Angus Chute - Slaughter Pen

Angus Chute — Blue — The Climb That Connects Slaughter Pen’s Boneyard

If you’re looking for a blue-rated trail at Slaughter Pen that does more than just move you from one place to another, Angus Chute is one of the most useful and underrated climbs in the system. At 1.33 miles with 118 feet of climbing against only 41 feet of descent, this is a genuine net climb that works its way up through the Boneyard area — and it takes most riders around 16 minutes to complete.

The Terrain

Angus Chute earns its blue rating honestly. Several rocky sections punctuate the climb — exposed limestone slabs set into the tread, stacked stone work along the hillside, and natural rock built directly into the trail surface rather than engineered around it. Wooden bridges and elevated boardwalk sections carry riders across the drainages and along the steeper hillside cuts. None of it is extreme, but it asks for active riding and deliberate line choice rather than letting you coast through on momentum alone.

The climbing is steady rather than punishing. With 118 feet of gain spread across 1.33 miles and only brief sections giving elevation back, Angus Chute keeps you working the whole way up without ever becoming the kind of grind that makes you question your decisions. The rocky sections are what demand your attention — not the gradient.

The Crossings

What makes Angus Chute genuinely valuable to understand is what it intersects. About three quarters of the way up the climb, the trail crosses Bush Push — the black diamond uphill famously named in November 2010 when George W. Bush rode it clean. Further along, Angus Chute passes the Berm Creek trailhead, putting riders directly at the entry to one of the most iconic black diamond descents in the entire Slaughter Pen system.

For riders building a route through this part of Slaughter Pen, those two crossings make Angus Chute a strategic climb rather than just a scenic one. You can use it to access Berm Creek, link into Bush Push, or continue through to the top depending on how your day is shaping up.

The Boneyard Ramp and Razorback Ridge

Angus Chute delivers riders to the Boneyard Ramp — and this is the detail most riders don’t know going in. After the ramp, Angus Chute becomes Razorback Ridge. The ride continues uninterrupted, but the trail name changes. If you’re navigating by trail signage or tracking your route on a map, knowing that transition exists before you reach it saves a moment of confusion at the top.

Riding the Boneyard

The Boneyard is one of the more characterful corners of Slaughter Pen and one that plenty of riders pass through without exploring properly. Stacked rock walls, natural limestone shelves, bridges and boardwalks threaded through a wooded hillside corridor. Angus Chute is a good entry point to that area and a useful trail to know if you want to understand how this section of Slaughter Pen fits together.

📊 Trail Stats

• Distance: 1.33 miles

• Climb: 118 ft

• Descent: 41 ft

• Average time: 16 minutes

• Rating: Blue (Intermediate)

• System: Slaughter Pen — Boneyard area

• Connects: Bush Push | Berm Creek trailhead | Boneyard Ramp | Razorback Ridge

🎯 Why Ride Angus Chute?

• 1.33 miles of blue singletrack with genuine rocky technical sections throughout

• Steady 118-foot climb — challenging without being punishing

• Crosses Bush Push approximately three quarters of the way up

• Passes the Berm Creek trailhead — direct access to one of Slaughter Pen’s iconic black diamond descents

• Finishes at the Boneyard Ramp before transitioning into Razorback Ridge

• Explores the Boneyard area — stone work, bridges, boardwalks, and natural limestone

• About a 16-minute ride for most riders

🚴 Perfect For

• Intermediate riders who want a climb with character rather than just elevation

• Riders accessing Berm Creek or linking into Bush Push

• Anyone exploring the Boneyard area of Slaughter Pen

• Riders building a full route through this section of the system

• Visitors who want to understand how Slaughter Pen’s trails connect