Its Old Rag time again. I had no intention of hiking Old Rag today but when I met my friend in Richmond to visit breweries, he stated he was headed this way and would I like to join him. I didn't have my pack, hiking shoes, and worst, I had only blue jeans. How many times do you get opportunities like this? Not often so I decided the blue jeans would have to make the trip.
We arrived at the parking area just before 10 and we began hiking up the approach road shortly afterward. It was a chilly morning but humid. I was half soaked by the time we got to the actual trail .8 mile from the parking area. Then we began the long upward climb. To me this is the worse part of the hike. We got through the first easy rock scramble but only after my partner got stuck in the rock briefly. From here there is a good long break with some great views. Then the rock jumble scramble begins. The very first encounter is a crack we must drop down about 6-7 feet with one foothold which is not clearly visible. This is one of the hardest spots to traverse. I suspect some people turn back at this spot. We managed to get through but it was a struggle.
Proceeding from here, there are numerous spots which require good traction and balance. There are some tight squeezes and some seemingly impassible spots but somehow we worked through them all.
I understand the Park Service applies super glue about every 6 months to hold this rock in place.
Now we are clear of the rock scrambles. There are 4 or 5 that really get the attention of even the experienced scramblers.
This boulder is typical of what you see on top.
Looking southeast, it is great view.
Oops, one more scramble
On the summit we had lunch and got rested before the long descent. We had hiked only 3.8 miles to this point with 5.2 miles to go. The descent trail is rocky at first but after a mile and a half, becomes a driveable road.
It was a great day for the climb and a pleasant walk down. Lets do it again.
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