Sat&Sun Nov. 19&20

SAT& SUN NOVEMBER 19, 2011

The parking lot was full to capacity and there were lots of groups of campers this weekend.     Everyone seemed to be having a great time.    Not sure why but I actually enjoy seeing hundreds folks in posses enjoying their day's hike on Old Rag.   

Both days were a little  gray and with the leaves off the trees it awoke ancient moods of  Fall days in the woods of Central NY during my youth.

On Sunday I had to give my sentinel rock buddy the Dumb As A Box Of Rocks Memorial Boulder a few pats and thanks for doing what he, she (it) does so well as he patiently balances on just a few contact points while keeping a watchful eye to the West of the Moon and East of the Sun.

OOPS NO FIRES ON OLD RAG!

I cleaned up this fire ring that someone built right off the trail so others would not think it was OK to have fires on Old Rag.    
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By the way folks, the fire roads are called that because they provide access for firefighters to more easily fight forest fires NOT! because they are meant to have fires built in the middle of them as a recent group of very nice but clueless newbie outdoors people seemed to think. 
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PSST let me whisper something.......

THE COMPENDIUM

In general campfires are not allowed in Shenandoah National Park but if you are good at detective work work you might be able to find the Compendium that lists the "special rules" informing you where and when you can enjoy that primal ancient human pleasure called a campfire within the park.
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There are a limited number of copies of the Compendium but many of the SNP Rangers have been entrusted with a copy. I have had the great pleasure of seeing the Old Rag Contact Station's worn copy of the Compendium.    

More than once I have naively shaken my head in disagreement over words in the Compendium only to find myself in almost complete agreement with them after having a chance to be exposed to and understand the wide set of opinions and issues surrounding what I originally thought to be a much simpler matters.  A huge amount of professional thought goes into trying to make the Compendium's words reflect the best answers for the changing times. 
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The Compendium is not meant to be a secret text.  Quite the contrary it is meant to be a widely used and understood public document.  Since folks can not see something they do not look for it sometimes feels to me that the Compendium  is an ancient secret text.   Please see the comment to this post and you will understand just how publicly available the Compendium is meant to be.   Its well thought out wisdom is available for all those who make a point of looking for it.  

It is well worth part of your Plan-And-Prepare(Leave No Trace) efforts to find and at least skim a copy!  
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Keep in mind that the Compendium is a living changing document so please make sure you are reading the most recent copy.   

It would be interesting to see somebody do a Parallel Compendium especially if one of the parallel texts was from long ago.

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A couple of crazy climbers(Charlie and Ben) I know from ORMS that had just finished a day of testing themselves (in a fun way if you like that kind of stuff) on the seemingly timeless rocks of the summit cliffs.   

Climbing... challenging happy exploration, vertical dancing, a blend of mental and physical prolem solving, gravity games, style under duress, PURE FUN!

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I love folks.  All kinds of folks.  The more the merrier.    That said,  I also love it when I have long slow quiet (or musical) contemplative hours alone.     It all comes back to one.

Some journeys are for reaching destinations and some destinations are for creating journeys.

LIKE ALL SPOTS ON A MAP.....

OLD RAG IS NOT JUST A SPOT ON THE MAP!

CATCH YOU ALL  IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS I WILL BE ON TRAVEL FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

Veterans Day Weekend 2011

VETERANS' DAY  WEEKEND 2011

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THANKS TO THE VETS AND SERVICE MEMBERS EVERYWHERE!

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ORMS'S END OF SEASON WEEKEND

Check out other ORMS related blogs for information about last weekend's ORMS end-of-year training exercise:  It was an awesome season and an awesome end-of-year weekend.   During its end-of-year weekend, ORMS practiced rappeling, ascending, and using a high line.   All these activities are excellent ways to build high angle skills while having some backcountry fun.    When the  needs arise, these skills and practiced teamwork will and have allowed ORMS to safely and rapidly  deliver Old Rag injured hikers and climbers to front country medical care.

The Official ORMS BLOG:

http://oldragmountainsteward.blogspot.com/

Silver Spring Wanderer's BLOG

http://silverspringwanderer.blogspot.com/

Horizontal Tread's BLOG

http://horizontaltread.blogspot.com/

 

 

Not much color left on the mountain but on the drive out some of the trees still exploded with color!

With 50 plus cars in the overflow lot Saturday proved to be another day with hundreds on the mountain.

* EARTH ROTATES....  LIGHT CHANGES.  *
* CREATION AND  NATURE ENDURE.  *
* MAN'S STORY CONTINUES. *

If we could tie ourselves together............I could become something I’m not

Penguin Prison

PICTURE TIME!

PACK IT UP HEAD FOR RUDY'S

ONE FOR THE ROAD

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Teton Gravity Research 2011

http://live.tetongravity.com/_One-For-The-Road-Trailer/video/1602239/75233.html

"Now I don't pretend to know all the answers .......but I think there's something to be said for that."

 UNTIL WE SPEND TIME AGAIN...  HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL!

Saturday November 11, 2011 Leaves and Snow Almost All Gone

Saturday November 11, 2011

Leaves and Snow Almost All Gone

Looking towards Mount Robertson early Saturday morning.

Looking down the Ridge Trail from the summit early Saturday morning.

Looking  down at the first false summit around 10AM Saturday morning notice that lines are already forming.

Later on Saturday morning and you can notice there are still lines down on the First False Summit.   The line at the Chute had also formed and hikers were beginning to seek alternate routes in order to avoid the the delays caused by the lines.

Late on Saturday and the Old Rag Mountain Stewards had a chance to get in some rappeling and climbing practice.

Stewards packing at sunset getting ready to head for home after a day of coverage that greatly decreases response times in the event the need arose.    Despite being unselfishly (selfishly for some genetically anomalous human sheepdogs) available and willing  to serve, a Steward's day usually incorporates some fun (if learning backcountry knowledge and skills floats your boat) being trained by a highly qualified ORMS Lead Steward.   ORMS periodically accepts new members,  if you think you might be interested  the ORMS website will have instructions.   There is a link to this website in the right channel of this blog or:

  http://www.oldragmountainsteward.blogspot.com/

Old Rag Trail Conditions Upcoming Weekend

WARNING
PLEASE DO NOT BREAK YOURSELF!

Mid-Week Old Rag Trail Condition Report

Saddle Trail Conditions Mid Week

Wednesday November 2, 2011.
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Keep in mind that every year there are serious and even lethal falls(concussions) that take place on ice covered level parking lots or sidewalks.

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If you are not experienced with and equipped for icy trail conditions Old Rag may be ill advised this weekend.
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The Saddle Trail is coated in hard-packed snow and ice from Byrds Nest 1 Shelter, down about 3/4 mile north (between Byrds Nest 1 and Old Rag Shelter). Conditions are very slippery. Many hikers contacted were equipped with crampon-like, ice traction devices for boots. All blow-downs are clear from this trail.

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The Ridge Trail was not inspected by the reporting party, however, reports from visitors on the summit indicate that there was some ice covered sections on the switchbacks, and some ice present in the boulder scramble.
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Saddle Trail  Conditions Mid Week

Wednesday, November 2, 2011.

The Saddle Trail on Old Rag just below Byrds Nest Shelter stays shaded from the sun and takes quite a bit longer to clear of ice and or snow than other parts of Old Rag.
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Based on my experience and current weather reports there is a good chance the Ridge Trail switch-backs and rock scramble will mostly clear of ice and snow by this Saturday.
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The Saddle Trail just after Byrds Nest 1 has a probability of still having sections of ice and snow.
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Suggestions:

• DO NOT BREAK YOURSELF!
• USE GOOD JUDGEMENT STAY SAFE!
• Give yourself permission to have a good time!
• If you have them carry or wear your ice/snow traction devices (like Kahtoola Microspikes, YakTrax, Stabilizers) in you day pack if you are going to hike Old Rag.
• Do not have your hands stuffed into your pockets where they can not be used to break your fall.
• Hiking poles become even more useful for helping to keep your balance and or avoid falls.
• Sometimes sitting down and sliding or scooting along on your bottom is a safer choice than risking a fall from a fully erect position. 
• If you do not have ice traction devices try and stay on dirt or bare rock parts of the trail.
• If your related to the Ginger-Bread-Man, Phidippides or Hyper-Inflated-Ego-Person and are going to be doing something extreme like trail running or boulder hopping in snowy/icy conditions you should probably wear some type of traction device on your shoes and a helmet.  While not as important elbow pads and wrist guards might help as well.
• Be prepared to be able to stay warm for many hours in the event you sustain a non-ambulatory injury.
• IF YUR GONNA BE DUMB U BETTA BE TUFF!
•  PLEASE USE GOOD JUDGEMENT STAY SAFE!