W4C/WP-011 Crowders Mountain

After my wet activation of The Pinnacle, I headed over to Crowders Mountain. From the visitors center, I took the Crowders Trail through the open forest. It crossed a few small streams, all of which had bridges. The trail crosses a busy paved road, but there is a crosswalk with flashing lights.

Bottom of the climb.

On the other side of the road I decided to take the Rocktop Trail up to the summit. This trail climbs up to the crest of the ridge and follows it to the summit. There were more signs warning of the danger, but it didn't seem dangerous to me.

Hiking along the ridge top.

It was a pleasant hike along the ridge. Near the summit the trail ends and joins the access road, which goes up to the summit. I saw a lot more people on this section, but still relatively few. I walked around the towers to the high point, the came back to the flat area near the trash cans to set up.

Plenty of RF on the summit.

I had good cell service for spotting. This time I worked 20, 40 and 60, to try and get the DX and the locals. It wasn't raining, but the wind was blowing water off the trees so it seemed like it was.

Rock jutting out into the forest at the top.

I was still pretty wet from the earlier downpour coming down from the Pinnacle, so after a little while in the wind I started getting cold. People had stopped calling me, so I just packed up and headed down. I warmed up again quickly as I retraced my steps. As I was about to head down the ridge the clouds started to lift a little. I could see some hills, but no stunning views.

The best view I had all day.

Back at the car I headed out for the long drive back.

Trailhead: Crowders Mountain SP Visitors Center
Website: SOTA Site. SP site
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Crowders Trail to the Rocktop Trail. Plenty of other trails if you want to make a loop.
Red Tape: None. Parking lot may fill up on nice days.