Their First Hike Was Old Rag. These Alexandria Teens Went the Distance.

ALEXANDRIA, VA—For some Alexandria teenagers, their first hike was no gentle walk through the woods. It was Old Rag Mountain: 9.4 miles of climbing, wet rock, cold wind, and the famous boulder scramble near the summit.

Ten Alexandria City High School students made the early-October trip with Wilderness Kids Alexandria, a local nonprofit that helps teenagers from under-resourced families experience hiking, paddling, climbing, camping and other outdoor activities.

The forecast called for persistent rain, wind, and temperatures in the low 50s. The group went anyway.

At the trailhead, students learned how to dress in layers and follow Leave No Trace principles. They moved quickly through the forest and up the switchbacks before reaching the boulder field, where the day’s character changed.

Rain made the exposed rock slick. Students pulled on jackets, hats and gloves, squeezed through narrow spaces and worked their way over steep sections. Photographs shared by Wilderness Kids show participants helping one another find footholds and climb through the rock formations.

According to the nonprofit’s account of the outing, many of the teenagers had never hiked before. Staff members said the difficult boulder section demanded teamwork—and made reaching the summit more meaningful.

The weather supplied a final reward. Low clouds that had obscured the view began to lift as the group reached the top, revealing the Blue Ridge Mountains and patches of fall color below.

By the time the students climbed back into the van for Alexandria, they had completed the entire 9.4-mile loop.

More Than One Day on a Mountain

The Old Rag trip was one of several fall experiences organized by Wilderness Kids.

In September, middle-school students kayaked on Pohick Bay. For many, it was their first time in a boat. They learned the rhythm of paddling, explored a quiet cove and encountered turtles and frogs only about 30 minutes from Alexandria.

Students in the Alexandria City High School Adventure Club also biked the C&O Canal Towpath near Harpers Ferry. Along the way, they learned to identify pawpaw trees, watched for wildlife and studied the place where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. The outing helped them connect the landscape back to their home city by following the Potomac toward Alexandria.

Wilderness Kids partners with Alexandria City Public Schools for after-school programs serving students at Francis C. Hammond Middle School, George Washington Middle School and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School. It also operates at Charles Houston Recreation Center and offers weekend and summer adventures.

The City of Alexandria includes Wilderness Kids in its youth-resource directory, describing the program as a source of outdoor adventure, confidence, and connection to nature for teenagers from under-resourced families.

The fall outings show why that access matters. The students did more than visit scenic places. They learned unfamiliar skills, relied on one another, and discovered that an intimidating challenge could be completed one step—or one boulder—at a time.