Dragontail approach/descent conditions

[denalidevo]

Planning to get on Backbone this coming weekend. Pondering whether or not ice axe and/or 'pons are necessary for either the approach or descent. I'm planning on wearing approach shoes and am primarily concerned about hard snow/icy patches on the approach. Anybody been up there in the last week or two and can provide insight into conditions?

[telemarker]

I was on Backbone last Saturday. You will want crampons for the short hard snow traverse from the moraine to the rock. A fall there would ruin your day. The backside is straightforward heel plunging, as the snow was still soft.

 

As an alternative for descent, I've gone around the backside of witche's tit and down blocky rock back to Asgaard, which is not that much of a deviation. Plus, it lets you avoid the hard snow/ice on the backside of D-tail.

[denalidevo]

Thanks! Bring the 'pons, leave the axe. That's kinda what I was thinking based on past TR's.