Double Top Mountain and Old Rag - Waterfalls, Bushwhacking, and Wildflowers

Warning:  This is a long post.  The weather this weekend was too good to pass up.  We got two hikes in, putting off the laundry and groceries in favor of walking through the woods.  On Saturday, we joined the Northern Virginia Hiking Club for a hike of Double Top Mountain.  On Sunday, two friends joined us for a hike up Old Rag. 

Double Top Mountain
By 9 a.m., when we met the rest of the group of about 20 hikers, it was warm enough to hike in a tank top.  The hike started at Graves Mountain Resort and wound its way around the east and south side of Double Top Mountain, following horse trails and old roads.  An hour into the hike, we saw the first showy wildflowers of the year:  Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).  It is one of the first flowers to emerge after skunk cabbage, blooming before anything else has turned green, and I think it is one of the prettiest spring flowers.  S. canadensis is named for the color of its roots, which are bright red and were once used for paint by Native Americans.

We crossed a creek and worked our way up to a waterfall, where we had lunch.  The waterfall, while not the largest in the Shenandoah/Rapidan area, was spectacular in the number of different cascades on the same fall.  One part of the falls was just a small rivulet falling over bright green moss.  Another poured over a section of the cliff before splitting again into more cascades.

After lunch, we hiked down the valley a little ways before making our way up the Hunter Trail, which follows  an old road, towards the top of Double Top.  I have hiked a lot of places and this stretch of trail was one of the steepest sections I have ever hiked.  It rises over 1600 feet in 1.4 miles.  Every time I turned a corner, thinking I was near the top, the trail would stretch further up the mountain in front of me.  The heat of the afternoon made it more of a challenge.  In July, I would be grateful for a day in the high 70s, but after the cold rain of last weekend, it was an abrupt change.  All in all, though, the climb was manageable. 

The group took a break where the trail ended, after which we bushwhacked to the top of the mountain.  At the top of the ridge, we were treated to a few remaining snowbanks.  The cold snow felt great after the climb up there.  The descent off of the ridge was nearly as steep as the climb.  We got a nice view of Old Rag to the north on our way down.

More on Old Rag below the Double Top pictures

Pictures (click to enlarge):

 Bear painted on a rock at the base of Double Top

Waterfall where we had lunch.

Another shot of the waterfall

A small cascade through moss.

Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

Another S. canadensis

Boot shot in the snow

Old Rag from Double Top

Sunday - Old Rag...More after the Jump