The next couple of pictures are of the first false summit in the sun.
Unlike Saturday there was not a huge crowd. The parking lot was only two thirds full and at 11AM more overnight camping groups from Saturday seemed to be spilling out of the backcountry then there were day hikers heading in.
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My extremely slow journey with lots of long breaks 4-5 hours from upper lot to summit had me looking down at the first half of the rock scramble from the top of the chute around 4PM. The chute was empty of upward bound hikers so I decided to amble to the summit to catch the sunset and moonrise.
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While on the summit a frantic hiker approached and said that while he and his girlfriend were hiking down the rock scramble she slipped and fell and they thought she may have broken her leg. Off we went to do an assessment. Upon examination, it was discovered that she could slightly weight her injury. With the help of a couple of hiking poles and bandage wrap she could slowly move on her own power. Our group decided not to go down through the rock scramble. We headed back up over the summit and out down the Saddle trail. It was determined that a Park Law Enforcement Ranger would be available to give her a ride from Old Rag Shelter back to her car. Folks do not assume this will be possible. If there is something more significant than your injury going on in the park you will need to either wait for resources to become available or get yourself out under your own power.
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It was interesting that as we were heading up towards the summit a group of around 40 headlamped hikers out for a moonlight stroll passed.
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No ice on the trail this weekend but you should plan on that starting to happen any day now. The chute is an interesting problem when it is wet and even more intereting when it is coated in ice.
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Another highlight of the day was coming across a bunch of my ORMS buddies who had been out doing some filming and climbing. I agreed I would look for them at Rudy's after I got the patient out.
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Upon getting the patient out I learned that their cars gas tank was on empty and they needed to know where the nearest open gas station was. Folks during the day the nearest gas station can be twenty miles away. If it is late at night it may be 30 miles away. I agreed to shadow their car to the nearest gas station in case they ran completely out before gettting there.
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After making sure they got gas I was able to join my friends at Rudy's for two slices and a beer before heading home.
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Advice
Think through your layered clothing system so that you can be in a short sleeves during the warm or heavy exertions parts of your day and all bundled up toasty warm on a cold windy summit. Keep in mind that an injury which prevents you from walking under your own power may mean that it will be hours before any help arrives. Are you and your party prepared to stay warm just sitting still on the trail possibly past dark while you wait for help?
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It is best to think of Old Rag as a self rescue zone because unless you are willing to wait the two to four hours it may take for significant help to arrive on scene self rescue will be your option.
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