Over the last two days Brian and Sam had both skied Pioneer, and it was about to get a refresh - it was time to go get it. Only two small problems: I didn't have ice tools, and Alex had a project due at work. Easily remedied. I went to REI and Alex called in sick with a bad case of powder fever.
Pioneer's giant north face towering over Palmer.
The next morning found us driving back and forth on the Old Glenn looking for the north face trailhead. After a few laps of the road we'd located the appropriate thicket and were skinning into the alders. Within 500 vertical feet we'd reached the avy debris and were soon climbing mellow ice.
I was pleased how much better my ice tools performed than my finger nails and running shoes. Kind of like being a cyborg.
After the first pitch we put our skis on and started skinning up the lower face. Bryon's tracks were still visible through the new snow and were a nice reassurance that we were on track. Or at least on Brian's wrong track.
The new snow deepened and buried the old tracks as we approached the second ice pitch. The skiing was going to be fun.
Brady tried out the second pitch and after having his crampons pop off a couple of times decided that he'd rather climb rock than ice. So, we clambered up the steep snow chimney to the left. I remember one particularly fun mantle and high step that was Alex's favorite part.
A little more snow climbing and it time for the last ice of the day. The short vertical segment was fun and quick.
Then we moved to the upper bowl. From Palmer the upper bowl looks like a steep hanging face. But, from its heart it feels like a huge catchers mitt. Low angle and relatively safe near the bottom, then steeping continuously to the peak.
Filled with spindrift from the previous night's snowfall, the upper coolie was deep. We wallowed through it and crawled over the small rock steps.
Popping out of the cold north face onto the summit ridge brought the sudden warmth of the spring sun. In front of us, the Goat Creek drainage sparkled thru thin clouds. The Bold Ridge Hike from Eklutna to Pioneer is a fun a traverse above Goat Creek.
As the clouds cleared we looked up the Knik Glacier at Mount Goode and the High Chugach. Jeff says that Mount Goode is a "good girlfriend ski". Whatever that means.
The ridge held a foot of unsupportable snow sitting on pointy rocks. We wouldn't be skiing from the summit, so we left our skis at the entrance to the face and walked to the summit. Alex modeling how to make mellow snow climbing look more technical:
After lunching in the deliciously warm sun we scooted back down to click into our skis at the top of the entrance coolie.
Brady skied first into the steep soft snow. On this low tide year, the rock step at the choke wasn't covered and required a down climb or huck.
Dropping into the supportable fluff I couldn't believe the good luck of getting to ski such a big line is such great conditions. Pulling over every few turns to let the slough pour by, I leapfrogged past the boys as the chute opened up.
Photo: Brady Deal
Brady:
Alex:
The summit couloir spit us out in the upper bowl.
At the bottom of the hanging bowl it was time to take a hard left and traverse towards the rap anchor. Not completely sure where it was, and tenderly skiing towards the horizon line of what was obviously a large cliff was exciting. The colorful cordelette of the anchor stood out against the shaded rock, and we were soon inching along the edge towards it.
Off the hanging snow field it was time to relax a bit, open up, and enjoy skiing the untracked snow together. Brady:
Arcing down the lower bowl, the snow stayed soft, and we played tag all the way to the alders and the lower rappel.
Photo: Brady Deal
Dangling from and falling off alders, we slid back down to the last rappel station. Done with that, it was a short walk down the concrete avy debris to the car. What a classic: moderate ice, 6k of vert, and a steep iconic line. I'd ski this every year!
4.1.2022 Update:
Its been a fat year for the mountains of the Upper Cook Inlet plus the north face of Pioneer flushed to the road, so Pio has been on my mind. But, per usual, my mind has also been fogged by other things like planes, boats, knocking down walls in the house, family, and maaaybe work. Dane and Charlie's recent ascent of the north face was the reminder I needed.
Earlier this week Tony and I left work early to meet in the parking lot where it was 47 degrees and hard to believe that it could be winter anywhere. We putzed around pulling extra odds and ends of climbing gear out of our backpacks then waded up the 40 foot-deep cone of avy debris. The first ice pitch was sticky and quick, but I was definitely glad we would not be free-downclimbing it like Dane and Charlie recently did.
Above the ice bulge we stopped to swap crampons for skins, look out over the dry Mat Valley, and then start to break trail up into the sticky hot pow.
Into the shade of the north face, the heat of spring sun disappeared, and we left the wet snow behind replacing it with cold winter pow.
When I first moved to AK I heard the lore of the legendary winter of 2012 when Pio was so filled in that no technical climbing or rappelling was necessary and the entire face could be skied continuously. I figured it wouldn't happen again, but over the years Ben, Matt, Neil, and Brady have all realized that its possible by some "technical scrambling" up and rock skiing down the ramp adjacent to the upper technical pitches. We decided to follow their lead.
Skipping the technical pitches was easier and faster though perhaps more boring. Actually that last part isn't entirely true - one of my crampons popped off while I was kicking a rock slab - that was more than exciting enough for me.
The ramp was fun and definitely the way to go and we were soon past it and into the upper amphitheater. Maybe cause its full-on meltdown in town, but I hadn't really anticipated how deep the wallowing to the ridge was going to be and pretty much maxed out swimming uphill in the race against nightfall. The chute just kept getting steeper and deeper as we climbed until reaching a point where a lot of snow was making its way onto Tony's head and neck:
By 8 PM we were on top of the north face and into the golden evening sunshine - just enough time to zip up to the summit.
From the summit we took in the really incredible views in all directions including the pretty jaw-dropping 6,000 vertical feet straight down to the car, crammed something resembling a dinner appetizer down our throats (smores Pop-Tart for me) then continued our race against the sun.
Its funny how the upper chute had felt borderline too steep and deep to climb without peeling backwards into space - with our skis on it suddenly became perfectly pitched steep pow skiing.
Steep faces with big walls like this one are always spindrifting which is good for stability, but often leaves rather firm snow conditions, so it was a total treat to get high quality pow all the way. Reaching the ramp, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect as it had felt exposed and steep on the climb. Just like the upper chute, everything is easier with skis on. The ramp kind of reminded me of Crested Butte's Rambo, but in the middle of a complex 6,000 foot Alaskan backcountry face - good, clean fun.
It felt good to have the uncertainty of the ramp behind us (pictured center-right in the photo below) and we hustled to get to the rap station while there was still enough twilight to find it. The astute reader may note that Tony is skiing with one pole; the other one evaporated a couple turns into the face to never be seen again.
By the time we clipped into the rappel at 1,500 feet it was too dark to make out the writing on our ATCs, and then we were walking back to the Subies under the starlight talking about what an absolutely classic ski line the north face of Pioneer is - maybe especially when you're lucky enough to have conditions where you can skip the upper rappel and ski the ramp continuously.
8.17.2024 Update:
Its been about a decade since the last time Tarah and I followed gorgeous rolling ridges from Eklutna Lake to Pioneer Ridge. During that time its stayed fresh in my mind as a special treat to return to. In August 2024, Nyssa and I left the shuttle car on the shoulder next to the packed Pioneer Ridge Trailhead and retraced our steps down the Knik River Road and up the steep winding drive to Eklutna Lake.
There was a hint of the sharp fall smell of cranberries as we left the parking lot behind and hiked up the switchbacks towards Pepper Peak. Above the birch forest, the otherworldly water of Eklutna Lake stretched away from us. We looked across the aquamarine lake towards Thunderbird Ridge - another classic.
Its a hoof up Pepper, and I was ready for a quick lunch at the top. Sitting there, we looked west past Palmer towards the Talkeetna Mountains where we have so many hiking, paddling, and skiing memories. My eyes were drawn to the Sheep Glacier, where I had a relatively unsuccessful ski trip years ago.
Back on our feet, we followed the trail east towards Salt Peak. To the south, Peeking rose above Thunderbird ridge. There are some incredible ski lines tucked into its big dark north face; and unfinished business for me there as well.
Past Salt we left the trails of humans behind and followed the tracks of the original alpine civil engineers: sheep. The sheep trails here are incredible, allowing you to take your eyes away from your feet and really enjoy drooling over the huge mountains in every direction.
As we continued to follow the game trails east, the perspective of the giants of Peters Creek shifted with us. Soon we were looking at Yukla and Rumble. Rumble may be my all time favorite ski, I think this peak would stand up against any ski line in North America.
With each step forward our views changed. Turning north, the headwaters of Eklutna opened out of their incised chasms.
There is so much to explore back here, I've just touched the surface, and I know I'll never see it all.
The miles of excellent sheep trails continued to flow by and so did the mountains rising around us. Jogging north, more of the B Peaks appeared.
Bold's infamous north face. With a little more time, perspective, and experience, I'm realizing just how lucky I was to hit this line in perfect conditions with Jake in 2018. I think its usually unstable, bad snow, or a discontinuous mess of cliff bands. Or, all three.
I've also loved skiing Boisterous a couple of times. It looks little sitting in the shadow of Bashful and Baleful.
The next eye candy on the traverse was Hunter Creek. I've barely spent any time here, but its been enough to wet my appetite for more. There's a lot of potential for unique, challenging, and big ski descents in here.
The sheep soon had us turning west and on towards Pioneer. Just like the rest of the day, the animal trails stayed smooth and we continued to jog the flats and downhills, walk the climbs, and take in the world around us.
About 6.5 hrs after leaving the lake, we were at the top of the Pioneer Ridge trail. Although the day was already approaching 20 miles and 10,000 vertical feet, the evening was young and the miles had been easy. It was an easy decision to jog towards South Pioneer Peak to tag the summit.
It's been a long time since I'd been up South Pioneer, or the Pioneer Ridge trail for that matter. Returning here brought back a flood of memories from my first days as an Alaskan. What an exciting time in my life. Many of the people from that time do not live here any more or are no longer with us. I thought about how every day here is a gift to be cherished.
Pioneer with Erin and Scamp in late September 2014:
Clambering across a series of steep, gravelly ledges, South Pioneer seemed gnarlier than I remembered. We were on the south side of the ridge, and switching back to the north side "improved" the climb to the loose scree that I was anticipating.
It took longer than I expected to get to the summit, and I was ready for my dinner granola bar when we got there. At the top, we sat looking at North Pioneer; its exposed north peak brought back a flood of special memories on that magnificent mountain. Like I've said before, I'd love to be lucky enough to ski Pioneer every year.
Racing a sun that is now setting hours earlier than it did a month ago, we retraced our steps down the gravelly summit pyramid then jogged down the ridge trail to the parking lot. There was new work on the trail with improved drainage, planking, and brush cutting. Thanks to the trail gnomes who did this great work - its a real improvement.
Sitting at home watching the sun set over the Tordrillos as I write this, I cannot help but think back on the amazing adventures that I've been gifted with in my relatively short life. Many of them are already fuzzy in my mind, its nice to have this written record to reminisce over.
Hey Mike,
ReplyDeleteAny info on the narrow, splitter N facing pinner coming off of the lower, lookers left buttress of Pioneer’s N aspect? The one you basically drive straight toward just before crossing the Knik westbound on Old Glenn? Ski descents?
No need to rappel when skiing the north face of pioneer most of the time.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
Delete