January 21, 2013 (Updated February 9, 2023)

Return to Old Rag Mountain

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

19 comments

Yesterday, Matt and I hiked one of my absolute favorites in the area – Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park in VA.

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Do you guys remember what happened last time we hiked Old Rag, 1.5 years ago?? 🙂

This time, Matt and I hiked with my college BFF Turner and her husband Will! They love this hike as much as we do and Turner and I have been plotting a day for all of us to hike it together for awhile now. Yesterday was the day! We met in the trailhead parking lot at 11 a.m. and were on our way.

It was fun to be back – and especially on such a beautiful day! It was cold but super sunny.

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This is a pretty strenuous hike – about 5 hours worth of lots of steep uphill/downhill, plus some really fun (and occasionally hard) rock scrambling. You are rewarded with views along the way. Worth it!

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After all the gray/rainy weather last week here in DC, it felt really nice to get outside and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

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One day, this rock is going to fall and I really hope I’m not around for it…

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Around 1, we stopped for lunch. Turner and Will picked up sandwiches for us all to share and Matt and I were in charge of sides/snacks. I brought orange slices, sliced soccer practice style:

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Carrots:

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And an assortment of granola bars, nuts/dried fruit, pop chips, etc.

Eating lunch on the top of a mountain = life is good. Matt and I shared a big turkey, havarti, avocado, bacon, lettuce/tomato sandwich. So good!

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And then we were back on our way!

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With Turner, near the top:

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The boys:

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Lol – there was some ice at the top in shallow pools!

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We made it! 🙂

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Here we are at the top, where we got engaged 1.5 years ago. 🙂

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Reenactment 😉

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Our hiking buddies:

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After the pictures, we quickly exited – it was SUPER windy up there!

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On the way down, we found a little building called “the Byrd’s Nest” – which is exactly the same name as the newlywed cottage on the property at Rosemont Manor, where we got married! We stayed there after the wedding. 🙂 How fun!

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Thanks for the fun day, Matt, Turner and Will! You make excellent hiking buddies. 😉 Can’t wait for next time!

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- anne

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19 comments
  • Kris S
    Aww, so awesome, looks like you guys had a great time! I am so jealous!!! :)
    Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    Oh my god that's such a weird coincidence! It's like another missing piece of the jigsaw! Love the link to the bacon tshirt btw :)
    Reply
  • Danielle @ Truffles n' Treadmills
    That is so cool that is where you got engaged! When I was in Cali visiting my cousin and his girlfriend we hiked up a mountain! It was such an amazing experience. I want to move there just to hike it every day haha. We kept joking that he should propose on top of it one day :)
    Reply
  • Angela
    SO beautiful!! And that sandwich looks delish! :)
    Reply
  • Madison
    Beautiful scenery and beautiful sandwich! :)
    Reply
  • Amelia
    Seriously, you and Matt must be so much fun to hang out with in real life. Your personalities shine through the photos! :) That sandwich definitely looks FANNETASTIC! Glad you had a nice hike.
    Reply
  • Lindsay
    You had fabulous weather! Looks like a great time.
    Reply
  • T.G.I.F!!! (the goal is fitness)
    Great photos, beautiful scenery and funny reenactment! Lol! Looks like a fannetastic time. Thx for sharing! :-)
    Reply
  • Katy
    Looks so gorgeous!
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  • Maggie
    Absolutely beautiful! Looks like the perfect afternoon. :)
    Reply
  • Olivia
    I love Old Rag! My family moved to the Charlottesville area when I was 10, so I have a ton of memories of family + high school club hikes there. What a gorgeous trail, and what a pay-off at the top! One of the few East Coast natural features that I miss in Alaska :)
    Reply
  • Renie
    Amazing scenic views, Anne. Just spectacular. "Ain't" nature grand.
    Reply
  • Healthy Eater
    Well done. Great outing -- and wonderful reenactment!
    Reply
  • Danielle
    Looks like so much fun! How far is this from Northern VA? Forgive me if you've mentioned it before!
    Reply
  • Anne @ eatcleaneatreal
    Old rag is my favorite hike in the entire world. Im from harrisonburg, VA and it the best fall hike. School and work took me away from the area and man do I miss those mountains. Im super excited that you had a beautiful day to enjoy it!
    Reply