasgard Pass.

Mount Stuart in the morning. Damn, that North Ridge looks dope!

The almighty, massive Tahoma.

The upper section of the Core Enchantments.

Stephen and his "favorite" Cascade meowtain. Nice couple lol. (favorite being defined as the one mountain that he would climb forever compared to all the rest...)

The backside of Aasgard Sentinel and Aasgard Pass.

We pulled our axes off and started descending the snow. I was slow and a little too methodical in my movements. Stephen said that watching me descend the snow that way, in which I was almost plunge-stepping in the already made tracks and using my axe super aggressively and securely, was like over-gripping on a 5.5. He said that I should look around and see if self-arresting is possible and safe, and if it is safe, then I should loosen up and move a bit faster on the terrain. By moving faster, I transfer my primary focus to simply stopping the fall, and not preventing it as much. I understood what he was saying and I then tried applying it on the next few snowfields. Stephen saying that honestly made my confidence level drop a few bars, but ultimately I got those bars back and more by simply following what he said I should do and taking his advice. Snow is my weakness, I’m sure it will always be it, but Stephen’s little bit of coaching helped my greatly.

Descent route off the south side of Dragontail, note trail in snow from right hand col.

Snow Creek Spires.

Aasgard Sentinel.

Colchuck Balanced Rock.

East Face of the Witches Tower.

Anyway, we moved quickly from snow patch to snow patch and across bits of boulder-field until we took a break above a tarn coming off of the dying Snow Creek Glacier. We talked some more about confidence/efficiency on snow and soon I led off across the slope towards the trail that climbs Aasgard Pass. We descended for a bit until we hit a stream coming off the top of Aasgard where we filled up our water bottles. Another 1500’ of scree-skiing and boulder-hopping got us to Colchuck Lake. Our next break was at the tombolo separating Colchuck Lake from a smaller lake on it more northwest shore. After the break, we hopped back on the trail and descended all the way to the bridge crossing Mountaineer’s Creek before stopping again for a quick dunking of the shirt and a water break. From there, we descended the final few miles of sun-baked trail all the way to the car.

Pretty bad photo, but here I am at the end of the journey ready to head home.

We changed into some more comfy/cooler clothes and soon we were off back down the road towards Icicle Creek and Leavenworth. We eventually got to a gas station in Leavenworth where we got some food, drinks, and texted our people. After that, it was the long haul to Everett and Burlington to meet back up with my Mom. We listened to some music and two podcasts from the Enormocast on our way over. Finally, we got back to Haggens and waited for my ride to show up. My Mom and Grandma showed up, I swapped cars, and said thank you/good bye to Stephen. We went our separate ways and soon I was back at home eating some food and watching the “Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Conclusion:

            The Backbone Ridge was the “easiest” climb on Stephen’s list that he sent to me after he saw that our original route, Skookum Peak via part of the Green Creek Circuit, was melted out. I was a little apprehensive to say the least about trying a 2000’ route, my longest route at this point, for only my second official alpine climb of the year. I was stressed that I would be slow again and disappoint Stephen on the snow and rock, like I did on a couple parts of the TFT. I think this climb was about simply being honest with myself and, by extension, others. I told Stephen that I was expecting myself to be slow and that I was happy just to be the belay slave all day to make up for my slower leading. I was honest with myself by simply realizing that I can only go so fast with my fitness level and that I don’t have Stephen’s experience or fitness. I was honest with Stephen too because I was honest with myself. I swallowed my pride and simply admitted that I have faults and that took a massive weight off my chest. Simply letting the mountain take the reins and climbing it with an honest and accurate idea of myself made this experience very enjoyable. I had nothing to prove to no one except myself. This climb did what I wanted it to do to me: get my confidence up and instill a better attitude towards alpine climbing in me, and it did just that! This week had been everything that I’ve wanted for so long and more! I climbed two peaks less than a week apart in two completely different areas and styles with two awesome partners. I’m humbled to know that I did this last week was only a result of help from my partners, my family, and the very mountains I climbed.

One last note, I would have trained more for this climb, brought a bigger pack, actually taken night photos, carried more of the gear, and led more of the climb if I were to climb it again. Of course, I WILL be climbing this route again sometime!