The man who went up the Mountain .....

I Finally Hiked OLD RAG MOUNTAIN !! Yes after how many years of wanting to do a real hike in the mountains I finally did do it. It all stems from my first trip ever to some real mountains way back in like 97 to the Smokey Mountains. Back then I was in much better shape, and went with a group that I would have hoped that at least one or two wanted to do a decent hike. It ended up that not even once did they intend on going. I took a few short hikes in the forest next to the forest we were in, but there were no marked trails to do.


Before that, the most I had done in the mountains had been to as a child and back in '05 El Yunque Carribean National Forest located in Puerto Rico (happens to be the ONLY Rain Forest in the US National Park System). El Yunque has all these various small waterfalls that I just find amazing. What is really interesting is the way the cloud cover just rolls around it. It can be clear as a lighthouse lens one moment - then swirled over in a mist cloud the next. I remember as a child in Puerto Rico (mainly over the summers I spent there), how I would look out the windows of my Abuela Mercedes' condo; on one side the aqua blue ocean as far as th eye cold see to the north. To the South, we would see the cloud covered mountains. This on an island that you can drive cross-wise in 2 hours. Always we would look to the mountains for the coming rain that would cut our stay on the beach a bit shorter and send us inside, and on occasion, not even care - we had sand castles to protect!!

Well anyways, as usual I digressed (and will again for sure), not that it matters - I did mention that I rambled right?

So for this hike to avoid the crowds most of us awoke somewhere around the 5:30am, give or take - and met at a Starbucks. Settled into three cars and made our way to the trailhead by 8:30am. For me the hike seemed good for the first part - somehow thinking that I could keep up with Kevin & Jeffrey, even if for a short while. Well after 30 minutes that prospect was quickly fading - still not bad for me. I started to slow so that Alexandra passed me next...

Most of the hike I did mostly alone. Got to stop at a small stream going up the mountain where I refreshed myself. Took a few pics, and settled in to a good pace until I ran into Scott who was taking pictures of ... well everything. In a way I didn't mind doing a good portion alone - especially the switchbacks and all. It just really lets you concentrate on your little world, the here and now, only the breeze and birds making noise. Now it was useful to have Scott at this part - just having the extra person for the beginning of a rock scramble is re-assuring. Having only ever done the rock scramble at the Billy Goat Trail by Great Falls this was totally different!

With 8ft drops straight down (wasn't so bad once you figured out there was a tiny ledge about 3 ft down), and a 3 foot jump from one boulder to another of which I worried way too much about since I was alone at that point, and worried about my knee at that point. In the end after 5 minutes of trying to find a different path around, I just shrugged and jumped.... rather easily in hindsight. The other big hurdle was a crevisse which was extremely difficult to get up to get up as there were no foot or hand holds. I caught up to AB at this difficult point (but she had some stored up energy and took off like a bat out of hell after she got up that part) and this was probably the closest point to actually hurting myself here when my foot started slipping, but somehow I just grabbed hold of something readjusted my foot and pushed off just enough to be able to wedge myself somehow, then reach for something a little bit higher where I was able to pull myself up. In retrospect - I was lucky.

But there were so many cool rock formations. Round boulders balanced precariously, triangle shaped caves, cool steps that apparently were similar to some on the Inca trail (according to Carmel), and this amazing massive boulder that just overhung somehow from the rest. The vistas were like nothing I have ever seen before. But as I kept being amazed, I would go just a bit higher, and see one even better, until finally I reached the summit (3,291 ft. !!) and was TRULY surprised at the view, and AMAZED that I had completed this hike up (going down is always easy for me).


Jeffrey had warned me that it could get cold at the top, and he was correct (Darn him again!!). Yet despite a thinner layer than the others already there (Jeff, Kevin, AB) , I enjoyed being at the very summit for about a good 20 minutes before we looked for a sheltered spot for lunch as the others trickled in. In a humorous twist on the hike, I had lost my visor early somewhere on the hike, and I wasn't worried - it was a cheapy hat bought going to Assateague last year with Carmel & W. Dana since I had forgotten one. Yet ironically (or not??) it was Carmel who found it on the trail! When she reached us, I didn't even notice that she had it on!

Well at the top we had our lunch, took photos, and rested a bit before being invaded by all those on the trail behind us: Church groups, young Marines contingent, the "Hansen boys", etc.... it got noisy where there was silence. So we packed it up and started on our way down. Most of it was easy (well for me) and there were no spectacular vistas going down the fire road (a few day shelters only). I did for the first time in sooo many years held a Centipede in my hands! (thanks AB!!) . As children we are fearless - we pick up anything, play with it and so forth. But at some point you are told - be careful of this and that - and you stop doing what was fun - sure it was risky, but it was fun. So picking up this centipede from AB, and letting it crawl on my hands was like a re-awakening of another part of me (combined with the hike) , that is ingrained upon us as kids - don't do this - don't do that. Why not do this- why not do that?? We are ingrained and slowly convinced to agree with society's rules of do's & dont's - we stick to our imagined worlds that has been created for us by others, and breaking free to experience life on our own is a challenge.

Our lives are our experiences. As of late I started thinking to myself this motto of :
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Chocolate in one hand, a MOJITO in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"

Of course I modify the phrase to include a mojito instead of a martini or such. But it was about a few days ago, that my friend Eric from Philly found (and I just read it a day or two ago) a much deeper way of saying it:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

This statement was from a man who was a sickly child, yet went on to become a bold and brash President that transformed our country: Teddy Roosevelt. Ultimately that is what this hike presents to me. A milestone in experiencing things that I had forgotten to experience, touch things I was afraid to touch, do things that a year ago I couldn't do. And for that, I am grateful to my friends (& family), because as always - it is from them that you get your encouragement, your motivation, your inspiration and ultimately your achievements.

Thanks to all who came on the trip - pushed me to do more than I thought I could, and just have a fun time doing it all (Jeff, Kevin, Alexandra, Diana, Jaime, Carmel, Scott, Mary and Rob).

Oh & I almost forgot - Burgers n Things - the best roadside food near Sperryville, VA - well especially since we were starved!

For more pictures from the hike click here !