Cannon, Enchantment, Dragontail, and Witches Tower

Date: 2006/10/20 to 2006/10/22
Trip type: scramble
Elevation gain: approx. 8,300 feet (approx 2,529 meters)
Car-to-car time: 2 days 8 hours 46 minutes
USGS Quads: Enchantment Lakes, Cashmere Mountain
In Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Trip Report

Cannon Mountain. We approached via Prusik Pass. We found a cairned bootpath that starts slightly to the west of the pass and heads NW, contouring the slopes on the north side of the ridge. We completely overshot and accidently summited Elf Ridge first. Ack. Once we oriented ourselves, it was a straight-forward scramble to Druid Plateau (the 8,320'+ plateau just below the summit) via the east slopes. The summit of Cannon was a rock scramble, and the last 15-20 feet was steep and slabby. It was a little intimidating downclimbing the short section of slabby rock at the top, a slip could have deposited us 30 feet down the slope.

Enchantment Peak. The NE summit was a straight-forward walk-up from Prusik Pass, with 15 feet of 3rd class scrambling to the top. We checked out the SW summit and decided it was far past what we'd be willing to do with only a 30m rope and a few biners and slings. Too bad since the SW summit is the true summit.

Dragontail Peak. The standard Valhalla Cirque route was out because the glacier was mostly ice. So we skirted the SE side of Isolation Lake, then ascended granite slopes to the 8,120'+ pass between Little Annapurna and Dragontail Peak. At the pass we walked across the snowfield at the top of the Snow Creek Glacier, then ascended SW to Druid Plateau. From the plateau, we hiked the west side of the ridge to the top of Dragontail.

Witches Tower. This was my favorite. It started with a short, exposed, slabby ledge on the SSE side. The ledge was very easy, but a bit intimidating with all the exposure. After this short section, it was a fun, unexposed rock scramble to the summit, with a bit of 3rd class. The top was solid granite and very roomy with loads of exposure on all sides.

On the hike down my headlamp batteries gave out just as we reached the car. How convenient.

References

Northwest Hikers: The Stark's map of Enchantments
Northwest Hikers: Another Stark's map of Enchantments

Travel Times

Car-to-car time: 2 days 8 hours 46 minutes

2 hours 52 minutes driving there (via Blewett Pass) from Capitol Hill to Colchuck Lake trailhead
4 hours 51 minutes ascending from Colchuck Lake trailhead (3,440') to Aasgard Pass (7,885')
1 hour 26 minutes ascending from Aasgard Pass (7,885') to camp above Crystal Lake
5 hours 3 minutes ascending from camp above Crystal Lake (7,580') to Cannon Mountain summit (8,730')
2 hours 18 minutes ascending from Cannon Mountain summit (8,730') to Enchantment Peak, NE summit (8,630')
39 minutes descending from Enchantment Peak, NE summit (8,630') to near Enchantment Peak, SW summit (8,570')
1 hour 13 minutes descending from near Enchantment Peak, SW summit (8,570') to camp above Crystal Lake
3 hours 35 minutes ascending from camp above Crystal Lake (7,665') to Dragontail Peak summit (9,000')
1 hour 48 minutes descending from Dragontail Peak summit (9,000') to Witches Tower summit (8,700')
5 hours 2 minutes descending from Witches Tower summit (8,700') to Colchuck Lake trailhead
2 hours 47 minutes driving back (via Blewett Pass) from Colchuck Lake trailhead to Capitol Hill