LawHous
·
Aug 27, 2014
·
Colorado Springs, CO
· Joined Jul 2012
· Points: 481
Heh I'm looking for some routes in the Cascades, preferably in the northern Cascades, that will be good to climb in mid to late February. I'm looking for routes with a decent amount of technical difficulty i.e. not only snow slogging. It doesn't have to be sustained but has at least a couple technical pitches. I was thinking Triple Couloirs route on Dragontail and one other. Any input would be great, thanks!
Access into the true North Cascades is very difficult in mid-February. Most folks will choose to go to either Stuart Range or Snoqualmie Pass for alpine routes at that time of year. That said, there is often a period of high pressure around the second/third week of February that typically gives a week to ten days of generally nice weather. Though snow/ice conditions can still be less than idea.
Some ideas: Chair Peak, North Face, NE Buttress The Tooth, NE Slab Snoqualmie Mountain, New York Gully, Pineapple Express Dragontail Peak, Triple Couloirs, Cotter-Bebie, Wasson-Wilson Colchuck Peak, NE Couloir, North Buttress Couloir
I doubt there will be any ice on the CB on Dragontail in February, we did this one in June. Dragontail 3XC we did in early April otherwise it can be just powder snow. The Tooth NE face is a good winter adventure, and definitely NYG. Another idea is Mt. Index, and please, please, please, don't follow any of my suggestions and go get yourself killed, several people I knew did this and frankly I felt somewhat culpable...
Oh, and there's Big 4 North Face, epic, epic, epic...
Last but not least, Snow Creek Wall can be pretty insane in winter, definitely can scare the shit out of yourself on this one!
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