What a damp, muggy morning—perfect for hiking! I got to the trailhead around 8, thinking that would be plenty early on a Saturday, only to remember that hikers are all superhuman and defy logic. I was right in the thick of things.
The first half of the ascent was beneath the forest canopy, with overlooks into the woods that were interesting, if not particularly scenic. With my binoculars, I saw a red squirrel scrambling about the treetops a hundred feet away. I also realized how incredibly out of shape I am. On one end of the spectrum is my buddy Mike Karthas, whose resting heart rate must be 45 bpm; I had to stop at least 20 times on my 4-hour ascent for fear of tachycardia.
The second half of Old Rag is a rock scramble, which is code for “climbing boulders with reckless abandon.” Many thanks to two hikers I met, RJ and Aseem, for saving my trip with extra water. They were excellent companions to the summit; Aseem told me this hike was classified as “very strenuous”, one tick away from rock climbing. I took this as permission to gorge myself on barbecue immediately after dismountaining.
Difficult, but worthwhile. After my late lunch, I hopped back on Skyline Drive, which turned into the Blue Ridge Parkway. I passed a woman painting an overlook at golden hour, as well as two deer and a raccoon. A lively day, but I’m back on the road tomorrow, heading for Kentucky.
I’m wondering if you have recovered from your Old Rag hike. It sounds like something a lot hikers would have turned back on and not finished, but you finished! And then you had to go all the way back! I hope you got a really good bbq meal. Today you were setting out for KY. I have been to Louisville, for a Thomas Merton seminar. We went out into the country to see the monastery where he lived. What really surprised me was the KY Derby race track. It’s right in the middle of the city. We drove past it.I always thought it was out in the country. Hope today was a good day. Looking forward to your new blog post and some more pictures. They have both been so great!
Love, Grandma
I appreciate the word “dismountaining”.
Hi Jake
Aseem here. I’ll be following this blog and keeping track of your amazing journey. Learned a new word today BTW “dismountaining”.
Hey Aseem! So great to meet you, and thanks for reading!