On November 11th, 2017, F3 Gastonia hiked from Kings Mountain to Crowders Mountain and on Sunday, August 27th, the men from F3 Gastonia will again make the triumphant return to the top of Kings and Crowders! There are many PAX who attended this original hike that we don’t see much like JK2, Monk, and Richard Simmons. In any event, here is a pre-blast for you to get your minds right.
We are going to have church on the mountain along the way so don’t worry about skipping church that day. I always find it is a little easier to not be missed at home on a Sunday. Everyone has their own pace so you should plan on getting a partner or group of partners who will walk your pace. You will need a partner to carpool back and forth from the parking areas. It should also be someone who will walk your pace. We will be stopping at times for rest and snacks.
Down and dirty (Executive Summary)
08-27-23 Park a car at Linwood Road access or Sparrow Springs by 0800.
Clown car to Kings Mountain Boulder access area by 0830
Register car and start hike by 0900.
Finish at Sparrow Springs or Linwood and clown car back to pick up cars and EndEx. More detail below.
LOGISTICS: Since this is not an “out and back” hike, you will need to drop a car at the ending point of Linwood Road access first. ***If you want to cut your hike short, you should drop your car Sparrow Springs access at 522 Park Office Ln, Kings Mountain, NC area with your wingman. This will cut the hike basically in half (approximately 6 miles or 3 hours)
Optional start for breakfast-McDonalds at 0700 at Hudson Boulevard and Union Road in Gastonia. If you don’t want breakfast, be at your State Park parking area at 0800 when the park opens. You could also post to a Sunday AO if you think you could make it to Linwood by 0800.
Parking: Head to Linwood Parking area (4611 Linwood Road, Gastonia) Be there at 0800 when park opens and leave cars and then proceed to the Boulder access area.
No matter where you park, you should clown car over to the Boulder’s Access Area at 108 Van Dyke Road. When you get there, fill out the required forms for the Ridgeline Trail hike and grab a park map. I have found decent cell coverage at Crowder’s.
0830: Operations/Safety Briefing by Roscoe or PH and quick 3rd F. Prep your gear and get ready.
Begin the hike before or no later than 0900.
Begin on Ridgeline Trail
Merge with Pinnacle Trail
Merge with Crowder’s Trail (This is near the Sparrow Springs access so for those that choose the shorter route you can head to your cars here)
Rocktop Trail
The Rocktop trail takes you to the Overlook at Crowder’s near the Radio Towers. The Crowder’s Trail connects you to the Backside trail which ends at the Linwood Parking area.
End at Linwood Parking area and clown car back to Boulders Access at 108 Van Dyke Road.
What to bring: Comfortable shoes or boots with good traction. Bring water and quality snacks or lunch. Charging device for phone if you wish. If you want to add difficulty to the hike, put a sandbag or weight in your pack. Bring a first aid kit. Bring a shovel flag. Bring a change of socks. Sleeves are optional. HAVE YOUR CAR KEYS AT ALL TIMES. We don’t want PAX stranded because they can’t find their keys. Wear F3 gear. You never know how many people we can EH on the trail.
They say you can average 2 mph and we are looking to cover about 11miles. We should be done by 2 or 3pm but it depends on your pace and the start time which will be announced once YHC gets in touch with a park ranger. Plan accordingly.
I am sure I left something out so DM me or comment with your suggestions.
Roscoe