Old Rag Mountain - a Virginia Munro

This last weekend had all the ups and downs that a weekend could have. It has been over 36/37 degrees C here for the last three days - talk about a change! Hot and Humid.
Went to Old Rag Mountain on Saturday - It stands 1042 M high - It would qualify for a Munro :) It has all the fun stuff of a rugged challenging day. Uphill hiking, some rock scrambling, beautiful views.

As is normal for these trips, Ken had put out an invitatoin to a bunch of folks he knows, some of whom had not hiked before, but were looking forward to the experience. Those that have hiked with us before, were anticipating the "treats " at the top. At the top, Ken and I broke out Wine, cheese, hummus, pita, grapes, pate, crackers - a veritable feast for the 13 or so that were with us.

Earlier in the day, there was a bit of a tricky spot that was giving a Girl Scout troop some difficulty. I had climbed part way down, braced myself and gave each one a hand up - Moms and Girls. At the top, they came by where we were sitting and serenaded me with a song. It was so CUTE :) I blushed and loved every minute of it.

On the trip down, one of the 15 yr old girls with our group went out in front of the group as she was anxious to get back to the bottom for ice water, etc. She took a wrong turn before anyone saw her. We were missing her for about 1 1/2 hours, during which he mother was crawing right out of her skin with anxiety. Neither one had been on a hike like this before. Ken's wife, Karen, kept telling her that Ken and I did this all the time and that her daughter would be found quickly because we knew what we were doing. I called the park service and initiated a quick search, with my study of the map predicting where she might have gone. A park steward drove in a vehicle and found her fairly promptly and all ended well. Mom was pretty grateful.

Old Rag is one of those Virgina Treasures that is so nice - mostly pristine, and so out of the rat race of washington DC, as to make one think they are in another country. It helps to clear the brain and reset one's heart