Old Rag: Fall Colors in the Clouds

We volunteered last Sunday on Old Rag. The weather was not fall's finest: cold, damp, and cloudy. The mountain was crowded anyway, although not nearly as many people came out to hike as would have been there on a clear, sunny day. People didn't linger, though, clouds make for interesting pictures, and we were off the mountain in time to get pizza for dinner. A good day.

Leaves just starting to turn on the Saddle Trail. This is part of my effort to take pictures of different parts of the mountain.

An interesting fungus on a rotting log.

A cool little caterpillar.

The view down the rock scramble from the summit. This valleys on this side of the mountain were largely socked in with clouds.

Looking south from the summit towards Fork Mountain.

Hamamelis virginia (Witch Hazel), the last-blooming flower of the year.

There is a spot on the Saddle Trail where you get a clear view of the summit. Most people walk right by it with their heads down, focusing on the rough, rocky trail beneath their feet. For years, I didn't know it was there until we paused for a rest there on a rescue last year. Now, I try to look up and point it out to people in my group when I descend the Saddle Trail.