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.

Sat 4/18/09 BigCrowdRockFest

SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2009 First Overflowing Lower Lot of 2009
Note1: Most pictures show higher resolution if clicked on and or zoomed.
Note2: Much earlier posts have advice for campers and climbers.



An overflowing lot means backups at the crux.


Looking up rock scramble Sat 4/18/2009

2009 SHENANDOAH ROCKFEST see second half of the post.

2009 SHENANDOAH ROCKFEST

2009 SHENANDOAH ROCKFEST
http://www.dcmetroclimbing.com/

Saturday, April 18, 2009

First completely full lower parking lot of 2009 season. I heard that earlier in the day there had been a back up near the squeeze AKA crux.

I wanted to attend a RockFest 2009 presentation up at Pinnacles Research Station so I greatly shortened my patrol. I slowly made my way up to the start of the Rock Scramble and hung out there for about an hour before making my way back down.

On my way out at around 17:30 I passed at least 5 groups just heading up the mountain 3 of which did not have lights. I provided them with all the appropriate warnings.

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ADVICE PERTINENT TO BEHAVIOUR WITNESSED THIS WEEKEND

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If you are starting after 14:00 take some type of emergency light.

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Make sure you do a tick check when you get home.

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If you are up on the mountain and dusk is approaching do not hesitate to ask another party for help. If you are well prepared and it is late in the afternoon it would be good to watch out for parties who may be at risk.

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There are emergency phones at both the Old Rag Fee Station and the White Oak Fee Station.

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These phones are patched directly to the SNP 24X7 emergency communications center.

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If you get stuck in the dark or know you might get stuck in the dark DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL. If you leave the trail your chance of injuring yourself will be greater. If you are on or near the trail your chance of getting found by first light of dawn is close to 100% . If you are a long ways off the trail it is practically zero. From now until mid-Fall unplanned bivouacs will be unpleasant but most likely not lethal.

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While on the Ridge Trail I notice lots of people trying "Alternate Routes" on the rocks. There is no rule against this but if you sustain a non-ambulatory injury in the middle of the rock scramble it is very likely that it will take around 15 hours before you are placed in the an ambulance.

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Keep in mind the trail is situated such that anytime there are difficult moves the farthest you can fall is about 6-8 feet. If you are someplace with difficult moves with longer than 8 foot falls you are off the trail. If you are trying to stay on the trail backtrack and look for where you took a wrong turn.

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On Saturday I witnessed at least three parties take alternate routes on the rock which had they lost their footing they would have fallen 20 to 60 feet. Based on the skill of their movements none of these inidviduals were experienced climbers who had a deep knowledge of their level of skill versus the difficulty of their situation.

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If you know where the real trail goes and are purposely taking an alternate route be responsible about making sure that other parties who can see or hear you are not mistakenly following you thinking you are on the trail.

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Please do not goad other members of your party into doing things that are dangerous.

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2009 SHENANDOAH ROCKFEST

Instead of doing a complete circuit I cut my patrol short to go to a presentation up at Pinnacles Research Station concerning the SNP ROMP and Clean Climbing ethic. I was glad that I went because I learned some new facts and had others reinforced.

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It was good to get a first hand experience of the wonderful community of mid-Atlantic climbers who had come together to spend a day collecting trash in what were often vertically challenging or rocky situations. Over one hundred climbers sacrificed a beautiful climbing day to pick up over a TON of trash and many bags of recyclables.

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2009 SHENANDOAH ROCKFEST HELPED CARRY OUT INJURED HIKER

In addition to helping with the litter collection several members of the RockFest crew were able to help with a litter carry of a non-ambulatory injured hiker.

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THREE CHEERS FOR THE MID ATLANTIC CLIMBERS

http://www.dcmetroclimbing.com/

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Saw a small Bobcat on the stonewall along Skyline drive on way home.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/WILDLIFE/information/?s=050051

Saw my first Yellow Swallowtails of 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_Swallowtail

Saturday April 11, 2009 Easter With Relatives

THE SATURDAY BEFORE EASTER, APRIL 11, 2009
Easter is usually the first Sunday after the first full moon
(Paschal Moon or Ecclesiastical Full Moon) after the Spring(Vernal) Equinox
If theological history interests you look up Computus


IN THE LOT AT THE FEE STATION THE CLIMBING ADVENTURE BEGINS

Had a wonderful time with my sister Holly and two of her three kids my nephew Colin and niece Whitney. We left the parking lot around 2 in the afternoon. The top of Old Rag was still in the clouds but as we journeyed up the switchbacks the clouds lifted. The rain had limited the number of visitors but by the time we reached the first false summits the views were wonderful. It was their first time up Old Rag and so a very special circuit for me. Other than giving advice to a pair of backpackers, a pair of rockclimbers, a large backpacking group, and picking up a little bit of litter the patrol duties were light.





The Skunk Cabbage At Bartenders Spring Has Burst Out Of The Ground Since Last Weekend





GROUP SHOTS AT FIRST VIEWS






JUST BEFORE THE FIRST FALSE SUMMIT




FIRST FALSE SUMMIT AND START OF THE ROCK SCRAMBLE




THE STAIRCASE BELOW THE CHOCKSTONE

AT ATLAS ROCK IN THE MIDDLE OF ROCK SCRAMBLE THE CRUX IS COMING UP

THE FOURTH FALSE SUMMIT AFTER THE CRUX BUT BEFORE THE LEAP OF FAITH

WHITNEY AND COLIN LOOKING OUT ON THE HOLLOWS AFTER THE LEAP OF FAITH AND JUST BEFORE THE SUMMIT

THE LONG AND WINDING TRAIL

SUNSET WALL AT SUNSET

LOOKING OUT AT SKYLINE DRIVE AT TWILIGHT

A COMPOSITE OF AROUND FIVE SHOTS

Saturday, April 4, 2009 High Streams Friendly Fire

Saturday April 4, 2009 dusk looking east from false summit just above rock scramble crux. (double click for higher resolution)

Saturday April 4, 2009 a typical part of the rock scramble.

Saturday April 4, 2009 Bloodroot on lower Ridge Trail.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/shen/pphtml/11highlights571.html

Saturday April 4, 2009 looking back at first false summit from rock scramble.

Arrived at the fee station just in time to talk briefly to the Rangers and pick up my patrol radio. Went up to the upper lot and spent about an hour treating some of my cloths with premethrin to help repel ticks before starting up the trail. We have not hit the time of year when there is the greatest chance of catching a tick-borne disease but it is a good time to start taking precautions. If you have not gotten up to speed on ticks you should, there is lots of good information online including this site; http://www.tickencounter.org/education/ .

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While I was getting ready in the upper lot Chad, one of the Shenandoah Mountain Guides who trains the ORMS volunteers arrived in the upper lot in order to get in a quick hour of bouldering practice. We spoke about how high all the streams were running from the rain earlier in the week. Because of the high water Chad was excited about going kayaking the next day. As I hiked the mountain during the day, gullies that are normally dry had water flowing in them. The stream bed that runs past the switch backs had a cascading bubbling brook in it when normally its flow is so low that the water is hidden from sight under the stream bed's boulders.

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Low on the Ridge trail I passed a hiker coming down who said he was going to be doing two circuits in order to practice for a race. I saw him again on his second circuit near the summit.

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I arrived at Byrds Nest Shelter to a very welcoming fire and two very friendly visitors named Chip and Rich. They were enjoying an evening fire before retiring to their tents just out of sight of the shelter. They told me that the Friday night winds had been so strong that it was hard to stand up against them. The temperatures had really dropped during the evening so the early morning day hikers who had dressed for a warm spring day were all glad to warm up at Chip and Rich's morning fire. As the day progressed the winds subsided and the temps climbed but before that happened at least 40 different hikers had visited the shelter to warm up by the fire. One group included three generations of a family engaging in a long standing tradition of celebrating birthdays up on the mountain. I quipped that Chip and Rich did not know that they were going to be running a mountain lodge for the weekend.

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After visiting with Chip and Rich for about an hour I headed back down to my car in the upper lot. I saw a large number of tents far off in the woods on my way out. Heard peepers in lower Weakley Hollow. Dropped the radio off and headed home. No injuries, some litter, no illegal fire rings and no campers violating the regs.

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Another great day on the mountain.

March 28 and 29 ORMS TRAINING

EQUIPMENT TYPICAL OF WHAT WILL BE USED FOR OLD RAG SAR (Search and Recue) INCIDENTS

CLASSMATES PRACTICING A LITTER CARRY

ORMS MEMBERS PARTICIPATING ON ONE OF MANY PRACTICE SCEANARIOS

This weekend I took the ORMS Sponsored Wilderness First Aid certification course held up off Skyline Drive at the Pinnacles Research Station. In addition to the Wilderness First Aid course, Shenadoah National Park staff members responsible for Search and Rescue in the Central District (where Old Rag is located); introduced themselves, showed us various types of equipement that will be used on Old Rag SAR incidents, and also gave us an overview of how Shenandoah National Park will organize and run any Old Rag SAR incidents. An immense amount of information was gone over and a large number of practice sceanarious provided significant hands-on development of practical skills. Solo who has been the leader in wilderness medical training for thirty years did an awesome job. http://www.soloschools.com/ This was one of those courses that could be compared to drinking-from-a fire-hose. The handout materials were excellent so I will be able to use them to continue to reveiw, internalize and become fluent in the material over the coming weeks. Thanks to the teaching styles of the instructors and presenters the long days were kept informative, lively, fun and interesting. The free coffee graciously supplied by Central Coffe brewed in the three coffee makers brought by various class members along with countless tasty pastries and snacks brought by other class members helped power our days. Saturday evening there was just a little bit of time to relax and class members had all the ingredients for a great impromptu social event. Starting with a dinner of delicious roast pig and an incredible amount of other great eats. There were lots of good conversation, a lively dice game, an interesting card game and a short but excellent set of guitar music. Had Cedar Run been a little closer I am sure there would have been a quick trip to one of its swimming holes.

GREAT TRAINING WEEKEND

On the way home I had a couple of hours of daylight so I stopped by Old Rag and strolled up along the Brokenback Run for about an hour. A few types of understory bushes are starting to show green buds and I saw my first Tick (THEY'RE BACK!) since fall.

On the drive home I noticed the evening light on the rolling piedmont hills seemed very different from how it has been this winter and it suddenly dawned on me that it was because the pastures are starting to glow with that bright spring green that the grass takes on when it first comes up.

March 21, 2009 Equinox

Sunset 10 minutes from the summit.

Fly Fishing Shop
On my way to the mountain I made a side trip to Murray's Fly Fishing shop in Edinburg Virginia. If you are interested in fly fishing this is a great resource for supplies, advice, and lessons. Their website is at: http://www.murraysflyshop.com/

A couple of patches of ice still on the mountain.

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS RESPECT WILDLIFE
As weather warms, crowds and their associated litter returns to the mountain. Winter not only had far fewer hikers on the trail but most seemed to practice Leave No Trace ethics as well as pitch in with picking up for others.

Many thanks to the many hikers who during all seasons help by bringing out more than just their own stuff. (Note: If you pick up broken glass make sure you protect yourself. I started carrying a "sharp stuff" bottle/vault in my litter bag after I accidentally cut myself when my hand pressed down on a sharp bottle shard in my litter bag while I was in the rock scramble.)

The Park Service has a duty to strike a balance between laws that encourage protection of the wilderness and laws that encourage public use of the same wilderness areas. Appropriate use is desired and encouraged but misuse must be controlled if not eliminated. Litter is a visual assault on those that follow. Throwing something over a rock, into a crevice, far off the trail does not mean it is out of sight. A student studying things off the trail, a park visitor seeking a little off trail solitude, a curious hiker exploring, a botanist or biologist looking for a specific species, a back country camper or a climber are just some of the examples of people who go places you think are out of sight. There are individuals who will notice changes at the same level of the changes you would notice in your own backyard. It is also good to keep in mind that this is home for hundreds of other species whom we owe respect.

GALLOWS HUMOR

Usually I try to keep in the Don't Worry Be Happy mood but there are times that I let my imagination toy around with a plot for a horror short story in which there is a wilderness stalker who practices various forms of harsh vigilante justice on abusers of the back country or maybe a whole town complete with a hanging judge who enforce a bizarre set of extreme local litter ordinances or some bizarre future country where they decide to have an open season on adult litterers (they have to be taller than 5 feet to be legal) or the back woods toilet paper covered Bogey man who gets revenge on the tissue paper litter bugs. I have a very active imagination so the list goes on but you get the idea.

The Mountain Laurel are showing green sprouts.

Ridge Trail about an hour before dark.

Equinox and the days are getting warmer but there was still just a little bit of ice to be found on the Mountain. Next weekend is an ORMS training weekend sponsored by NPS so no patrols on Old Rag next week.

Fast Little Dark Grey Pine Voles http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=050091

The one unusual thing on this circuit were the number of the little black Pine Voles I scared off the trail after dark. I estimate they were less than a quarter the size of house mouse, have very dark grey fur, and are very quick to disappear in just a blur of motion when they were surprised by the light of my headlamp. One actually stood still for the shortest of a partial second in a freeze frame before vanishing in a blur. I must have seen around 5 more tiny blurs after that as I came down the Saddle Trail. I wonder if this evening was unusual or if I was just more tuned to picking up the blur of their escapes after that one had given me the briefest of glimpses of him standing still. It appears that in their panic they are ad libbing their escape routes because when they choose to escape in your direction of travel you can see them do a lot of direction changing, jumping, and sometimes falling off the rocks but it all happens so fast you can not register the specifics of their actions. Their physical prowess would probably be amazing and at times funny if you could watch them on a slow motion replay.

MIST CREATES DIFFERENT TIME AND SPACE

SATURDAY MARCH 14, 2009

One of those cold wet early spring weekends. There were a fair number of visitors on the mountain considering the weather. Met Matt from PATC Trail Patrol on his was out. He and a friend from Colorado had just finished the hike. Starting in the later part of early afternoon, I mostly saw hikers that were coming out. I meet a nice group of four backpackers wearing heavy packs and dealing with the challenges of a wet rock scramble. I tagged along with them until Byrds Nest which was near where they planned to stay for the evening. While slippery in parts the mud was not too bad. As dark fell some of the raindrops were freezing on the tree branches but as of 9PM there was no ice forming on the ground. There were still patches of thin snow cover in the woods. So thin it was polka dotted by holes from rain drops. Good day to test your gear and your ability to deal with wet conditions.

MIST NAVIGATION CAUTION
Most of the time the mist is similar to what you see in these pictures and you can see one hundred feet or more down the trail. That said, on a very rare occasion I have seen it where you could barely see five feet in front of your feet. While woodland trails are continuous and easy to follow even in thick fog the rock scramble may not be.

Even when the mist is not thick, your lights will be greatly limited in the distances they throw light or can be seen at night.

HYPOTHERMIA WARMING

In all of my times in the wild I have found rainy weather near freezing the most challenging for survival from hypothermia. Cold wet days have fewer people on the mountain and therefore more need for self reliance. Remember that if an injury makes you non-ambulatory you will not have the furnace of physical exertion to keep you warm and it would not be unusual for it to take 12-15 hours from when someone goes for help for you to be evacuated.

MISTY WORLD

Misty days are a unique experience. Everything is muffled, close and a little bit surreal. Time is blurred and slower. The mist softens thoughts of goals. It no longer is important to push for the summit views because there will not be any. I find it easier to slow down and absorb the details of places I would never have focused on during a clear day. Mist brings quiet, soft, soulful, restful, nostalgic, reflective thoughts and both respite from and recharging for the more frenetic activities of clear dry days.

John Muir wrote

I was as wet as if I had been swimming after crossing raging torrents and fighting my way through the Alaskan jungle. But everything was deliciously fresh, and I found new and old plant friends, and glacier lessons that made everything bright and light.

Signs Of Spring

Down in the lowlands signs of Spring are showing. An early alarm that spring approaches for the mountain as well. It should not be too long before we start to see dark purple skunk cabbage blossoms followed by green skunk cabbage leaves up near bartenders spring. Skunk cabbage is a unique plant in that it generates its own heat (thermogensis) and therefore is one of the first plants to sprout and flower on the forest floor in the Spring.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Skunk_Cabbage

Of course now that I am watching Spring will take longer than my anticipations' expectations.