Our last full day at
Shenandoah was another beautiful day. Barbara encouraged Bill to hike Old Rag.
BILL’S HIKE
Old Rag is a mountain mostly
covered by trees (like most of the Appalachians)
but it has a rocky top with good views and a ridge that is a jumble of boulders
over a mile long. Some clever person found a path along the ridge, which
involves climbing over, between, and even under the boulders. Much of it is
hands and knees climbing, sometimes with arm strength needed to pull yourself
up, so it isn’t easy, nor is it particularly difficult.
The reward was unobstructed
views from several viewpoints and the summit.
The trail down the mountain
was unremarkable, and the long fire roads back to the parking lot were dull.
Bill finished in 4.25 hours including lunch on the summit, over an hour earlier
than his rendezvous time with Barbara. Bill felt it didn’t live up to its
reputation as the baddest and prettiest hike in the park, but it was unique and
memorable.
BARBARA’S HIKE
In the meantime, Barbara
drove back up to Skyline Drive
(the central corridor of Shenandoah
National Park) and hiked
to Mary’s Rock. This 2.8-mile round trip moderately difficult trail climbs to a
balcony-like promontory with a 180⁰ view.
One can still scramble up
Mary’s Rock at the top. Barbara assumed one could get a 360⁰ view from up
there.
She made it about 2/3rds the
way up the rock and got a nice view including the balcony-like area where the
couple is seated in the picture below.
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Barbara’s view includes her
hiking boots
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Campground: Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park
