Parking* is free but there is a fee to enter the park unless you have a pass.
DETAILS ON FEES/PASSES FOR PARK ENTRY FOUND AT
*Note:On one or two peak days during the year the lower lot becomes full. When this happens the owner next to the parking lot will sometimes offer paid parking in their pasture (estimate $10/car). This does not exempt you from still needing to pay the park entrance fee.
The weather was wonderful, 70 Degrees three quarter moon, no ice, and only minor amount of mud. The Rangers have opened the fee station and the warm weather brought out large numbers of hikers. Over 110 cars in the lower lot when the above picture was taken. I ran across Valerie and Chad two of the Old Rag Mountain Stewards. Valerie was coming down off the mountain having hiked Old Rag with a friend. Chad and two of his climbing friends were rock climbing for the weekend and I shared about an hour conversation with them during their dinner. http://vonfang.blogspot.com/2009/03/weekend-on-old-rag.html Enjoyed some of their 2008 wild grape wine. http://vonfang.blogspot.com/2008/10/autumn-wine.html and http://vonfang.blogspot.com/2008/10/tonight-was-wine-making-night.html While the moon was only three quarters the night sky was clear enough that I did not need to use my headlamp during most of the trip out. Sunday was start of Daylight Savings which means dawn and sunset come one hour later.
I climbed it this morning (3/14 Happy Pi Day!) with a group. Hadn't been since sometime as a teen. One of your number (young blond woman, friendly) gave us fair waring of the conditions as we started on our way. Despite the remaining ice and snow and the drizzle on the way back it was a great deal of fun. Slipped once (on a simple scramble on dry rock ironically) and hit an old wound (going to be feeling that for a few days). Fun scrambles and great views. Got to meet JR. He spotted me as an easy mark and I'm afraid he managed to make himself look so miserable he got a bit of my sandwich.
ReplyDeleteThanks for looking over us. I'm sure I'll be back.
Thanks for your comment. You would probably not be surprised to hear that we frequently get injuries from stumbles low on the mountain when concentration wanes. There are databases for skiing and alpine montaineering accidents where this end of day phenomenom is more quantitatively observed perhaps it was your way of balancing the statistics in honor of PI day. I have a feeling that JR would do what he does even if he did not get rewarded with an occasional treat. That said he and his local friends are good at working the crowd.
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