Old Rag Mountain

Old Rag Mountain.  It's probably one of the most famous hikes in Virginia.  It's the Virginia hike that has made many a novice hiker feel like a "real mountaineer" (whether or not this is actually the case!), draws crowds in the summer months, never goes empty even in the winter months, and has splendid views.  Or so I have been told.  Before this week, I had hiked Old Rag twice.  Each previous occasion was memorable for the rock scrambling and the company, but I had not yet had the pleasure of hiking it on a sunny day.  Don't get me wrong; there's no shortage of sunlight on this splendid mountain.  But, for whatever reason, I seemed to have caught this hike on the days when the sun didn't want to show its head from behind a wall of clouds.  This time it was a different story.

My friends were visiting Washington DC from Roanoke, VA and Michigan respectively.  We were in the middle of a "life sharing" of sorts.  Casey and I had spent the previous several days in Michigan, gaining a glimpse into Kevin's life before college.  Now it was our turn.  Being a stones throw from the city, Washington DC was obviously on the list of "must dos," but along with playing "tourist" in our nation's busy capital, we decided that it might be nice to take them to see some of the natural wonders of the area. Granted, at a 1.5 hour drive from my home, Old Rag Mountain isn't exactly close to us, but we jointly decided that the hike would be worth the drive.  As it turned out that I had forgotten, there is also a fairly hefty parking fee to do this hike ($5 per person during the winter months, albeit with a $15 cap).  Nevertheless, if you have not yet had a chance to hike this hike, it's a must do for anyone living in the DC metropolitan area.

Kevin and Courtney nearing the summit on their first trip to Old Rag

The hike was pleasant and I think that Kevin and Courtney were surprised at the immensity of the rock scrambling.  There's a brief section that I still haven't managed to do without assistance.  Although this peeves the over-achiever side of me, the four of us did eventually make it to the summit and were graced with some astounding views.  I can now honestly say that the claims of fantastic summit views were not overstated.  A good day was had by all.

Casey and I on the trail

Old Rag Mountain views during the climb

The group at the summit