Hiking Old Rag Mountain

View from the summit

I am almost ashamed to say I have lived in Central Virginia for over 18 years and this past Tuesday (September 24th) was the first time I have hiked Old Rag Mountain. What a jewel we have right here in Virginia! If you are up for a very challenging hike with breathtaking 360 degree views, then the Old Rag Mountain hike is for you.


Old Rag Mountain is located in the Shenandoah National Park and there are several websites that have directions and what to expect when on the trail. I recommend going to the websites and reading about the trail before attempting this challenging hike. Here are two sites I found very helpful: National Park Service and
Hikingupward Old Rag

Alex enjoying the view Ridge Trail

Now for my experience. I went early on a weekday morning with my 19 year old son Alex. We arrived around 8:30 and there were only two other cars in the lot. The ranger station appears to be sparsely attended, so we completed the self pay form and off we went. It is approximately .7 miles from the parking lot to the trail head. At the beginning the trail splits in two. To the left or south is the Ridge Trail and is the most difficult trail. Straight ahead is the fire road which leads to the easier Saddle Trail to the summit and should be used if traveling with children or folks just not ready for a very difficult hike. Alex and I made it a circuit hike going up the Ridge Trail and returning by the Saddle Trail to the Weakley Hollow Fire Road. Let me say the rock scramble at about the 3/4 mark on the Ridge Trail is very difficult. Even though I had read about climbing over some large boulders and thought I was prepared, I was surprised how much upper body strength it took. I came close to asking Alex for a boost a couple of times, but made it up on my own, and with determination and maybe a helping hand from a friend (I do not recommend hiking this alone or with small children), most healthy adults would be able to complete this hike. Once over the boulder field or rock scramble you come to an open area Alex and I called the false summit. We spent 10 minutes here taking pictures and then noticed the trail going up towards a rock formation even higher. We hiked another 10-15 minutes and finally saw a sign that confirmed we had reached the real summit and all I can say about the views is wow! We spent another 20 minutes or so on the real summit before heading back down the Saddle Trail to the Fire Road and on to the parking lot. The total hike was right around 8 miles and took us 4 hrs 46 min, including our stops for picture taking. This was a very fast pace and I recommend allowing some time for a lunch and longer break on the summit.

Panoramic from the summit

Me taking a break on the summit

Alex and I both had hydration packs and power bars and I would recommend these items as minimum. We also took light jackets. The rock scramble has some tight places, so I do not recommend large packs or balky equipment. For the views, make sure you don't just rely on you phone camera and bring a good digital camera to capture the awesome scenery. Our cell phones had no coverage most of the way, so we just left them in airplane mode to save the battery. Finally, we went on a weekday, having read all the horror stories about large crowds on the weekends. We only saw a total of maybe 10 hikers on our journey and found it to be both peaceful and exhilarating. I highly recommend this hike to all my friends especially all my Virginia friends!

Update: Another website was recommended in the comments, I checked it out and it's full of good information on hiking and Old Rag Mountain: Old Rag Mountain Hikes

My Rules for Dieting

As I struggle to lose the 5 lbs I put on during a recent visit to the west country of England, I have reached a sad conclusion. Losing weight is hard and painful. If you see an advertisement or infomercial talking about how easy weight loss is, or that you can enjoy pizza and other favorite foods, turn away, it’s all lies and you will only be frustrated. To cut through the clutter, I have come up with a simple list of rules that if you follow, I will guarantee you will lose weight. Note, I said the list is simple, not easy! Following my plan will be the hardest thing you have ever done regarding diet, but it works!

1.      If it taste good, don’t eat it. (Similar to Jack LaLanne’s “if it taste good spit it out”)

2.      If you feel cranky, lightheaded and hungry most of the day, you are following the plan perfectly.

3.      Brussel sprouts washed, cut into quarters make great snacks.

4.      You can overdo fruit, too much and you might as well eat a bag a candy.

5.      Do not expect support from your friends and family. They will do anything to get you to eat desert with them. My wife said she was with me and the other day she cut a piece of apple pie and started heaping ice cream on it.  I asked what the heck, she answered she needed calcium.

6.      Bacon can be your friend, get it without all the sodium and nitrates.

7.      Eventually just plain water will taste good.

8.      Try to exercise a little each day, preferably in the morning before the dizziness kicks in.

9.      Absolutely no snacking on chips, cookies, health bars or anything else that is not a fruit, vegetable, meat, seafood or grain.

10.  Finally, if you go to bed at night with hunger pains and your mouth waters when you think about the oatmeal you are going to have for breakfast, then you have had a good day.

Now one other drawback to this plan besides the constant hunger, loss of friends and poor work performance, it takes at least 2-3 weeks to see results.  But stick with it, you will see results, the hunger pains will subside and getting comfortably into your jeans again will put all the pain and suffering in the recesses of your mind.

Local Author Pens Devotionals

Lake Monticello resident John Chandler grew up in a time when reading the Bible was intrinsically valued as the path to personal transformation. Heavily influenced by his grandparents and local church John strived to devote part of his day to reading and comprehending the Bible. As demands on his time increased, John experimented with creative ways to continue his Bible study; including, listening to the Bible on tape while commuting to work on his motorcycle. John was facing the challenge of balancing a hectic work and family schedule with his desire to continue a daily diligent study of the Bible. While discussing this with a friend, the friend pointed out that “winning the first battle of the day” would lead to a more disciplined and richer Bible study. That is, to engage in listening conversation with God through the Bible before turning to the inbox, reading the paper, or watching the news each morning. John began to devote his first hour of the day reading and writing notes in the margin of his Bible.

Through disciplined study, John found himself becoming a calmer, clearer and more effective leader. As his personal muscle for the practice developed, so did his ability to lead others to do likewise. Soon John began sharing his reflections from his Old Testament study with other leaders and would often diagram his insights with simple illustrations on the back of a napkin. His wife Mary suggested he should compile these reflections into a book.

After a year of assembling insights, reflections and diagrams, John has published three new books: “Praying the Kings,” “Praying Wisdom” and “Praying the Prophets”. These devotionals were written with a simple premise, reading the Bible expectantly can change your life. The books share nuggets of gold John has found in his study and are intended to help the reader mine their own precious gold nuggets of wisdom that lie just below the surface. The books contain simple illustrations by Jessica Luttrull which can be copied on scratch paper or on the back of a napkin and make it easy for the reader to share insights with coworkers or family members. It is John’s desire to help others “build the muscle” of disciples to listen to God everyday through scripture.

You can meet John, learn more about the books and purchase signed copies at the Jefferson Pharmacy in Fluvanna County on Thursday May 23^rd from 4-6 PM.

(John Chandler is now the author of four books, he is the former pastor of Effort Baptist Church and has been a resident of Fluvanna since 1987)