"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way." -Dr. Suess
A quaint little spot to sit and enjoy the views on Flattop 
Where: Flattop Mountain in Chugach Park
When: Saturday, June 27, 2009
Duration: Approximately 1pm-4pm
Elevation: 3550 feet
So off we went, armed with 2 bottles of water, 2 bananas, a half eaten bag of trail mix, a camera, the spirit of adventure and a can of bear spray (though unnecessary on this particular hike as every other person we passed had a minimum of 3 dogs in tow). Sadly, I must report I had no choice but to de-sherpa my mom. In her defense she really was a trooper, scrambling, climbing, crawling and frequently clinging her way to the 2nd saddle, easily 3000 feet, nothing to shake a stick at. All that way in spite of her very serious and vocal reservations about the safety of the trail grade and elevation. "It's too high, we might fall off the edge" she worried at me as jolly families of up to six, ranging 3 months to 7 years would go jogging past us throwing out a smile and friendly word while my recently dethroned Sherpa mom nervously tried to mold and roll herself along inner wall. Granted, this is no walk in the park, it is up a mountain, but one need not be an experienced climber at all. No, we were not alone on Flattop today, the steady stream of eager outdoor enthusiasts included what appeared to be everyone from inner city adolescent tour groups to elderly couples, and even one shameless heavy smoker. Mom soothed her trepidation by assuring herself that they all must be accustomed to the altitude. Oh yes, they all seemed to be from places high above sea level, places like Iowa, Georgia, and Kansas. I left mom at the 2nd saddle and scrambled on to the top. What a view! On clear day like today, you can see all of Anchorage, across the Cook Inlet, parts of the Alaskan Range including Mt. McKinley and Redoubt Volcano...and yes, it's true I think...even Russia;)
"God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains." Psalm 46:1-3
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