Yellow Jacket Tower

Yellow Jacket Tower

Location: Wentatchee National Forest (Icicle Creek, Leavenworth)	Route Desctiption Drive US-2 (Stevens Pass) E to Leavenworth. Just before entering town, turn right on Icicle Creek Rd. Follow road 6.1 mi. to a turnout on the left near a bridge. Approach: A trail leaves the road near the E end of the turnout down to a bridge. After crossing the bridge(l670') go left on the gravel road a few hundred feet to where an obvious well worn trail leaves the gravel road on its right. Take this trail to Rat Creek Boulder then slightly right and up. The trail is obvious, well worn and steep. Follow this trail mainly up (S) until it puts you at the base of the main gully (hard hats). The base of the main gully is littered with white granite scree that leads up to a very large chock stone obstruction on its left. Proceed a few hundred feet up to beneath the obstruction. From here, scramble right out of the gully, then up and left back into the gully to get above the obstruction. Here the main gully becomes very broad and dirty. Proceed up the main gully past several large fallen trees. Right and up toward the skyline look for a yellowish vertical wall with bubbly granite - large knobs, chicken heads, etc. This is easier to see looking W from the top of the minor pass. Begin working your way up, right, and towards this structure. Just below its base, is a large tree where a steep hidden gully starts between the tree and the main wall. Kiss this wall and look left to find the hidden gully. Space at the belay spot ahead is limited so it may be best to rope-up here. Climbing Route Scramble the hidden gully (class 2 - 3 except for a short section of class 4) to an obvious belay spot at a tree on the left and below a right facing dihedral on the right (4,000'). Climb the 70' right facing dihedral and exit right past a tree and large chockstone. Then go left onto the broad base on which the summit tower sits. There are ample belay spots here. The climb finishes on the W side of the tower by climbing a sloping ramp, a small shelf, and the a short slightly exposed 15' section to the top (4,140’). Protect this exposed section with a cam in the 1”- 2” horizontal crack at its base. At the top, an old iron ring of unknown quality can be found. Since there is really no room at the top it works well to rig the old piton (replaced with bolts) as a top anchor so that you can belay your partner from below. Descent You may find that down climbing the slightly exposed section is actually easier than climbing it. Descend using one double rope rappel or two single rope rappels. The first, from the tree next to the chockstone above the right facing dihedral to the belay spot below and the second from the belay tree at the base of the right facing dihedral back down into the main gully. Comments Take a selection of eight to ten stoppers, hexes, and cams for cracks from 3/8’ to 2-1/2 with most between 0.5” and 1.5”
Elevation: 4,500 Ft
Route: East Flank
Grade: II
Class: 5.3??
Topo Map(online), YellowJacket.jpg
TOPO Files: YellowJacket.tpo, YellowJacket.tpg

Date: 6/17/01
Number in Party: 6

Other Notes:

Yellow Jacket Tower

Top of the Hidden Gully

Belaying from the top of first pitch

Summit

Approach Gully

Fist Real Pitch

The final 15 feet

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