I had this grandiose idea: instead of sweating away on the gym’s stair stepper once a day every week, I’d summit The Pinnacle at Crowders Mountain State Park.
The Pinnacle rises a modest 1,705 feet, over the Piedmont landscape about 30 miles west from Charlotte. On a sunny, clear day, you can spot the downtown skyscrapers. Views make it one of the more popular Charlotte, NC, hikes.
The idea sounded more appealing than watching cars drive through the parking lot while building strength and endurance. The goal: hike one day a week to the summit and back as briskly as possible without running. Get faster every week.
The Route to the Pinnacle
It’s a relatively simple route. Catch part of the Fern Trail from the furthest picnic area parking lot at Sparrow Springs access. Pick up the Turnback Trail all the way to the Pinnacle Trail and Ridgeline Trail. This route is about 3.8 miles out-and-back with almost 850 feet of elevation gain.
The walk’s a slow burner, especially compared to the short but steep Backside Trail to the Tower, the park’s second-highest point. It starts relatively flat, and follows a spring-fed creek for a short way. The grade starts to rise about half a mile in and ascending the Pinnacle Trail’s orange blazes turns up the heat. Switchbacks tighten and rocks grow more prevalent. A winding rocky staircase brings you to the foot of the ridgeline summit, where a final rock scramble reveals the panorama.
Week by Week
On the first day, I started the trail with my watch timer running and a competitive streak that had nothing to compete against yet.
I’d checked the forecast and decided I’d warm up on the climb. Wrong choice. Battering wind gusts strengthened as I approached the peak’s rock scrambles. It cut through the thin layers, stealing any heat generated on the upward hike. That same wind muffled all noise but the trees–no birds, distant lawn mowers, or factory work.
Week 2, I arrived better dressed for the cold. A beaver hustled across the road as I drove in. I passed ten people on the entire round trip walk. I had the top to myself. I found a cleaner line through the upper rock scramble, and with a hustle to the bottom, found myself two minutes faster.
Weather scared away anyone on week 3. Rain the day before delayed my original planned hike and the forecast threatened more. I drove out anyway hoping to catch the trail in a window.
Mist sat low between the pines and softened every edge. Light transformed the forest into an iridescent green I’ve never seen on a clear day. It’s the kind of color you’d swear was filtered if you saw it in a photo.
Somewhere in that quiet I heard a song I didn’t know. I looked it up later: pine warbler. A vireo joined in. My sole companions on this otherworldly hike.
I turned around well below the summit, not willing to try slick rock. Even with the turnaround, my final time finished slower
Week 4 started at 48 degrees and ended in multiple shed layers. I’d dressed for the cold— I’d learned — but fifteen minutes in the jacket was unzipped. By the steep turn on the Pinnacle Trail, all but one layer were shoved into my pack.
Across all four weeks I’d passed maybe ten hikers total. By going early, I experienced the summit solo each time. On the final day, I surveyed the world from the top a little longer before starting back down. Eighty-one minutes and 30 seconds–90 seconds slower than week 1.
The Gain That Didn’t Show on My Watch
Elevation work outside the gym brought me a goal. Instead of learning the sounds of roaring Ford trucks accelerating on Charlotte Highway, I marched upward to birds and rustling leaves. I experience the etherealness of a forest in deep mists.
Walking the same place highlighted the reawakening of spring. By the end, the early greening forest in the first week burst into the full flush of spring brought on by rains.
Maybe I didn’t get faster. I did get re-energized to spend more time outside.
What to Know If You Go
Crowders Mountain State Park in Gaston County with rock climbing and hiking near Charlotte, NC. It has over 20 miles of trails and three access points. Sparrow Springs Access is the closest parking lot to The Pinnacle, but it can be reached on a longer hike from Linwood Road or Boulders Access.
This hike is a slow burn. Be prepared for an easier start.
Accessing the rocky ridgeline requires a rock scramble. However, it’s easier if you go left at the top of stairs instead of right. Sometimes people mark in chalk to go right to reach the top. You can, but expect to pull yourself up more.
The ridgeline cliffs drop quickly. Be careful along the top, particularly near edges and on wet days. I’d avoid it in winter when conditions are icy. The pathway is rocky. Wear sturdy shoes.
Always practice leave no trace and keep the summit pristine for everyone.
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