Dehydration can hit anyone, often surprises its victim and should never be taken lightly.
-excerpted from the bottom of this post
How We Found It: Shawn calls Crowders the “Myrtle Beach” of hiking because of its popularity and proximity to Charlotte. Also called “Crowded Mountain,” this is undoubtedly the favorite quick hiking outing for Charlotteans, probably because it’s only an hour away from town. Parking lots are sure to be pretty full on nice weekends.
Date and Distance Hiked: 4/21/12, 8 miles
Find the Trailhead: We started at the visitor center for this one. When the trails fork, people headed up Crowders Mountain take a right, while Pinnacle hikers branch left. There are plenty of other trailheads in the park that sneak onto Pinnacle and Ridgeline Trails. Crowders map page
Map: Print a map from the “park directions” link above, grab one for free at the park.
Bathroom Situation: No worries. Visitor center.
Fees (Where/How Much): Free. Donate at visitor center if you like.
Our Route: Starting from the visitor center parking lot, we went up to Kings Pinnacle on the Pinnacle Trail. Then we followed the Ridgeline Trail towards South Carolina until we hit the Boulders Access Area visitor center, which is pretty swanky.
NOTE: Most hikers go just to Kings Pinnacle and back, which is a 4.2 mile round trip from the visitor center. Prepare to ascend for most of the first half of that in-and-back, with the steepest ascension beginning at the sign where Ridgeline Trail begins. At this sign, you can choose to skip Kings Pinnacle by not turning right–if you want to save your quads for the rest of Ridgeline, which is a constant roller coaster of elevation gain and loss. If you turn right to check out the view atop Kings Pinnacle, it is nearly a quarter mile of steep upward hiking.
Of Interest: The mountains at this park are estimated to be 400-500 million years old. They used to be huge, but now the peaks, Crowders and Kings Pinnacle, top out at 1,625′ and 1,705′ respectively.
Major chunks of gold were discovered here at the turn of the 19th century (1799 and 1803). If you remember, North Carolina was the gold capital of the country before 1849.
Kings Pinnacle was the backdrop for an artillery range for Camp Greene, a WWI training camp, around 1917. When they excavated for a visitor center in the park, a large cache of shells, spent and unspent, was found, including 75-gauge bullets for mile shooting.
An airmail beacon sits at the top of the mountain, used by pilots in the early 1900s for dead reckoning.
What Nobody Told Us before We Went: Ridgeline Trail fluctuates 100-200′ every 1/2 mile. It isn’t strenuous, but we highly suggested you pack more water than you think you need and a lunch.
In case there are any questions about this: Boulders Access Area does offer water fountains and restrooms. This is a great spot to refresh and is a nice, new facility.
Hike Highlights: If you’re looking for quiet at “Crowded Mountain,” the Ridgeline Trail is it. The trail is less worn and more beautiful than the highly trafficked areas around Crowders peak. It really doesn’t look like the same park.
For the first time ever, after hiking well over 100 miles together, a hike kicked our butt, and we had to hitch a ride. A combination of heat, the steady elevation fluctuation, concern about how long it would take to reach the Boulders Access Area to refill water, and the fact that Shawn felt wonky before the hike all led to him starting to become dehydrated by around mile 7. By the time we reached Boulders Access Area a mile later, he was toast.
This was a good lesson to know thy hiking buddy. Shawn’s very stoic and was willing to keep going on the assumption that he would eventually feel better, but based on his complete lack of smile and a sense that something was actually wrong, I grabbed a ranger while Shawn was reviving under the faucet. Thanks to Ranger Larry, who really saved us and provided a history lesson and conversation about trees on the ride back. Can’t say enough about these park watchmen. They make recreation so much safer and better for everyone!
Dehydration can hit anyone, often surprises its victim and should never be taken lightly. Dry mouth is an obvious first sign, but if you have a headache, dizziness, fatigue, shallow breathing, a strange sense of disorientation and feel generally awful, hydrate immediately! And find a way to relax and cool off. It can save your life.
Blue Ridge Dayhiking 