Old Rag Mountain Climber's Log

Viewing: 1-20 of 129
callthedoctor

callthedoctor - Jun 29, 2010 4:50 pm Date Climbed: Jun 17, 2010

Westerner on Vacation  Sucess!

Wife and I were on vacation from Arizona and staying at Massanutten Resort...we did several waterfall hikes in the Shenandoah NP. Saw this hike online as favored in the area and decided to do it and I'm glad we did. Very nice hike, the class III stuff was a blast...we did the entire loop. Hindsite, I think it would have been better to do Ridge trail to Byrd's Nest then back again...as the fire road back was a bit wide for my liking. Overall a great day, saw a HUGE garter snake.

mtsptfam

mtsptfam - Jun 25, 2010 12:35 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2010

Awesome Creation  Sucess!

I climbed this mt. many times when I was a teen and had moved on to bigger and higher mountains. I decided to revisit Old Rag a few years ago and was reminded of how great some of the climbs are here in the East. I took a few well behaved teens the past two times and enjoyed seeing them soak it up. I only have two issues with this hike. Even if you go at a non busy time you still have to park at the second parking lot now that the upper lot is closed to the public. The second is the new trend for people to hike up the fire road and down the ridge tends to traffic jam things even more in the tight sections since your waiting for people to go up and come down. It is just easier if everyone is going in the same direction. I understand why though and that wont keep me from going back again and again myself in the upcoming years.

chilkoot

chilkoot - May 8, 2010 2:59 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2010

Great southern hike  Sucess!

What a nice hike. Very different from other hikes in the area, I have wanted to do this one for awhile. Took my two kids and they loved all the scrambles, caves, ropes, and boulders. Great views from the top with clear skies. Note that the upper parking area is now permamently closed.

EastcoastMike

EastcoastMike - Apr 17, 2010 8:16 am Date Climbed: Apr 16, 2010

Fun  Sucess!

Fun Hike!

mackus

mackus - Oct 13, 2009 9:56 am Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2008

Westerner on the Old Rag  Sucess!

This was my first mountain East of the Mississippi and it inspired me to venture out and explore new mountains around VA. I have since done it two other times and love it.

Epica

Epica - Sep 21, 2009 11:09 pm Date Climbed: Nov 23, 1988

My first mountain... I think  Sucess!

It was many years ago, but I think this was my first mountain..... I was with 2 or 3 other girls from my Girl Scout troop, and we did it as a 2 day backpack... wish I had some pictures!

Judd97

Judd97 - Aug 17, 2009 9:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2009

Revisited  Sucess!

Did the full loop with a group of friends. I was the only one to have previously climbed the peak, so it was fun to expose new folks to this great east coast mountain.

JHH60

JHH60 - Jun 23, 2009 4:34 pm

First real mountain  Sucess!

Climbed this several times in Jr. High and High School.

scotthsu

scotthsu - Jun 18, 2009 10:38 pm Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2009

fun scramble  Sucess!

really enjoyed the sustained class 3 scramble up and the easy hike down the forest road. we even got a parking spot at the trailhead!

Nice Axe!

Nice Axe! - Jun 14, 2009 7:12 pm Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2009

Nice surprise  Sucess!

Ridge scramble up, fire road down. I had read there was a short section of scrambling on this route and was looking forward to it, but was pleasantly surprised to find how sustained this section was. Very fun. At the crux, there were ~20 people backed up there making use of a rope to ascend. Most attempts were pretty ugly. The summit has plenty of places to bask on a semi-private rock and enjoy some views. My dad, age 65, came with me!

thejknight

thejknight - May 4, 2009 11:03 pm Date Climbed: May 3, 2009

Wet fun  Sucess!

Spent my Sunday hiking old rag in a rain storm. This was my 1st trek on old rag and it was nice to have the whole place to myself. Saw less than 10 people and scored a parking spot in the upper lot. 1 rock took me about 15 minutes to traverse over but once I figured a good method I was back on my way. Next time ill hike it on a dry day.

Hotoven

Hotoven - Apr 16, 2009 11:32 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2001

Fun Hike As A Kid  Sucess!

One of the many little hikes that sticks out in my mind as just pure fun. I did this with my family, and we all had a blast!

gkaufman

gkaufman - Mar 30, 2009 10:25 am Date Climbed: Mar 28, 2009

Slippery Scramble  Sucess!

Summited Old Rag first on my way to Robertson Mountain. The wet rocks made for some interesting scrambling especially on the crux.

gkaufman

gkaufman - Feb 9, 2009 12:17 pm Date Climbed: Sep 20, 2008

Old Rag... a league all its own  Sucess!

Ridge Trail up/down (I don't like fire roads)
This was my third summit of Old Rag and it simply is still great fun. I spent more time climbing/scrambling on both the lower/upper summits this time around. You can easily blow an entire day out there scrambling to different areas where you can avoid the crowds. I will say that this was the busiest I had seen it. I had to wait at least 10 minutes for 25 people to ascend the crux on my way down the Ridge Trail.

jamesmh

jamesmh - Nov 30, 2008 11:02 am

Generally crowded  Sucess!

This hike decent night hike, and on a clear, moonlit night, you don't even really need a headlamp (except for in a few of the narrow rock slots). There are usually _less_ people then, but the only time that I have had the crag to myself was when it was both dark AND raining.

Koba

Koba - Oct 20, 2008 12:13 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2008

Holy crowds  Sucess!

Didn't see a single person coming from Skyland down the Old Rag Fireroad until the base of Old Rag, holy freakin' crowds!

silversummit

silversummit - Sep 14, 2008 11:52 pm Date Climbed: Nov 20, 2004

Climbed twice!  Sucess!

First climb - As a 16 year old backpacker (1965) - young and carefree!
Most recently in 2004 and boy did I feel the difference! Had to have help (my posterior pushed up one of the chutes) and needed to stop to catch my breath sometimes -UGH!

I'm supposed to try again this fall but I will have to really get back into shape! And pay this time! I don't think we paid anything in 2004!

eruselow

eruselow - Jul 13, 2008 7:04 pm Date Climbed: Jul 13, 2008

Best hike in the Southeast  Sucess!

Hiked Old Rag this morning. Nearly 90-degree temperatures with high humidity and lots of haze, but the trail was nearly empty for a summer Sunday afternoon (people may have been scared off by impending afternoon thunderstorms). For a time being we were the only group on the summit, which, to me, constitutes a beautiful and successful hike. Old Rag is the ONLY hike I've found in the Southeast that never gets old (just more crowded it seems).

Sam Page

Sam Page - Apr 21, 2008 9:45 pm

2x  Sucess!

I scampered up here in the late 1990s. It is a rare scramble in the vicinity of DC.

R2Creatives

R2Creatives - Apr 21, 2008 3:53 pm Date Climbed: Mar 21, 2008

First Hike with my Daughter  Sucess!

My daughter an I hiked this mountain on a spectacular spring day! There was not a cloud in the sky and when we returned to the parking lot the temp. was 65-degrees! We are looking forward to returning for some roped climbing.

Viewing: 1-20 of 129
Return to 'Old Rag Mountain' main page