I was five years old when I first climbed Old Rag Mountain with my Dad. Since then I’ve hiked the nine mile loop trail and made my way over the rock scrambles probably two dozen times or more. But finally, twenty-five years after my first hike up the mountain, I’m back, and this time with a couple to photograph!

Tim and Jessica are getting married in 2021 in the Shenandoah Valley area and they love everything to do with the outdoors. When we started talking about places where we could go for their engagement session, I felt like this could be the perfect opportunity to bring together my passion for the outdoors and use this stunning place as a backdrop to tell their story. After I shared my vision of making this not just an ordinary engagement session, but a day-long adventure, they were in.

Old Rag is one of the most unique (and popular) trails in the Shenandoah area and on the east coast. Nowhere else nearby do you get such interesting rock formations and a full 360 degree view at the top. Once you hike a few miles zig zagging up the mountain, the trail transitions to bare rock. Blue blazes show you the way as you climb over, under, and on top of the spine of the mountain. For about two miles you are treated to exposed rock, perfect for phots and hours of scrambling.

Unfortunately, the day of their session started in complete fog. I was nervous that morning as I drove to Old Rag. When I arrived at the trailhead parking lot, the mountain was covered in thick fog with no end in sight. I was joined by Tim, Jessica, and Stan my associate, as well as his brother David. The five of us started hiking, hoping that the fog would clear to give us the view we were dreaming of.

The plan was to take eight hours start to finish (far slower than normal) and be at the top of the mountain for sunset. We took our time, stopping many times for photo opportunities in the colorful fall foliage and soaking in the beautiful autumn day.

Thick fog continued to obscure the view as we came upon the first area of rock scrambling. Fortunately, shortly after, winds began to blow and we were given some of the most epic cloud formations I’ve ever seen! Clouds rolled quickly over the mountain, opening in spots to reveal the mountain behind and give immense depth to the images. Once we finished our climb and arrived at the top, we saw the fog now sitting in the valley, looking like a bed of cotton. This is a weather pattern I had never seen before in all of my hikes and it made it seem like we were much higher than normal! Instead of obscuring the view, the fog was now enhancing it!

For their part, Tim and Jessica were wonderful to photograph. I coached them here and there, but they were carefree and eager to enjoy the hike. Going on a nine mile hike together is a great way to get to know people and this was a fun chance to get to know them as a couple before their wedding day.

At the top we had plenty of time to enjoy the sunset as well as some hot soup before making our way down. One problem with being on the top for sunset is that we still had half the hike to get back to our cars, all of which would be hiked in the dark! We carried flashlights and made our way safely down, knowing that we had captured some incredible images.

I hope you enjoyed this look into Tim and Jessica’s engagement and what it can be like to have an adventure engagement session! If you liked this, find more on the blog and check out our adventure elopements!