Old Rag Mountain December 2008
So it’s the weekend after Christmas and the weather outside was perfect. The sun was shinning, no rain in the forecast, and the temperatures was in the low 60’s. What a perfect opportunity to get one last hike in before the end of the year and one last use out of my 2008 National Park Pass. So I packed my hiking bag and headed out to my local stomping ground, Old Rag Mountain, for a day hike.
I was able to arrive at the overflow lot around 10am. By this time all the early morning fog had burned off, but the trail was still very muddy. For several days it had rained on and off. I could deal with the muddy trail, that’s what hiking boots are for. What I was concerned about was the wet rocks. I didn’t think there would be any ice since the temperatures had not fallen below freezing for almost a week. Nevertheless it would still be a dicey hike up the mountain.
On my way up I quickly shed my light jacket I was wearing, never having to put it back on. The temperatures quickly rose and the wind never became a problem. At one point on the trail up there was a noticeable temperature change. The wind was blowing hard down the mountain and was about 15 degrees warmer. If I stepped back just 10′ it got cooler again, very bizarre.
After a short hike in the mud it was time for the rock scramble to the summit. I was a little worried about slick rocks, this is not a place you want to slip and fall. You could literally fall off the mountain to a not so soft landing. But the chance of death certainly added to the thrill of climbing up the mountain this time. With a more perraless hike I got a few more cuts and my camera took a few good knocks from slipping. But never once did I completely loose my balance. I even lost a lens cap at one point crawling around the rocks. Fortunately when I was about to leave the summit a guys comes walking up with it in hand. I couldn’t thank that guy enough for finding it and returning it.
When I reached the summit this time there were a lot of people, so finding some solitude would be pretty hard this time around. I am starting to think I have to come up in a rain or snow storm for no one to be here. Thankfully there were far fewer people this time around and I could find a spot to rest and eat lunch. I took a spot on the rocks facing towards Robertson Mountain which I hiked just a few weeks earlier. For what it was it was a peaceful lunch on a perfect day for hiking. I spent a long time at the summit exploring and taking as many pictures as I could. This was my first opportunity to use my 75-300mm lens on this mountain. Even though the scenery was the same, I was getting a completely different perspective with my new lens.
I spent enough time on the summit so I headed down the fire road back to the parking lot. I love this part of the hike. It might be longer this way back to the car, but certainly easier. There are no rocks to climb over or squeeze through and the grade is very manageable. Certainly easier on my knees going this way. I also like the walk through the forest once you have reached the valley. You are surrounded by a ton of trees that just envelope you in nature, even more so in summer and fall.
Once I got back to my truck it was off to home. A short drive back with a stop at the grocery store for dinner that night and my day was complete. I love hiking that section of the Shenandoah, it’s just beautiful.





