| (1) | | View of Dragon's Tail Couloir during the approach. |
| (2) | | Looking up at Dragon's Tail Couloir from Emerald Lake. In this photo you can't see the left branch we took. You can just make out the giant cornice on the right branch. Dragon's Tail is the pinnacle in the center of the photo. Dragon's Tooth is the pinnacle on the left. Dragon's Tooth Couloir is between Dragon's Tooth and Dragon's Tail. |
| (3) | | Looking up into the Dragon's Tail Couloir from its base. |
| (4) | | Michael and Fabio start Dragon's Tail Couloir. Dragon's Tail towers above. |
| (5) | | Fabio ascends the first bit of Dragon's Tail Couloir. The snow conditions weren't great at the bottom, but the higher we got the better the conditions got. |
| (6) | | Nelson and Fabio in Dragon's Tail Couloir. |
| (7) | | Me and Michael in the Dragon's Tail Couloir. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (8) | | Michael ascends Dragon's Tail Couloir with Emerald Lake below. |
| (9) | | Nelson and Fabio reach about the halfway point in the climb. The team ahead of us is approaching the junction of the two branches - note the ominous cornice in the right branch. |
| (10) | | We get our first good view into the left branch of Dragon's Tail Couloir. |
| (11) | | Nelson and Fabio make their way into the left branch of Dragon's Tail Couloir. You can see the infamous "rock step" ahead. We brought a short rope and protection in case this section turned out to be hairy, but when we got there it was no big deal. |
| (12) | | Me, Nelson, and Fabio in the left branch of Dragon's Tail Couloir. (Photo by Michael Hodges.) |
| (13) | | Michael, Nelson, and Fabio in the narrowest section of Dragon's Tail Couloir just below the rock step. |
| (14) | | Michael approaches the rock step. |
| (15) | | Negotiating the rock step - it wasn't near as difficult as we feared. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (16) | | Nelson and me on the rock step. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (17) | | Nelson and me climbing above the rock step. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (18) | | Nelson and me climbing the very top part of Dragon's Tail Couloir. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (19) | | View down Dragon's Tail Couloir from the top. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (20) | | Nelson and I top out of Dragon's Tail Couloir. (Photo by Michael Hodges.) |
| (21) | | When we got to the top there was a pair of skiers setting up a belay to ski Dragon's Tail Couloir. They said they could ski the rock step without having to take their skis off but I still find it hard to believe. (Photo by Fabio Somenzi.) |
| (22) | | Who could resist snapping a shot of Longs Peak after we topped out? |
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