Slaughter Mountain - Elevation 4,338'

View of Blood Mountain from Slaughter Mountain summit.

Open granite outcrop on summit of Slaughter Mountain.

February 23, 2008

Start - Wolfpen Gap - 3,260'el
Trail - Duncan Ridge Trail, with some bushwhacking.
Time to summit - 55 minutes
Time of descent - 42 minutes
Ascent - 1,078'

Parking my car adjacent to Duncan Ridge Road, I grab my pack and walking staff out of the back seat. Across the road, a nearly inaudible conversation is taking place between a couple of bike riders and hikers. Other than this, the two-lane ribbon of asphalt that is Highway 180 is silent in between cars that can appear from seemingly out of nowhere as they round the curves, heading either towards Suches or Vogel State Park. I step in the direction of the trail, cross the highway and begin the steady climb.

The clouds are hanging low and as I look up slope, they can be seen rushing through the treetops, obscuring whatever view of the mountain that would normally unfold. As I look back at my car, two other guys with complete packs and ski poles have come off the ridge from the direction of Coosa Bald. They begin to take a break while I disappear into the woods. The uphill climb is immediate as I step up onto and around small boulders here and there that flank either side of the trail. The goal today is to bag the summit of Slaughter Mountain, the 5th highest peak in Georgia.

About twenty minutes up the trail I begin to hear the metallic click of the ski poles belonging to my fellow hikers. Judging by their increasing volume I know that they are rapidly gaining on me. I always pull of the trail for a breather when I know someone is about to overtake me. It's good hiking etiquette for there is nothing worse than having momentum and coming upon someone ambling along and holding up your progress. They both passed me, in staggered form as one was about three minutes faster than his buddy. At this point, I was sucking air so hard that I was glad to stay put until both of them passed.

The trail finally levels out and the burning in my calves fades with each step. I look up and notice a patch of blue sky. It looks as if the clouds may burn off after all. The patches of blue become larger as I walk on. Finally, the areas not shrouded by trees are flooded with a beautiful sunlight. The contrast of the sun with the remaining low clouds is wonderful.

I knew from studying the topo map before this hike that the Duncan Ridge Trail does not cross the summit,  meaning I'm in for another bushwhacking adventure. As the trail descends, I know it's time to leave it to the right and begin to fight the sparse undergrowth. The goal is simple...to keep walking up until you reach the highest point.

It appears that I have not been the only person with this goal. A clearly visible trail opens up in front of me, then I notice a faded red blaze on a tree. 'What the hell?', I thought. This was not on any of the maps I researched. Why would this be a secret? Is it an attempt to discourage people from entering this area, or simply a forgotten path? I gladly follow this trail all the way to the summit, sparing me from the normal fight with briers. A search for a USGS marker is fruitless.

Like most of the peaks in GA, there is not much of a vista. Like Coosa Bald, there is a small granite outcropping near the summit that provides a small window in the direction of Blood Mountain. The clouds slowly blow through the gap between Slaughter and Blood Mountain, finally revealing the highest point in GA on the Appalachian Trail. I sit on the outcrop and soak up the sun for nearly an hour before retracing my steps back down to Wolfpen Gap.