Three full cars with 12 hikers made the drive north to the surprisingly busy Old Rag parking lot. The weather was seasonable but overcast as hike leader Ken Moss took the group out onto Route 600 for the initial 0.8 mile walk up to the trailhead at the former parking lot. From there the initial assault on the summit began as we headed up through the forest on the first 1.6 miles of the Ridge Trail.
Finally we made it to the begining of the rock scramble, where the fun really began. For Old Rag first-timers Briana Taylor and Chris Kallenberg this was a new experience, but they quickly adapted and, along with such Old Rag veterans as Marie Moss, Dave Borszich and Marian Styles, sported happy grins for much of the rest of the climb. Long-time PATC member Bill Holman admitted that it was his first time on Old Rag in more than 20 years!
During a snack break on a sloping rock face with spectacular views of the Piedmont to the east, a discussion of the merits of larger pack sizes and resultant size comparisons soon degenerated into lively quips about one of the popular white elephant gifts from the previous week’s Christmas party…a bottle of wine from Well Hung Vineyards. Don Davis, as usual, kept people in stitches with some of his comments.
After some good laughs we regained the rocky trail, continuing to climb up, over, under, around, and between various rock formations and boulders for 1.1 miles before finally reaching the summit. Teamwork was necessary at several locations to help others get through some difficult passages, adding to the camaraderie and fun. Eventually we reached the summit at an elevation of 3,284 feet where we spread out for a well deserved lunch with a view to the south. Everyone was pleased that John Shannon continued his tradition of bringing cake for the group, this time the ever popular Pumpkin cake with white icing…yum!
After the lunch break we began the 1.9 mile descent along the Saddle Trail, winding downhill briskly before reaching Old Rag Shelter, where the group waited for Iva Gillet, David Ledbetter and Dan Ralston to return from placing Nepalese prayer flags near the summit (Iva and Dan having recently returned from a trip to Kathmandu and Anapurna). After regrouping, we continued down the Old Rag Fire Road to the junction with the Weakley Hollow Fire Road near the site of the former Old Rag Post Office. The Weakley Hollow Fire Road provided easy strolling for 2.5 miles before returning to the Ridge Trail trailhead, leaving only an easy and quick 0.8 mile walk along Route 600 before reaching the cars. It was a fun hike on one of our favorite mountains!
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