On June 8, 9, and 10 a couple friends from our church and I climbed Pioneer Peak, the tallest peak in the Matanuska-Susitna valley region and a landmark / icon for the valley. There are basically two summits to this mountain, a south peak and a north peak. The 9 miles trail goes to the south peak, which is a couple hundred feet shorter than the north peak. Summitting the north peak requires descending a 600 foot (steep) snow bank and climbing ascending a rocky ridge that is much more technically challenging. Generally only very experienced / expert climbers attempt this.

There is a flag at the south summit, but unfortunately it and the poles were still encrusted in early spring ice and snow, and we were unable to dig it out. Regardless, the view is incredible. This is a climb I won't soon forget. Hope you enjoy the photos.