Old Rag Mountain
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| Old Rag Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Old Rag Mountain |
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| Elevation | 3,284 feet (1,001 m) [1] |
| Location | Madison County, Virginia, Virginia, USA |
| Range | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Prominence | 1,355 feet (413 m) [2] |
| Coordinates | 38°33′06.6″N 78°18′52.3″W / 38.551833°N 78.314528°WCoordinates: 38°33′06.6″N 78°18′52.3″W / 38.551833°N 78.314528°W [1] |
| Topo map | USGS Old Rag Mountain |
| Type | Granite |
| Age of rock | Precambrian |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Old Rag Mountain is a popular hiking destination with a summit elevation of 3,291 feet (1,003 m), located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shenandoah National Park near Sperryville, Virginia in Madison County.
In contrast to most mountains of the Blue Ridge, Old Rag has an exposed (rocky) summit.
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[edit] Geology
Old Rag Mountain is underlain by Old Rag Granite, named for its ubiquitous exposure on the mountain, formed during the Grenville Orogeny about a billion years ago. About 400 million years after the Grenville orogeny during the Catoctin Formation, deposition of basaltic magma occurred during the formation of the Iapetus Ocean forming a layer of greenstone over the granite. This was followed by the Weverton Formation, Harpers Formation and Antietam formation in which sand and rock sedimented on the ocean floor forming quartzite and sandstone deposits. Finally a period of sedimentation of shells and skeletons of foraminifera resulted in deposition of a layer of limestone. Approximately 700 million years after the Greenville Orogeny, the Iapetus Ocean began to close resulting in the Alleghenian Orogeny when the Old Rag Granite and layers of rock deposited upon it where transported westward and eventually thrust up over the limestone bed around it, forming Old Rag and the Blue Ridge Mountains.[3]
[edit] Recreation
[edit] Hiking
The summit of Old Rag is accessible via a system of trails in Shenandoah National Park. The shorter most common way is from a parking area at the end of County Route 601 off Route 231 at the base of the mountain. A 7.1 miles (11.4 km) circuit hike or a 5.4 miles (8.7 km) out-and-back hike to the summit can be made. The circuit hike makes use of the the Ridge Trail which ascends the mountain 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to the first false summit. The trail then turns into a rock scramble, which can be strenuous for inexperienced hikers, for 1.1 miles (1.8 km) to the summit and intersection with the Saddle Trail which descends 1.9 miles (3.1 km) down the saddle of the ridge past Byrds Nest #1 shelter and Old Rag shelter to the junction with Weakley Hollow Fire Road. The Fire Road then descends 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the Old Rag parking area . Likewise the summit can be reached from Skyline Drive by following Old Rag Fire Road from the drive at milepost 43 to its eastern terminus with the Saddle Trail and then follow that trail to the summit.[4]
Nearby hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway also includes such destinations as Humpback Rock, and Bald Mountain.
[edit] Rock Climbing
Old Rag is a unique destination for rock climbing in the mid-Atlantic region. Its large granite exposures offer rock climbers an experience similar to that provided by the granite rocks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite, North Carolina, and New Hampshire. It boasts splitter cracks, dihedrals, and crystal pinching slabs.
The climbs are between 50 and 100 feet (15 and 30 m) in length, and range in difficulty from beginner to expert (5.4- to 5.12+ on the Yosemite Decimal System).
[edit] The Dog
Hikers on Old Rag are prohibited from bringing dogs on the trail. As such, many hikers are surprised to encounter, during their time somewhere on the rock scrambles, a very fit, sizable dog, probably a collie. This dog lives with a family near the base of the mountain. Checking its collar reveals as much, and also reveals a note suggesting that the dog is not lost, and in fact, knows the mountain better than most visitors. The dog may not appear as immediately friendly and playful as other dogs, and some have taken that as a signal to be wary. However, the dog is actually quite friendly, and enjoys affection and attention. The dog will often briefly accompany humans as they make their way across the rocks. The dog does not beg for food, but will eat items offered. The dog seems to be up there simply because it enjoys being around people and hanging out on the mountain.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Old Rag Mtn". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=AH8733. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "Old Rag Mountain, Virginia". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7662. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ Hackley, Paul. "A Hiker's Guide to the Geology of Old Rag Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia". United States Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2000/of00-263/of00-263.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ Lee Sheaffer, ed (1999). Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park (12th ed ed.). Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. ISBN 0-915746-84-0.
[edit] External links
- "Shenandoah National Park". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/shen. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- "Old Rag Mountain, VA". LocalHikes.com. http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Old_Rag_Mt_0000.asp. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- "Old Rag Mountain - SNP, Virginia". Shenandoah National Park. HikingUpward.com. http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/OldRag/. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
