The hunt for classics continues with OpenSnow Athlete Cody Townsend.

Pioneer Peak is widely known in Alaska. Little known outside of it. As you drive north from Anchorage into the glacial flood plane known as the Matanuska Valley, there is one mountain that stands taller, looks bigger, and feels more omnipresent than the thousands of other peaks on the skyline.

Its north-facing slope is a continuous 6,500-foot face with no breaks and no flat areas. What was once a test piece of endurance and skill for Alaskan mountaineers has now become a playground for local ski mountaineers.