Cold Rag

Another hike up Old Rag for the sunrise this past weekend. I knew it had snowed earlier this week, but I didn't expect there to be quite as much snow as there was while ascending. Toward the summit there was a good five inches. I had never been up Old Rag after a snowfall and it was just absurdly beautiful. The thick golden light of the early morning sun reflecting and refracting through snow and ice creating flaring gradients from deep purple and honey yellows to pure whites. It was cold, to be sure, but I had never seen the Shenandoah Valley in that state before and it was absolutely worth the few hours of chill.

Older Rag

Old Rag is a hike that I've done at least once a year for the past five or six years. Last night I went out to Old Rag for a sunrise hike for the fourth time with my friend N. I recently upgraded my camera for the first time since 2007, so I wanted to break it in. Yesterday was perfect for it. Mild, foliage bursting with color, and a mostly clear sky. One of the best parts of going out to Shenandoah at night is the blanket of stars visible overhead. There was no moon last night and the sky was sufficiently dark, save for the subtle orange glow of the sun two hours below the horizon. I took a few long exposures, but I still need get a hang of processing these kinds of shots. 

One thing I realize every time I hike Old Rag is that it gets harder every year. My bum ankle starts bothering me earlier up the mountain and random cramps strike at a moments notice. My body is failing me. 

Unrelated note: I'm switching to a project in Timor Leste at work soon. Despite flights taking over two days to get there, I think it would be really cool to spend some time over there and do some island hopping in Southeast Asia. Perfect opportunity to take advantage of having a current generation camera.