Sat. April 25, 2009 Summer In April

A SUMMER LIKE HOT WEEKEND

Leigh and Lorita on duty at Old Rag Fee Station. Double click on this picture and notice the temperature in the shade on the fee station thermometer.

They are examples of the terrific National Park Service staff I have had the pleasure to know and work with. I look forward to touching bases with them at the start of my patrols. They provide me with valuable insights about recent events on Old Rag. An Old Rag morning report so to speak.

It is fun and fascinating to watch and listen to the various park rangers doing their job. Each brings a different personality and background to the job. Dealing with park visitors is as much an art as it is a science and every time I watch and listen to a National Park Service employee helping visitors I learn something new.


Yellow Swallowtail on a Lilac Bush along the road between the lower and upper lots. I used to think of this stretch of walking as an obstacle to be endured on the way to my hike but with time I have learned that it offers charms of its own.


View of Old Rag Summit from first Old Rag False Summit

Saturday, April 25, 2009 Summer in April

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The temperatures reached into the 90's. I had given blood early in the morning and between that and the hot temperatures I had to stay in super extreme low gear during this circuit.

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The parking lot filled for the second Saturday in a row.

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Many hikers were dealing with the discomfort of the heat but I did not witness any severe problems. Most groups were not carrying enough water given that temperatures on Old Rag were in the low 90's.

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ADVICE WATER

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During hot humid months each hiker should plan on needing to carry two to four quarts of water on an Old Rag day hike. Watch your "ins and outs". Drink enough so that urine frequency, clarity, and volume are normal. You are not drinking enough water if your urine is dark, small in quantity, or non-existent in the course of a day's hiking. In addition, eating adequate amounts of food will help you replace the electrolytes (salts) that you are sweating.

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During the summer months, your fluid/electrolyte loss can exceed two quarts per hour if you hike uphill in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day. Do not wait until you start feeling thirsty to start replacing lost fluid. By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Your body can absorb only about one quart of fluid per hour. Drink one-half to one full quart of water or sports drink each and every hour you are hiking in the heat. Carry your water where it is easy to get to and drink small amounts often.

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Any open water in the park should be filtered or sterilized.

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Starting next week I will be patrolling with the Old Rag Mountain Stewards (ORMS). It will be lots of fun to be working with all my ORMS buddies again. That said, I cherish my times spent as a PATC(Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) Trail Patroller on Old Rag. Passing through this time boundary between when I am on the mountain as a PATC Trail Patrol member and when I am on the mountain as a member of ORMS has caused me to reflect on that change. As a PATC Trail Patroller I answer only to myself and set my own agenda while with ORMS I adopt the agenda of the team. With PATC I experience all the joys and downsides of being a solitary patroller while with ORMS I experience all the joys and downsides of being on a great team. Like chocolate ice cream and hot chocolate both are terrific just very different.

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Reflecting about all of the different weekend circuits I am conscious of the fact that each and every one was unique and special in its own way. The commonalities of the repeated circuits offer a backdrop aganist which the uniqueness of the mountain's constant changes are highlighted.