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| Panorama of the Mountainside. |
My friend Travis, who is an
avid outdoorsman, took me hiking on Old Rag Mountain, a hike he did several
years prior, which lies
in the Shenandoah mountain range. This is an easy hike that involves a little
bit of rock climbing, some incredible views, and the potential to see some
awesome Wildlife. It is also historic, as a lot of settlers pass through this
mountain range and bygone days. As such, I had it down to my friends house in
Westminster Maryland directly after the end of school one day, so that we could
be up at Daybreak to take the 3-hour drive down to the mountain.
For those of you that have been following along with my blog, this is where I fervently mention to you that I am not a morning person. Whatsoever. Since starting a full-time job at the age of 23, I've gotten much better at being a morning person, but not by choice. By necessity only. That being said, getting me out of bed at 6 in the morning wasn't the easiest task, but considering is it hell we have taken a plethora of trips together by now, it wasn't too difficult to get me stirring either. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a sandwich wrap and coffee, and embarked on a drive to the mountain.
The crest of the mountain what's to come somewhere around 3000 ft. When we parked, it was very chilly, and I remember being bundled up in a layer or two upon paying the park ranger for our parking Fair. The heck wooden compas a decent bit of elevation gain over the next few miles and the next three hours, with the hike itself taking about four and a half hours total. The last hour of the hike was mostly climbing rocks and scrambling over rocks, and it was there that I met a lot of very sweet individuals who I communicated with while we were waiting. This Mountainside was actually very populated on this day.
The views that I got from the mountain side as
well as the crest of the mountain itself in the peak where all inspiring.
Considering is the hell this hike was the first real hike I've taken in several
years, it was completely exhilarating, leaving me breathless and feeling on top
of the world. It was incredible view from the top, and we could see you for at
least the next 100 miles and in a given Direction. I ran into a couple with a
backpacking stove, who came down from Massachusetts to hike the entire
Shenandoah over the next week. I also met a family of four, who are the 12 Ox
trembling and helping their 7 year old son 2 complete the hike. He actually was
hiking at a smoother Pace than I was, too.
On a scale of 1 to 10, the difficulty of this hike is about a two and a half. It's not an easy walk on a flat Trail, and there will be some switchbacks, but it is a very comfortable hike that most anybody can complete. I actually encountered a set of nuns that came from a Convent in Ohio and we're on an Eco Dharma trip to hike as much as possible, and although approaching their 50s, they reach the summit well before I did after passing us. I also encountered an individual who ran up the mountain and ran the trail back down before we were even 2/3 of the way to the summit.
All the aforementioned is outstanding and withstanding proof that you will meet many kinds of individuals and acquire stories to tell for years to come. All of this because you decided to step outside of your comfort zone and outside of your house. Old Rag Mountain is amongst the highest peaks in the Shenandoah mountain range, and not located but 15 miles from the nearest Big City. It is absolutely worth the visit if you can budget the time to do so.
For those of you that have been following along with my blog, this is where I fervently mention to you that I am not a morning person. Whatsoever. Since starting a full-time job at the age of 23, I've gotten much better at being a morning person, but not by choice. By necessity only. That being said, getting me out of bed at 6 in the morning wasn't the easiest task, but considering is it hell we have taken a plethora of trips together by now, it wasn't too difficult to get me stirring either. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a sandwich wrap and coffee, and embarked on a drive to the mountain.
The crest of the mountain what's to come somewhere around 3000 ft. When we parked, it was very chilly, and I remember being bundled up in a layer or two upon paying the park ranger for our parking Fair. The heck wooden compas a decent bit of elevation gain over the next few miles and the next three hours, with the hike itself taking about four and a half hours total. The last hour of the hike was mostly climbing rocks and scrambling over rocks, and it was there that I met a lot of very sweet individuals who I communicated with while we were waiting. This Mountainside was actually very populated on this day.
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| The views were wonderful! |
On a scale of 1 to 10, the difficulty of this hike is about a two and a half. It's not an easy walk on a flat Trail, and there will be some switchbacks, but it is a very comfortable hike that most anybody can complete. I actually encountered a set of nuns that came from a Convent in Ohio and we're on an Eco Dharma trip to hike as much as possible, and although approaching their 50s, they reach the summit well before I did after passing us. I also encountered an individual who ran up the mountain and ran the trail back down before we were even 2/3 of the way to the summit.
All the aforementioned is outstanding and withstanding proof that you will meet many kinds of individuals and acquire stories to tell for years to come. All of this because you decided to step outside of your comfort zone and outside of your house. Old Rag Mountain is amongst the highest peaks in the Shenandoah mountain range, and not located but 15 miles from the nearest Big City. It is absolutely worth the visit if you can budget the time to do so.
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