Sunday April 21, 2013 More Spring Flowers

Pictures now words later

 

 

Sat. April 21, 2013 Bluetts & Measuring

Distance Measuring Project

 

 The spoke-less Rolatape surveyor's measuring wheel I am using to measure distances on Old Rag.

 

The neighbors pasture which they open for parking when the main lot is full.   The NPS lot is free but there is a park entrance fee unless you have a Park Pass of some kind or if it is one of the fee free days.    The neighbors charge $10 to park in their pasture.   This would be in addition to the park entrance fee but it is much better than needing to drive back home or wait until hikers park in the NPS lot return and free up a parking space. 

The Bluetts have started blooming.

 

A Raven flying around Old Rag summit

 

Another wonderful Old Rag summit sunset.

 

A blowdown just before the CCC stairs or 18,607 feet from the concrete trail post in the upper lot if you walk via the fire roads and Saddle Trail.

 

 

ORMS TRAINING

 

 

4/1/2013-4/14/2013

 

You can begin to see some green on the trees in Weakley Hollow.

 

The Old Rag Mountain Stewards training Spring 2013 weekend.  

Sunset on the horizon to the north of Hawksbill Mt.    It is interesting to watch were the sun sets on the horizon as the seasons progress.

The rocky face of Old Rag's lesser summit.

Shoulder Season

 

Various Trips Mid Feb 2013 till March 31, 2013 

 

There is lots of history to be found in the hollows just outside the SNP.   The next four shots feature the Post Office of Graves Mill Virginia which was open from 1800's until just a few years ago.      It must have been one of the smallest Post Offices in the United States.

 

Note: Click on pictures to read text or see a  higher resolution.

 

Around two weeks ago I had the opportunity to help a young hiker with a sprained ankle.

The next picture is of a dog being reunited with its owners after going missing on Mt  Robinson and being found by two good Samaritans on Old Rag.

The good Samaritans.

 

 

At the end of March 2013 we had 3 inches of snow on a Monday morning.

Dusk on the lower Old Rag Ridge Trail.

The Old Rag Contact Station was opened for 2013.

My friend Louise and I had rented a cabin in early March.

During the Winter and Early Spring Old Rag trails can often look like this when there is no snow to be seen at lower elevations.    Have fun but be safe.

February 10, 2013 THS MOUNTAIN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE GROP HOMES

 

 

THS MOUNTAIN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE GROUP HOMES 

 

Winter conditions with ice and snow.

 

That lucky old man had nothing to do but stroll  around heaven all day.

It was cold and windy with darkening gray skies.  Hikers had long since headed for home.   The Mountain Ravens had huddled away for the evening.  Wind whispered and whistled through the trees.  The Wind will often sing to my Soul with lyrics for which I  have no words.   Lights begin to glow and twinkle in the valley.   There is the sound of a far off train whistle.   Quiet creeps across the mountain yet sounds prevade.   A dog barks in the valley.  

This mountain is one of my favorite group homes.

Precious relative solitude on the mountain and I am reminded of a passage from Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching:

This is called the Form of the Formless,
and the Semblance of the Invisible,
this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable.

 

LINK TO A DIFFERENT OLD RAG BLOG POSTING:

With commitments to family and friends, Holidays, and work there are becoming more and more weekends when I do not have time to patrol on Old Rag Mountain.  Because of these gaps I thought I would share a link to what I thought was a good blog posting about  hiking Old Rag late in January 2013.     I also have a link to Hiking Upwards Old Rag review page (in the channel on the right side of the blog) and it is always being updated by recent hikers reviews of their hikes.

http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2013/01/21/return-to-old-rag-mountain/

Keep in mind that during Winter conditions on Old Rag can swing from being virtually clear of ice or snow as evidenced on this blog to being dangerously coated in ice.

Signs

 

 

OLD RAG SIGNS

If you click on the pictures you can read the signs.

 

 

NOTICE THE EMERGENCY PHONE BELOW.  THIS PHONE ONLY DIRECTLY  CONNECTS YOU TO THE PARK'S EMERGENCY DISPATCHER 24X7.   IT IS ONLY FOR EMERGENCY USE!!!