Conquering Old Rag Trail, Shenandoah National Park, VA

I went on a hike along Old Rag Circuit at Shenandoah National Park, VA with a group of Singaporeans on Aug 16. This was a physically demanding hike which required climbing, stretching, hopping and balancing to get to the summit of Old Rag Mountain (3291 ft/1003 m). People suffering from acrophobia should be aware that part of the trail runs along cliff edges.

We decided to tackle the challenging part of the hike first, taking Ridge Trail by following the blue markers and returning along Weakley Hollow Fire Road to the Old Rag parking area.

An average of 5.5 hours with half an hour lunch along a 8.8-mile trail took us about 7.5 hours instead as we were busy taking pictures of us scrambling up large boulders and squeezing through crevices, tunnels and caves. I had a good laugh at the poses we did at various parts of the hike. There were crane pose, crouching tiger pose, and Charlie's Angels pose by three guys among others.

We were fortunate to see a black bear on the trail. It looked skinny and I hope it would be fatter in time for its hibernation during winter.

The panoramic views at the summit was well worth the muscle aches and blister I endured. Eagles were hovering high in the sky, catching the wind beneath their wings. I could see rolling mountains touching the horizon. It was very peaceful to sit on the precipice with cool, soothing wind blowing and admiring at the picturesque landscape.

Pictures along Old Rag Circuit Hike.