Old Rag gets packed. Parking lot fills by 8, so you start in the dark.
Alarm at 4:15, on the trail by 5:20. Headlamp, woods pitch black, damp oak and cool granite. The first couple miles are switchbacks through hardwoods — roots, no views, just watching the headlamp bob and tracking the elevation.
The scramble
The summit trail isn't a walk-up. Half a mile of granite — squeezing through clefts, hauling up ledges. Topped out at 6:40, alone. Sat on the rock, ate a smashed bagel, watched the fog burn off the valley.
Started down around 7:30, passed the first wave of late arrivals on the way. Back at the car by 10. Day still ahead.