pioneer peak

to summit pioneer peak is a dream of mine.  6,398 feet of glorious jagged rock.  we put in annually for sheep hunts, but those permits are somewhat of a willy-wonka-i-got-the-golden-ticket dream.  this mountain is not one you would set out to hike on a leisurely afternoon.  no, this would take serious planning, preparation and training.

one day i'll climb it.

pioneer peak.

whatta beaut.

but, until that day, i'll settle for a day hike with my lovely peoples and take in the views from a third of the way up.  that's something.

on another picturesque day, we drove out to palmer, crossed knik river and journeyed back to a trailhead that i never knew existed.  ok, so this may not be a trail i bring jack and dylan by myself, but it definitely was a great one to have ben along with.  not only am i more comfortable when i'm with him while he's packing some heat, but he was able to pack a child, too.  (or rather, he was kinda trading kid-for-kid on most of the hike...)

this trail is steep with switch backs, lots of mud and a few waterfalls here and there.  we were in tall grasses for the entire hike with fallen trees that you had to climb over.  the kiddos were pooped, and we had barely made it 2,000 meters.  but with plenty of snacks and water breaks, we nearly made it a third of the way.  nearly.  

chugach mountains

 averee loves her cousin!

see?

pooped.