The Slaughter

N 60°30'41"
W 149°49'51"

I have been to the mountain top, and there is no greater feeling than to stand on top of a large stair step that is that much closer to heaven.

The climb to the top of Slaughter Mountain that is only accessible to those who already know where it. Our knowledge of this illusive trail came to us last week when we got a tip from a rather attractive girl tending bar at the Kenai Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing. She told of a spectacular view of a makeshift trail just a view miles down the road. A week later we set out to conquer the mountain.

Yesterday we awoke later than expected to begin at what is arguably the trail head of Slaughter Trail just after 11am. The first 100 meters of the trail was modest. It took us across a beautiful small stream that hadpossibly the coldest and msot crisp water I have ever drank fresh from a stream (mostly cause almost all water in the water 48 must be boiled to purify it which is not always the case up there). The trail continued on quickly climbing in elevation. The most trail up to the first ridge was distinch enough to distinguish it from the rest of the surrounding forest. But the Slaughter Trail is not an offical trail of the Chugach National Forest. It has no trail head. It has no markers or slashes indicating whether or not you are, in fact, on the trail. There are several side trails branching off with no signs. It has no clear ending point, and no measurement of trail length. This is the Slaughter Trail.

After that first 100 meters is over and you are past the beautiful stream that looks like something out of a calendar sold for $15, the honeymoon is over. Now you enter the mix between lush forest of Jack Pine and Paper Birch with various mountain wild flowers in (or almost in) full bloom and exposed sheet rock in a vertical staircase climbing towards the heavens. The trail was so treacherous and steap that continually on the exposed sheet rock climbs we would knock down loose rock that tumble down the mountain in a fashion of a hollywood movie to add dramatic effect to vertical danger of the situation.

While climbing our little stairway to heaven, we were acompanied by an elderly gentleman named Pete with his dog named Roofus. Pete carried only an apple and his 44 magnum, and he look like a large tanned piece of leather. He must have been at least 60, but we kept passing each other all the way up to the summit. Pete was in fantastic shape; he made us feel grossly out of shape.

At 3,100 feet, you feel on top of the world. As you approach summit of Slaughter Mountain, you feel a gust of wind that could almost sweep you off of your feet. You feet are screaming for rest, and you take pleasure in sitting beside the pile of rocks with markers and trinkets of those before you in this same spot. It was utterly amazing experience.