Canceled: Old Rag Day Hike

OVERVIEW

Canceled due to inclement weather (now supposed to be cold and rainy/snowy) and lack of drivers. I’ll try leading this hike again at a later date.

Hoo doesn’t love hiking Old Rag on a surprisingly warm and sunny day in the dead of winter? That’s right, we’re looking at sunny and around 50 degrees on Saturday, January 24th – weather that it would be a cardinal sin to not take advantage of.

We’ll leave from Echols Dorm around 8:30am – yes, I know this is early, but given the fact that Old Rag will be quite crowded, this is necessary – and the hike will get rid of your probable hangover in no time. We’ll drive about an hour to Old Rag, and the hike will be a strenuous 9 miles. That being said, given the fact that it is a Saturday and the weather will be nice, it will be pretty crowded. The parking lot is located 0.8 miles from the trail-head, which will add time and distance to our hike. We should allow for roughly 7 hours for the hike – it may take much shorter, but we need to anticipate delays while hiking the mountain due to the large volume of fellow hikers.

But what should I bring and wear, you ask?
First and foremost, bring water. The National Park Service suggests at least 2 quarts of water per person. Considering this will take most of the day, also bring plenty of food – lunch, snacks, you name it.
Be sure to wear hiking shoes/boots, and probably a sweatshirt and maybe pants. The high is around 50, but it will most likely be around 45 for most of the day. Personally, I’m probably going to wear a sweatshirt and shorts, but that’s just my style.

Rides and Fee: There is a parking/vehicle fee in the Shenandoah National Park, $10 per vehicle. I don’t have a car, so I’m waitlisting everyone until we get some drivers – and the max for the trip will be 10 people. SO if we get 2 cars with 5 people each, the fee will be $2.00 per person, and this is what I’ll set it as in the fee section – however it is subject to change depending on how many people/drivers join the trip.

One final note, and this is directly from the National Park Service Website: Be sure that you are physically able to complete this hike. The circuit hike is about 9 miles. There is a significant elevation change and a strenuous rock scramble that requires good upper body strength. Often, children and shorter adults need assistance navigating the scramble.

TL, DR:
Old Rag. This Saturday (1/24)
8:30am – roughly 5pm
Strenuous.
All day.
Wear hiking shoes, pants, sweatshirt.
Bring plenty of food and water, and don’t forget money.
Roughly $2.00 (bring more than that!)