Old Rag Mountain Steward Weekend

This weekend was one of the first of many Old Rag Mountain Steward weekends to unfold in coming months. A volunteer program that arms the trail of this popular weekend destination with knowledgeable friendly folks that are poised to aid the masses attempting this trek with tips, directions, and quick responses to emergency situations. The weather this weekend was postcard quality and the views were as expansive as you will ever see from the summit. Somehow the trails were unusually sparse with hikers. My theory was that being Mother's Day weekend, most Mom's would much prefer to corral the family around a nice dinner or a show, then pull the kids up a demanding hike. So, Saturday morning we all convened in the lower parking lot and after a debriefing with the Park Rangers and a leader from Shenandoah Mountain Guides we set off on the hike, splitting up to cover both routes ascending the mountain. Long story short, it was a superb day on the trail without any major incidents.


God enjoys the views at Old Rag so much, he left a "Heart" in the rocks.

The weather men were calling for rain??

The wind at the summit would literally carry you if you jumped into it.

Some bouldering ensued...


Spring foliage has finally hit the summit thanks to what seemed like an endless two weeks of rain.


After our duties on Old Rag had come to a close we all headed back to my place in Woodville to unwind and enjoy the evening in true Rappahannock style. There was a delicious tequila-lime marinated chicken dinner on the grill and walks in the fields as the sun set on a breathtaking view of Old Rag. After the moon began to shine above Red Oak we headed over to the cabin for a campout, it doesn't get much better than this. Drifting asleep while swinging in hammocks to the sounds of the breeze and the smell of a homemade stew bubbling over the fireplace.







A bowl of stew in the morning gave us the energy to pack up and make our way back to the house for a breakfast of herbed sausage, roasted bell peppers and lightly scrambled eggs topped with fresh morels from the surrounding woods. On time!