So we are going to have church on the mountain this week so get your hiking boots on and come clear your mind on the mountain. We will hike from Kings Mountain to Crowder’s Mountain. 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. This is cafeteria style so you can choose what you want.
Menu: Optional start for breakfast- meet at Trackside Grill located at 109 E Hudson Blvd, Gastonia, NC at 0600 for a hearty breakfast. From Trackside we will leave at 0645 to get to the parking lots. If you don’t want breakfast, be at your State Park parking area at 0700 when the park opens.
Parking: . Head to Linwood Parking area. Be there at 0700 when park opens and leave cars and then proceed to the Boulder access area.
***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)
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 to include MapMyRun. You may consider a mobile charger since cooler weather may drain your cell batteries.
0730: Operations/Safety Briefing by Roscoe and quick 3rd F. Prep your gear and get ready.
Begin the hike before or no later than 0800.
Click to access crowders-mountain-park-map_0.pdf
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)
Decision Point… Choose either Rocktop Trail or Crowder’s Trail.
Rocktop is shorter but more strenuous and Crowder’s Trail is longer and less strenuous.
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 in wet weather. It appears that we will get rain Saturday night. The rocks are slippery. 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. Dress in layers with a waterproof outer layer. 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 12-13 miles. We should be done by 2 or 3pm but it depends on your pace. Plan accordingly.
I am sure I left something out so DM me or comment with your suggestions.
AYE!
