I suspect loop hikes are generally more preferable than out-and-back hikes, as you avoid covering the ground twice and you get to enjoy new scenery for the entire route.

However, out-and-back hikes have their own special charm.

You go as far as you dare, knowing that when you turn around you’re exactly half-way through.

You see all the same scenery, but from a different vantage point on the return leg. Inevitably, you’ll notice different details and appreciate the chance to take it all in for a second time.

You can mark your progress on the way home (negative splits anyone?). You’ll notice landmarks on your return that give you a refernce point for how far you’ve travelled and how much further you have to go.

Personally too, out-and-back hikes along the same route always invoke visions of the great Antarctic explorers, from Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen, to more modern explorers like Borge Ousland and Ben Saunders. These explorers set off from a base camp headed for the pole, before turning around and retracing their steps home. All of them wrestled with the question of when to turn around. They had to solve the equation of distance remaining versus supplies left. Could they reach the pole before food ran out on the return journey? In the words of Shackleton: “Better a live donkey than a dead lion”.

Luckily all I have to worry about is how tired, hungry and thirsty I’ll be at the end of a pleasant walk!

Here is a selection of photos from a 12-mile out-and-back hike along the Appalachian Trail from home to Keys Gap and back.

Am I too old to wear a hat like this?

Downed trees blocking the path, a result of recent storm damage.

Kinda the “summit” of the hike, at least in terms of a view. A break in the trees provides a lookout to the valley where Harpers Ferry Road runs, and across the Loudon Heights.

This entire hike is out-and-back along the Appalachian Trail, signed with white blazes.

New boardwalks added near to Keys Gap to combat erosion in the wet ground.

Keys Gap! Appalachian Trail!

A little bit of history for you. This area is rich in history as it was one of the civil war flashpoints.

Success! Half way point of the hike. Now I just have to retrace my steps home.

White blaze on the Appalachian Trail.

Power line view on the return leg.

Just after you start descending off the ridge, you see the entry sign to the National Park land. Nearly home!

Crossing a broody looking Shenandoah River at the end of the hike. Harpers Ferry is on the left bank.

Our first winter in Harpers Ferry was extraordinarily mild.

So much so that this was the only hike I did under winter conditions!

Route on Strava and a short video from the hike.

Just outside the office window.

Before any hikes could happen, I had fun building a snowman with the boys.

Crossing the Shenandoah River.

The stairs at the start of the climb, on the Appalachian Trail.

Appalachian Trail South.

Definition of winter. Low sun. Cold.

Whoever invented the built-in hood system is a genius!

Typical trail conditions.

Can you spot the white Appalachian Trail blaze on the tree?

My destination for this hike: the park boundary sign.

My favorite little section of trail up near the top of the ridge, dead straight and flat through a tunnel of trees.

Frosty not looking so good a day later 😂

If you think it’s beautiful in summer, you should see this place in winter. It’s magical.

8/15/19: Last week we were on vacation in Castleton, Virginia, with Lexi’s family. It’s close to Shenandoah National Park. When we realized we were only a half hour drive from the trailhead of Old Rag, we took the opportunity to go and climb it.

It’s a 10 mile loop if you start and end at Nethers, with about 2,500ft of height gain. The summit is 3,291ft high and affords magnificent views of the Shenandoah and foothills. The final section along the top ridge is an interesting rock scramble, through crevices, up staircases, past caves, up gullies etc. and makes for quite a sporting ascent.

It’s a super popular hike for those reasons and because it’s close to Washington, D.C..

We left the boys with the grandparents and avoided the weekend crowd by going on a Monday.

Lexi at one of the lookouts part way up the ascent.

Yours truly at the same lookout.

Can you see why they’re known as the Blue Ridge mountains?

Marker post in Shenandoah NP

Still on the way up despite appearances. The final ridge involves some entertaining scrambling!

Scrambling up a gully on Ridge Trail

Ridge Trail passes through a tunnel between giant old boulders

Through one of the many narrow rock gaps.

Nearly there!

Obligatory foot shot on the summit of Old Rag.

With Lexi on the summit of Old Rag. So lucky that we get to enjoy these kind of adventures together 🙂

Summit panorama.

Pretty much straight up and then straight back down!

It’s a 10 mile loop starting from the parking lot in Nethers.

It’s a fantastic hike, and lives up to its marquee status. However, it was popular even on a weekday, so definitely one to avoid on summer weekends.

For more info on Old Rag, check out the: topo on All Trails