It is an astonishingly beautiful spring day. Iris and azaleas are blooming in my yard. Take I-85 to Gastonia, NC. Exit on 74 going toward downtown from the South, you will see the sign for Crowder's Mountain on your right. The highest point on the mountain is King's Pinnacle which marked the boundary between the Cherokee and Catawba Nations. It is over 1,300 ft. From the Visitor's Center I took the Crowder's Mtn. Trail which is called "moderate" and is 2.7 miles one way.
The Pinnacle Trail is called "strenuous" and is 1.7 miles one way on a gravel road from a Linwood designation starting point.
Boofa and I traveled along and met three young men who were running up the mountain. They stopped to pet Boofa and said they were on a track and field team and were also training to do the Appalachian Trail in the summer.
We traveled on to where the trail meets the Pinnacle Trail. Memories flooded me of years ago when Jill's husband, Earl, son, Patrick, daughter, Natasha would invite us to go up the mountain with them. I remember Michael and Patrick sitting on the outlook rock on the Pinnacle where you could see all of the surrounding countryside. John and Hannah told me that they had rapelled down that rock face one summer when they went to Camp Cherokee at Kings Mtn. I decided to climb to the top. It is a very steep climb. Near the summit, you have the choice of climbing rocks or a flight of over a hundred wooden stairs, seemingly almost perpendicular. I made it up nearly to the top but could absolutely go no further at about the 80th step.
I lay down on the rocks and watched the buzzards circling above me, probably wondering if I was going to be their next meal.
After a while Boofa and I walked the three miles back to the car, drank water and ate dates. And then drove home.
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