Zen at the top of the world, kinda...

This past Tuesday my co-worker and friend, Bret, and I went to bag a little peak in the area known as Old Rag Mountain. It's one of the few mountains on the east coast that has an alpine feel to it as you near it's peak. What I mean by this is that the trees become sparse and whatever vegetation there is near the top is very short and mangey. Pretty much, it is a bald mountain near the top.

It was interesting how just under two hours East of where we live, it had been in the upper 50's and miserably raining, yet as we approached the Shenandoah mountains we kept asking each other if the white interspersed among the trees in the hills was snow. Sure enough, it was snow!
Before I continue, I have to explain that there is almost a mile of Class 3 climbing that is required to reach the summit. It's nothing too intense where ropes are needed, but this is a hike where you have to use your upper body strength as much as your lower body.

So back to this snow part. It made the scenery and the hike very scenic with the snow and ice slowly melting in the early spring sun. It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid to upper 50's with only wisps of clouds in a deep blue sky. Couldn't ask for better. But that damn ice! There were parts that seemed almost impassable. Parts where there was a steep incline/decline, with rock scrambling, all surrounded by this frozen in time ice flow. The ice was to the point in certain shaded areas that easy man made steps were not so easy at all!

Despite the "treacherous" conditions, it was a great hike! We spent about an hour and a half at the summit. I brought along my backpacker's stove and pot and had a hot beef stew, a plum, and the all too stereotypical granola bar. Eating in front of amazing scenery!