Pioneer Peak July 2013

South Peak, looking up from the beginning of the ridge. Looks close, right!? July 2013

Fun fact: one of my favorite things of all time is to walk up hill. Lucky for me Pioneer offers over 6000ft of it! Pioneer Peak is located near the town of Palmer on the north edge of Chugach State Park. It is a giant beast of a peak  that rises up from sea level east of the Knik River in the Mat-Su Valley. You can access the ridge trail off of the Knik River Road, this brings you up the south ridge and face. I understand that there is also access from the north face but I have never tried it. Supposedly it is more direct and a bit of a scramble. Its sounds fun and worth checking into next summer, Ill let ya know how it works out! I have attempted Pioneer twice but only have summited once. Either way it was amazing to start at almost sea level and get super high!

Peak Stats:
Elevation: Ridge- 5300ft  Peak-6400ft
Elevation Gain: Over 6000ft
Trail Conditions:Easy, well maintained to ridge, there are even a couple picnic tables! Once on the ridge it gets a little hairy, it is exposed and narrow at parts. Parts are a class 3 and 4 scramble.
Mileage: 4.5 to ridge, and 8 to summit. 
Time: Allow 8 to 12 hours

My first attempt at Pioneer was August 2012 with my friends Scott Fritz and Adam. We started hiking late morning, and made it up to the ridge in the afternoon but were pushed back down due to high winds and weather moving in. We were still able to sneak peaks at Bold Peak, Bashful, the Eklutna Glacier, and some other good stuff! 

Picnic table view looking out on the Knik Glacier and Talkeentas

The ridge line looking down from the top! Super Fun!!

On my second attempt with my pals; Tim, Liam, and Nathan, we summited with time to spare and a blue sky. We started hiking around 10 am in the forest, pushing hard up to treeline. With a couple picnic table breaks we made it to the ridge early afternoon. Getting up to the ridge is the tough part, it is 4.5 miles with over 5000 ft of elevation gain. Travel is less strenuous on the ridge, but from there it is still a couple hours, a good amount of elevation gain and loss, and plenty of false summits to keep ya from getting bored! The ridge is a hoot! Super fun mostly because it wasnt windy... It is very exposed and narrow at parts with a steep drop into valleys on both sides, some parts could be considered a class 3 to 4 scramble. We went in a little blindly not really knowing how long it would take to summit. Our goal was in view but the false summits were killer! Once we made it down to the car we realized that it was a lot more mileage and elevation gain/loss then we thought and we felt even more awesome! The summit is wide with lots of room for a snack break and to gaze at the biggest peak in the Chugach: Marcus Barker, along with glaciers galore, and the Alaskan Range. The descent from the peak went fast! I was dehydrated, it was a warm day so Nathan and I stopped to fill up on water at a snow melt creek after the ridge. Tim and Liam who must be part mountain goat sprinted down most of the way back to the trailhead. BEAST! Once Nathan and I reached treeline we ran too, which is an awesome rush in its self! Almost 11 hours after starting we were back at the car with Chacos on our feet!

The crew at the top! Tim, me, Liam, Nathan and  adventure dog Mazzy!

Mom shot! Bold, Bashful and the Eklutna Glacier in the background!

Alright just for fun and future reference this is the Yosemite Decimal System which rates hikes and climbs. When I refer to class 3 or 4 scrambles, this is what I mean! Now you know! Knowledge is power yo' Also if you are my mom you might not want to read any farther....

Class 1: Travel is easy, low chance of injury
Class 2: A little tougher, might need to use hands for an easy scramble, low chance of injury
Class 3: A scramble, need to use hands, more exposure. Chance of injury, not necessarily fatal
Class 4: Tough scramble, exposed, simple climbing with natural protection, but a fall could be fatal. Could use a rope
Class 5: Free climbing, needs ropes,belaying and other forms of protection.

Sorry mom! Love you :-)