OLD
RAG MOUNTAIN
The Mountain:
Old Rag Mountain is one of the most popular hiking
destinations in Shenandoah National Park. It draws thousands
of visitors each year. Unlike most of the mountains in the
Blue Ridge, it stands alone as an outlying mountain rather
than as part of a continuous chain. The scenic ridge trail
along the mountain's rocky crest provides for an invigorating
excursion enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, during
all seasons of the year.
The Geology:
The earth's surface is in a slowly
evolving, continuous state of motion. Great mountain ranges are
thrust up as ragged, rocky peaks and then slowly erode to gentle,
rolling hills. These processes are described by the theory of
PLATE TECTONICS, which studies the movement of
the earth's cool, rigid crust over the hot and fluid rock of the
earth's interior. All of the earth's surface rocks ultimately have
their origin in tectonic processes. The history of Old Rag Mountain
is only one of uncountable stories of plate tectonics, reaching
back over a billion years into the past.
Old Rag Mountain is underlain by
granite rock. The granite formed over one billion years ago during
a mountain-building event known to geologists as the Grenville
Orogeny. During the Grenville Orogeny, ancient continents collided
and pushed up the rocks between them to form the Grenville
Mountains (This same type of tectonic process is creating the
Himalaya Mountains today, as India and Asia slowly collide with one
another and push up the crust between them into great
mountains.)
Deep within the ancient Grenville
Mountain range, the pressure and temperature were great enough to
melt the rock in places, forming magma. This molten rock slowly
ascended through fractures and crystallized deep within the earth's
crust as granite. Millions of years after formation of the rock,
uplift and erosion of overlying rocks of the Grenville mountain
range may have exposed parts of the Old Rag Granite at the
surface.
About 600 million years ago
repeated eruptions of lava eventually covered the earth's surface,
including the Old Rag Granite, with thick layers of volcanic rock.
Following the volcanism, the entire area became submerged under the
ancient "Iapetus Ocean", and the Old Rag Granite was buried under
thousands of feet of ocean sediments. About 300 million years ago,
another mountain-building event took place called the Allegheny
Orogeny. During this orogeny, the Appalachian Mountains were formed
when parts of the present-day continents of North and South
America, Africa, Europe, Asia, India, Australia, and Antarctica
slowly collided over tens of millions of years forming the
super-continent "Pangaea". As the continents collided, the crust
was pushed up into the ancient Appalachian Mountains which may have
been as tall as the Rocky Mountains, Alps or Himalayas are today.
It took as long as 300 million years for uplift and erosion to
eventually expose the Old Rag Granite at the earth's surface as we
see it today.
The Hike:
Distance: 7 mile round trip
Elevation Gain: 2200 ft
Elevation at Summit: 3291 ft
Hike Time: 5-8 hours
Blaze: Blue
Difficulty: Very Strenuous
Highlights: Mile long rock scramble and vistas
Wildlife: Deer, foxes, black bears, skunks, and bobcats
Old Rag Trail Map(pdf, 310 kb)
Your day begins with an easy hike
on a wide trail through dense forest. At these lower levels you are
most likely to see wildlife. As the path steepens, the hike becomes
a climb through the woods with numerous switchbacks and
large boulders. After about 1½ miles the forest
gives way to the rock scramble and plenty of wonderful views.
From here to the summit you will go over, through, and under
boulders on the Ridge Trail. You will climb through
caves, between fissures, around balancing rocks, and up a natural staircase. Once at the summit the
view is spectacular and panoramic. This is a
perfect place for a meal, and to rest up for the descent.
You can choose to return the way
you came or to continue on the loop trail. If you continue on, it’s
about a mile longer, but takes about the same amount of time. There
is a fairly quick and easy descent followed by a walk along the
Weakley Hollow Fire Road.
LEAVE NO TRACE: Pack out all trash and do not disturb,
damage, or remove wildlife, plants, rocks, or historical artifacts.
There is an old adage: Make sure the candy you bring in supplies
you with enough energy to carry the wrapper out.
SAFETY: Be prepared. Take plenty of water and wear shoes
appropriate for a rugged hike. Bring food and expect to be hungry
by the time you reach the summit. Stay on the trail. Allow enough
time to complete your hike before dark. This hike is extremely
strenuous. Do it for the hike, consider the cache as a bonus.
The Cache:
This cache should only be sought by seasoned
hikers. Safety comes first!
To claim the cache you must e-mail me the answer to 2 questions,
and of course take a photo of you and your GPS either at the summit
or showing one of the many unique features on the mountain.
If you log it you must be in a
photo!
1. As you
approach the summit you will see a sign. On it are several
mileages.
Question: How far is it to the Weakley Hollow Fire
Road?
2. On the lower
levels of the trails there are many large boulders.
These boulders move down the mountain at an
imperceptibly slow rate. Think about and send a sentence or two for
the following question. Give it a try. All answers are
accepted.
Question: What are the forces involved in this
movement?
3. In your log please share with us your favorite all time hike,
other than Old Rag, of course.