Intermediate Old Rag Summit

OVERVIEW

Summiting Old Rag is practically the single standing pillar holding up Virginian hiking. Nothing else in this state compares, Western mountaineers laugh when they see something labelled less than a “14er” but I laugh back watching them melt into jello anytime they step into east coast humidity. Now that the heat is gone, the revelation was whispered to me in a dream that it’s time to go hit an Old Rag loop; 9.4 miles, 2300 ft elevation gain, NPS says it’s “very strenuous” but that’s just a state planted scarecrow and I’m still flocking to it.

The trip is labeled as “intermediate”; the hike itself shouldn’t be too straining dependent on pace, but the distance and elevation gain may be intimidating to some. There is a decent bit of rock scrambling starting around the 2.8-mile mark, so try to ensure whatever bag you bring can be hands-free for most of the hike. If the group starts to become overwhelmed with the hike, we have wiggle room to slow down and take breaks if need be, so don’t fret!

Attendees of this trip will need to purchase their $2 Old Rag ticket for Sunday, November 23. https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/10088450/ticket/10088451. By design of the site, I cannot purchase everyone’s ticket. Bring a screenshot of your ticket if you cannot bring a paper printout.

For planning purposes I’m assuming that rangers will be checking for national park entrance passes on November 23, so everyone not bringing a park pass will equally split the $30 per car entry fee for those without passes. This will not be more than $6 per person. (That’s the math for the $8 listed cost, I will not be receiving anyone’s cash).

WHAT TO BRING: Lunch, proper hiking footwear, plenty of water (perhaps 2 liters (64 oz) is a safe guess)
WHAT WE BRING: First Aid Kit, Extra Water

HERE’S THE PLAN:
6:00AM departure from Corner of Echols
7:10AM arrival at “Old Rag Parking – Lower Lot” on Apple Maps. “Old Rag Parking (Ranger Station)” on Google Maps.
7:10AM-3:10PM hiking, sight seeing, and lunch at the summit.
Arriving back at UVA No Later Than 6:00PM

LOGISTICS:
Drivers will receive waitlist priority, gas reimbursed plus tip up to $20. Additional priority to Shenandoah Park pass holders. The bottleneck for how many people can attend a trip tends to be how many drivers join. Here’s a map of Old Rag for anyone interested: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/oldrag_roadtrail.pdf