MountaingirlBC

We thought about trying again with a very early start but it wasn't getting down below freezing at night so it wouldn't have made much difference. Just gonna have to go back earlier in the year to finish the job

I hope it's not too late to tell you this but you don't want any part of the Dragontail glacier right now. We were sitting under a huge boulder putting our crampons on when a good chunk of this came down on us (you can't tell from the pic but I'm talking refrigerator sized rocks): http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8210032_JPG.jpg There isn't a speck of snow and rocks are coming down constantly. Apparently there is a route you can take that goes around the back side of Little Annapurna but it looked like total crap to us.

Here are some of the pics: http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8220070_JPG.jpg http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8220071_JPG.jpg http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8220072_JPG.jpg http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8220073_JPG.jpg http://www.mountaingirl.net/enchantments05/temp/images/P8220074_JPG.jpg

While we were climbing the west ridge on Monday (Aug 22nd)there were two climbers doing the S face. We found out later that day from two other climbers that it was a 5.10d route they'd been working on for 4 years. I have pics of them climbing and on the summit so I'd really like to find out who they are so I can get the pics to them. I figure SOMEONE here must know these guys if they aren't here themselves.

The bees have been very bad up here in BC this year too. I've never seen it so bad. If you are allergic, please carry an epi pen and make sure it hasn't expired.

We used ropes on the way up but not on the way down. There is an awesome place to camp just on the other side of the summit between Ruth & Icy overlooking the Nooksack glacier. We used the rope on Icy both for the glacier and the crux. Trip report & pics here: http://www.mountaingirl.net/ruth_icy0803/index.htm

I'm currently reviewing a pair of Dunham Waffle Stomper Premiers for another web site. They have so far exceeded my expecations and might be exactly what you're looking for. Like you, I need a comfy hiking boot that can do double duty on light mountaineering. They were the Backpacker magazine 'Best Buy' last year. My initial impressions really quickly... (full review to follow): brutally stiff around the ankles at first although the footbeds are very cushy very sticky soles that grip rock very well even when wet (ie: algae covered rocks in a fast moving river) excellent cushioning excellent ankle support known for their waterproofness (I haven't tested them in a downpour or really soggy conditions yet but I have gone out of my way to step right in the creeks and they have stayed dry) excellent for kicking steps in snow, even when icy. very supportive for the foot when hiking up very steep snow with only your toe in Seem to have more arch support than most boots. very light. I think they weigh about 2.5lbs which is awesome for such a rugged boot. They are taking time to break in but other than that, I'm really happy with them so far. I wore them for 13 hours the weekend before last on very mixed terrain (trail... boulders... scree... snow... glacier) I'm wearing them for 5 days in the Enchantments starting on Friday so if you're not in too big a rush, wait till I get back and I'll have a full review of them. http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/outdoor/product.asp?ref=82

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm I was just talking about this one the other day. I'd love to do it one day. Thanks for sharing

You're just bitter cuz you owe us 5.5 billion softwood lumber dollars

So you just bushwhacked back to the trail on the the way back? How was that? Which route would you recommend for the way back? We'll have our overnight packs so I don't much fancy doing the tago with slide alder but a shortcut would be nice.

Yeah.... the Celine thing was pretty sucky of us. But then again, she's from Quebec which isn't really part of Canada anyway.

Don't lose the straps on the Stubais. Cost me $16 to get a new one.

I love my Stubais. They are light, get the job done and don't tear up stuff in my pack or parts of my body when I fall. I've never used them on very hard ice or anything very steep but I have used them on rock with no problems. Mind you I weigh 124lbs. For light mountaineering and a light person, they certainly seem to perform well.

My crappiest gear ever was also a NF jacket. It was a shell that was supposed to be breathable but I always ended up being more wet inside than out when I wore it. After 2 years of getting pissed off at how useless it was I put it in a box and sent it back to their warrenty department telling them to either fix it or send me a new one. I didn't actually expect them to do anything but it was such a POS I figured I had nothing to lose anyway. One week later, a brand new NF jacket arrived. They had made a lot of modifications to it (I guess I'm not the only one who complained) and it works great now.

In my perfect world where the weather is perfect and everything goes smoothly, this is the plan: Saturday: carb load at the waffle place in Leavenworth at 7am (does anyone know any places that open earlier?) then hit the trail. Hike up and camp somewhere above Inspiration Lake. Hike up Little Annapurna by the light of the full moon and watch the metor shower. Sunday: McClellan (to avoid weekend crowds) Monday: Prusik/Enchantment Tuesday: Dragontail/Colchuck Wednesday: Cannon & out via NW ridge to old logging road. We do have a strong group with plenty of experience with long days and a lot of elevation gain so I hope we can pull it off.

Well if we just get Colchuck, Dragontail and Prusik done I'll be happy. The others are gravy. Only two of us are actually climbing Prusik and the others are going to do Enchantment that day. Any more opinions on the Cannon plan? I don't mind a 12-14 hour day. Just thought it would be fun to make a loop of it and get off the beaten path.

Last time I was up there everything was covered in snow and we were the only people up there so it was hard to tell where the best spots were. Could anyone recommend a few good campsites for a group of 6? Ideally we'd like to stay in one spot the whole time and do Dragontail, Colchuck, Little Annapuran, McClellan, Prussik, and Cannon (on the way out). Our permits are for 4 nights in the Enchantments.

Thanks everyone.... we're going to try to do Dragontail and Colchuck both from the Enchantments basin and go back the same way. Decided to try to make a bit of a loop of it, heading out via Cannon. Should be a great trip

Awesome! I am loving this site! It's like having a direct line to the climbing gods

I read on summitpost.org that it's possible to do Cannon via Coney Lake. The way it was worded made it sound like you could approach from the other side of Coney Lake as opposed to going through the Enchantments. Does anyone have any info on this route? It would be great if we could come up via Asgard and then out through Coney Lake to make a bit of a loop. (not in one day obviously... we have 5 days up there)

Thanks a lot Bug. Do you think I could get the 'non-climbers' from Dragontail to the col and down to the lake?

Thanks so much for your reply. The reason for backtracking would be to avoid the glacier, correct? Is the glacier doable with a rope, crampons and ice axe?

I'm heading up there next week. Boy am I glad to find your post. I've been trying to figure out if we can come out of the Enchantments basin via Dragontail then climb Colchuck on the way out. Sounds like it's doable. Is there a better route for this time of year? We'll have a rope and rack with us as we're doing Prussik too but we'll have some non-climbers with us and it would be nice to get them up Colchuck. Is it possible to avoid the glacier? Any info you have would be greatly appreciated!