Trip Log
Upcoming Hikes/Trips 2021
January - Crowders Mountain State Park - 3 days/2 night trip
February - Road Highlands - Grassy Ridge Bald for an overnight camping trip (test winter gear)
March - Congaree National Park - overnight backpacking trip
April - Mt. Mitchell - highest peak in NC at 6,578 feet
May - Mountain to Sea Trail - Section 1 through Smokies - Clingsman Dome to Cherokee (4 day trip)
June - Roan Highlands - overnight camping
August - Kings Mountain National Recreation Trail - 15.6 mile overnight trip
September - Foothills Trail - 70 mile thru-hike (5-7 days)
October - Mt. Whitney Trail - Mt. Whitney - tallest peak in Lower 48 at 14,505 ft. (4 day trip)
2022
June - Peru Climbing School
Previous Trips
December 7, 2019
Crowders Mountain - Crowders Mountain State Park, NC
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 60F
Miles Hiked: 6.0
Time: 3 hrs 09 mins
Avg Pace: 34:41 per mile
Elevation Gain: 994 ft
Great day for a hike. Got out on the trail around 10:30 am. At about 1.3 miles in to the trail, you'll reach a junction to either take - Rocky Top Trail to the top or Backside Trail. Rocky Top is a shorter route by about .6 miles, however, it is steep and very rocky and if you get off trail, you can subject yourself to a fall, which would prove to be fatal. The trail on Rocky Top is marked with red circles - both reflectors attached to trees and painted circles on rocks. Some scrambling is necessary but generally only need to use one hand to help stablize you as you go up and over or down.
About a half mile or so from the top, you'll come to a fire road, where Rocky Top Trail ends. Take the fire road up (to the left) and a few hairpin turns later, you're at the top of the mountain. There are some great views from on top and if you keep going pass the buildings at the top, you'll come to the bluff that overlooks at toward Uptown Charlotte for some great views! If you want to stay away from the tourists, grab a seat back at the buildings (there is a small landing) where I set up my JetBoil and had some cider and a snack as I enjoyed the views.
Once I was down, I headed over to the bluff to grab a few pics and then headed down the stairs (this is where the Backside Trail comes up to the top of the mountain). There are 336 wooden steps going up to the top. It was much easier going down them then going up I'm sure. Trekking poles were great here as it helped with balance on some of the smaller steps and the crowds going up.
Once you get down to the bottom of the stairs, there is a junction with a bench. I took a left - heading back toward the Vistor's Center where I started. 90 mins later I was back at my truck. The Backside Trail uses orange hexagons for its marker.
Overall - great training hike as I had a backpack with 15 lbs of gear in there. I was very tired the last mile back and took a lot of energy to get back without stopping. I ran out of water about .5 miles left in the hike but had 2 liters waiting back at the truck. As my first big hike since our 6 miles of hiking in Rocky Mountains National Park at Bear Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Sprague Lake, I feel I bit off a bit too much at Crowders. I'm super glad that I did it and glad I have a base line that I can use to measure my training improvements, I was sore for 3 days afterward and could hardly move the next day.
Can't wait to go back in the Spring and try this wonderful hike again.
March - Congaree National Park - overnight backpacking trip
April - Mt. Mitchell - highest peak in NC at 6,578 feet
May - Mountain to Sea Trail - Section 1 through Smokies - Clingsman Dome to Cherokee (4 day trip)
June - Roan Highlands - overnight camping
August - Kings Mountain National Recreation Trail - 15.6 mile overnight trip
September - Foothills Trail - 70 mile thru-hike (5-7 days)
October - Mt. Whitney Trail - Mt. Whitney - tallest peak in Lower 48 at 14,505 ft. (4 day trip)
2022
June - Peru Climbing School
Previous Trips
December 7, 2019
Crowders Mountain - Crowders Mountain State Park, NC
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 60F
Miles Hiked: 6.0
Time: 3 hrs 09 mins
Avg Pace: 34:41 per mile
Elevation Gain: 994 ft
Great day for a hike. Got out on the trail around 10:30 am. At about 1.3 miles in to the trail, you'll reach a junction to either take - Rocky Top Trail to the top or Backside Trail. Rocky Top is a shorter route by about .6 miles, however, it is steep and very rocky and if you get off trail, you can subject yourself to a fall, which would prove to be fatal. The trail on Rocky Top is marked with red circles - both reflectors attached to trees and painted circles on rocks. Some scrambling is necessary but generally only need to use one hand to help stablize you as you go up and over or down.
About a half mile or so from the top, you'll come to a fire road, where Rocky Top Trail ends. Take the fire road up (to the left) and a few hairpin turns later, you're at the top of the mountain. There are some great views from on top and if you keep going pass the buildings at the top, you'll come to the bluff that overlooks at toward Uptown Charlotte for some great views! If you want to stay away from the tourists, grab a seat back at the buildings (there is a small landing) where I set up my JetBoil and had some cider and a snack as I enjoyed the views.
Once I was down, I headed over to the bluff to grab a few pics and then headed down the stairs (this is where the Backside Trail comes up to the top of the mountain). There are 336 wooden steps going up to the top. It was much easier going down them then going up I'm sure. Trekking poles were great here as it helped with balance on some of the smaller steps and the crowds going up.
Once you get down to the bottom of the stairs, there is a junction with a bench. I took a left - heading back toward the Vistor's Center where I started. 90 mins later I was back at my truck. The Backside Trail uses orange hexagons for its marker.
Overall - great training hike as I had a backpack with 15 lbs of gear in there. I was very tired the last mile back and took a lot of energy to get back without stopping. I ran out of water about .5 miles left in the hike but had 2 liters waiting back at the truck. As my first big hike since our 6 miles of hiking in Rocky Mountains National Park at Bear Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Sprague Lake, I feel I bit off a bit too much at Crowders. I'm super glad that I did it and glad I have a base line that I can use to measure my training improvements, I was sore for 3 days afterward and could hardly move the next day.
Can't wait to go back in the Spring and try this wonderful hike again.
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