Old Rag Mountain Revisited - Mid April T rip

““Gems, you missed a genuinely good one at North Fork. I don't think anyone there has ever hiked so "hung over" (pardon my French) in their lives as that Saturday...

LOL”
PhantomSoul
10:00:34 PM
4/03/05

Dontchya mean, Hungarian?”

“MarkO, are you still on for this trip? What time are you planning on going down? Do you want to carpool?”

“...yeah sure whatever”

“Wow, look at you -- all thumbing your nose up at us and all. Just um...don't hit it on a tree branch while it's up there... LOL”

“Hungarian? Grab a Snickers!”

“hmm...100.4 my temperature so far (and climbing). first time in years that I have a fever.

No worry...I am going and if I have to crawl to the end.”

“Bundle up Gem, and get well dammit!”

“i am not worried. I am never sick for more then a couple of days. gonna niquil my ass tonight, and go to sleep early.”

“Sorry it's taken me a while to reply, but I was hiking here last weekend training for a week in Alaska this summer. We didn't take that exact circuit, we added about 6 miles or so. I'm not used to 18 miles in two days with a full pack, my muscles are pretty sore. But it was worth it! The raingear worked really well and we were warm on the Three Top Mountain ridgetop of the disused Tuscarora Trail in the cold howling rain and wind. With all that rain the stream crossings through Mudhole Gap were very challenging!

Looks like someone needs to take initiative here. Who's down for that campsite on Friday night that PB was talking about earlier along the Old Rag Fire Road not too far from the trailhead? This place is sounding real good to me. But don't everyone jump in at once -- I don't know how many spots for tents are available around there. (PB, any comments?)

There's sleeping for four, two tents if I remember correctly, but it will be a bit tight. Sleeping under a tarp or in a hammock works out better. The way we found the site the first time was we walked along the stream valley on the left side of the stream, we looked to our left and there was a steep dirt hill with a rock sticking way out. That's the easiest way to find it, but it's tough scrambling up to the rock from below. I vaguely remember a discerable path there if you knew where to look (a little ways before the stream, it goes off to the left of the fire road, after the two big boulders on the left, before the stream). The sleeping isn't that good, but it is sufficient. The view of the stream from the top of the rock is sublime.

Anyone hikin' this with a hangover is gonna be in a world of hurt.... you have been warned...

You won't make it.

Check out my album here for pictures of the shortcut on the first peak that I wrote about. Don't sue me if anyone falls off.

Unless you're in -really- good shape, this mountain's gonna kick your ass and you'll love every minute of it! And I highly recommend the slackpack dayhike up Robertson. I've only been up there a couple times but I remember it being quite nice.

One more thing - there's no water up on Old Rag. If there's been a lot of rain lateley there's a stream on your right as you ascend to the ridge. But that dissapears fast and there is no other water up there. There's a little spring on the map, but believe me if you find it you'll be dissapointed - it's nothing but a tiny muddy puddle. Bring plenty with you. I know it's heavy but you'll need it.”

“oh...I can not wait. I am so looking forward to this hike.

mark...i got your email. you did get mine right? THANKS”

“"Anyone hikin' this with a hangover is gonna be in a world of hurt.... you have been warned...

You won't make it."

Thanks for backin' me up there PhilBiker,
Everyone get some sleep before this hike please, I hope those of you driving through the night will switch out drivers so that you're not too tired.

Getting up Old Rag will probably be fine for everyone, It's so cool that you won't even think about the fact that you're worn out. It's getting up the fire road after that where you're going to start wishin' you'd gotten a good night's rest, especially if the sun is beatin' down.”

“reason why I am going to come earlier on Friday.
hey...again...I got MarkO's directions, but they consisted out of a whole bunch of emails from him adn ENS, so I am all mixed up.

4 simple questions:
mapquest: closest city so I can mapquest the area.

what area are meeting saturday morning?

what about friday afternoon, evening? Where do we meet?

sorry...I know..it's prolly somewhere on this thread. I may already have asked the same questions. (fever is frying my brains right now)”

“Only two tents? Anything else along the trail that might accommodate.... say 4 tents?”

“"mapquest: closest city so I can mapquest the area."

Nethers, VA

"what area are meeting saturday morning?"

We're meeting other hikers, yuck, yuck, j/k Gem. We're meeting at the big trailhead at 7 am.

"what about friday afternoon, evening? Where do we meet?"

Those of you arriving then will have to work that out.

That's only 3 questions, you need some rest.”

“lol...I am getting my rest now.
hmm...what is the "BIG TRAILHEAD"???”

“The "Big Trailhead" is the master of all hiking, he has the power to control the weather for a hike, add or remove incredible scenery from trails, and the power to smote unworthy hikers.”

“oh well...as far as I remember...the cell phones did work up there.”

“LOL Bison, I was thinking something a little different.”

“Take US 522 to SR 231, which is .8 mile South of Sperryville, and 12.7 miles North of Madison. Go South 8.3 miles on SR 231, cross the Hughes river, and immediately turn right (West) onto SR 602. Stay on the left side of the Hughes river. The route number will change to 601, 707, and then 600. Do not cross the Hughes river a second time. After 3.5 miles from SR 231, just beyond Nethers there is parking for about 200 cars on the left (The "Big Trailhead"). There is a small parking area .8 mile farther at the end of SR 600.”

“wrote it down. thank you very much.
done for tonight. later!”

“Attendees,

Please check yo mail.”

“....may your whisperlite always give you trouble when igniting....ha!...there take that for a crooked spell from the loopy one...ha ha ha....

Now make sure all you little boys and girls get a good nights rest.....cause Bison says this hike is gonna kick yer arse...and if Bison keeps talkin' like that....I might have to break out the secret weapon that I acquired while on a clandestine mission with aliens up a Tikaboo point which at this very moment will remain in a hidden vault guarded by the newly developed androids we are currently testing....I think i've revealed too much information and maybe subjected to wet noodle treatment...

Gemini....have sex....it'll rid you of all ailments....”

“LOL @ Stratus”

“Ah... the cure for all.

So what are we up to now? One busted schnoz and one busted stove? Oh yeah, we're off to an awesome start. Now that the weather is finally starting to look a little warmer, i'm actually considering bringing the soda can stove on this one... (so HA!) LOL

Mapquest: Try NETHERS, VA If Mapquest can't find that, bigger towns are SPERRYVILLE, VA to the north and MADISON, VA to the south. According to my Shenandoah (Central) map, the trailhead is on a route 600 (not exactly sure how that's marked) off of what appears to be State Highway 231 between Sperryville and Madison. Good luck...”

“grrrr....can't sleep.
stratus LOL...have that every night anyway. na na na nana!!!!

I am already feeling better. 10 minutes of rest and I am ready to go. hahahahahahaha
last edited: 4/04/05 9:26:53 PM”

“Well, that was certainly quick.... (heh heh)”

“i am all druged up with Therma flu.”

“This week can't go by fast enough for me!!”

“Askin' again...anyone want to carpool? I can meet up directly in the Balto. area at 695&70 or meet up at 81&70 for those coming down 81. I really don't want to take more cars than necessary.
last edited: 4/05/05 8:02:53 AM”

“Just checked out the weather for Culpeper (not far from Nethers).

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Saturday: A chance of showers before 8am. Partly cloudy, with a high around 61.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low near 40.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high around 63.”

“Only two tents? Anything else along the trail that might accommodate.... say 4 tents?

yes. Right near the trailhead, to the left of the Old Rag Trail and the fire road/ parking lot. Once we were camping at the Rock and there was a big bunch here with pickup trucks, a big boom box, a big fire, and a keg. We got pretty loaded, I can't remember if we even tried the hike up Rag the next day. The land is outside of SNP, I believe it is private property belonging to some hunting and fishing club.

Also, if you hike down Weekly Hollow Fire Road and make a right into the Corbin Hollow trail there are zillions of campsites. You're talking about a good mile or two from the trailhead though. I'm sure there are other great campsites around there as well.”

“i can't sit quit...I wanna go! it's still way too long until friday.

hey...everyone has my cell phone number?
Please send me yours in case...well just in case.(if you don't mind) I promise...no prank phone calls.”

“We're officially out. We wouldn't be able to get on the road until 7:00 or so. Kamper would be getting off work, riding/driving for 10 hours, then hiking for 2 days, then riding/driving back 10 more hours, getting a little sleep then seeing patients again on Monday.”

“Sorry to hear that Currahee.

Yall are coming on Yam's trip though?”

“Wussies!”

“We'll be at Yams trip. I am Bison, I am.”

“heeheehee


really...sorry you can't make it. it's been a while since I've seen you and kabinkamper.”

“OK, where's the gang car camping Friday night?”

“well Gem there is always the Lost Cove trip”

“huh? what you mean HOI?
I am gonna be there friday!!

ohhhh...the lost cove trip. yeah I am either gonna go climbing that weekend or I'll take a break and get ready for my big hike the coming up weekend. heeheehee”

“I don't think anyone is car camping, but a few of us are hiking in a mile or so to camp along the trail. You're more than welcome to join us.”

“Talk to TechNTrek -- he's apparently desperate for a Baltimore-area carpool. I'd pick him up, but in my Jetta, things would get a little too tight for comfort, being that there's already 2 of us with all our crap already...”

“Have you checked your E-mail lately?”

“Guess not... lemme do that.”

“U have mail (couldn't send mail out last night for some reason...)”

“weather forecast is looking pretty good”

“nashvillehiker? who are you? we don't know you!!


whhhhooohaaaaaa....alright...nice weather!
hey...so who is all out? not going?”

“Nash?? I'm tellin' ENS, he's gonna kick your a$$!!!”

“Have any of you mooks figured out where you're gonna be on Friday night? I need to know so I can stomp into camp and wreak havoc! he he he”

“If no one else knows what the hell to do friday evening...I'll wait on one of those parking areas right of skyway drive. (wtf is that road called again??)

what about the campground we been last time? is that too far from the sat meeting place?”