Matanuska Peak, Palmer, AK

I first hiked Matanuska Peak 2 years ago in the summer, and I figured based on the terrain that the entire bowl would be avalanche central during the winter. During a low snow start to this winter, I decided to adventure up there, and this became my favorite winter mountain climb, and I made it up there a handful of times. The area is incredibly wind blown, so the entire 3,000 feet leading to the summit nearly free of snow year-round.

To get to the Matanuska Peak Trailhead, take the Old Glenn Highway from Palmer (or you can go the other route by Pioneer Peak, since they are almost identical in time travel) to Smith Road. Follow Smith all the way to the parking area.

These pictures are from early May, 2018, but really are fairly representative of what it was like up there all winter!

This is the only heavily snowy area, and can even be avoided by going about another quarter mile up the valley before taking the snow-free ridge to the top

Going up the snow free ridge 

Looking at Pioneer Peak and the Bodenberg Butte from the summit

Colin at the summit making it look more dramatic than it really is

On the summit looking down on Palmer and Lazy Mountain

Near the summit looking due east

Looking north from the summit