July section hike from Bland to Damascus

[dgreene]

Thinking of a section hike most likely 10 days of hiking. Opinions on this loose plan:

1. Drive to Damascus, spend a night at a place where I can leave my car and get a shuttle to Bland, any thoughts on where?
2. What are water sources likely to be like (seems likely it will be hot/dry in july)

3. Here's where I'm loosely planning to stop, any I should avoid or others I shouldn't miss?
Jenkins
Chestnut Knob
Knot Maul
Davis tentsite?
Partnership (should I avoid this one?)
Trimpi
Old Orchard
Thomas Knob
Lost Mountain

4. Thinking of walking back on virginia creeper trail south of Lost mountain, thoughts?
5. Is resupplying in Sugar Grove realistic? I'd like to only carry 5 days of food. Is Davis to Sugar Grove to Partnership in 1 day reasonable?

[illabelle]

Wow, it amazes me when someone comes out of the woodwork like this! You've been a WB member for almost 10 years, but this is your first post!?! Welcome!

121 miles or so. Sounds reasonable. A little on the high side for me, but then I'm slow.
Hot/dry compared to Texas? No matter how hot it is, expect it to be humid. The humidity makes the warm temperatures feel worse.

Chestnut Knob is very nice. Excellent views. Plan to view sunset/sunrise here.
Thomas Knob is where you'll meet some of those wild ponies - a real treat.
Partnership, I think, is one where you can order pizza. The shelter is like one-tenth mile from a road.

[dgreene]

Yep, it's been on the back burner for a while. I managed to talk my 16yo daughter in to joining me this year, hoping to plant a seed in her mind...

[mkoltonuk]

Partnership shelter is one of the best. It has a shower (albeit a cold one), its near the visitors center and a trail angel guy (can't remember name but you can get it by asking at the visitor center) who will take you to resupply. He'll drop you off and you call him when you want to be picked up. The shelter used to or maybe still does have a cat which presumable takes care of any mice. I used the shelter this past September and had no mice issues.

[JEBjr]

July will be a wonderful time to hike this section. Chestnut Knob is waterless that time of year. I would probably walk the extra 1.5 and camp by the pond. Some spots to tent on the back side of the pond in the woods.

I am a huge fan of Chatfield Shelter since I am the caretaker, but the privy is out of service for the foreseeable future.

I would probably camp about a mile North of Thomas Knob. 1 of my favorite tenting spots on the AT. The ponies keep every thing mowed down and there is a spring if you look at the Nat Geo maps.

Enjoy your hike,
James

[ldsailor]

Partnership shelter is one of the best. It has a shower (albeit a cold one), its near the visitors center and a trail angel guy (can't remember name but you can get it by asking at the visitor center) who will take you to resupply. He'll drop you off and you call him when you want to be picked up.

The trail angel who will drive you around is Jim Sparks. As mentioned, you can get his number from the visitor center. I used him in 2016. He picked me up at the center, drove me to the Relax Inn in Atkins, VA (had a package waiting there for me) for an overnight stay, and then picked me up in the morning. I was taking a Greyhound to the Tri-County Airport, but had time to kill, so Jim gave me a great tour of the area before dropping me off at the Greyhound station. I had to be sneaky about leaving him some money, because he didn't want any, but for all that, I had to give him something. A really great guy.

I have a number in my phone, which I think is his (didn't label it). If you have trouble getting Jim's phone number from the visitor center, try this - 276-378-4781

[excuses]

After Davis you go under I 81 and you have a chance at some resupply at truck stop and convenience stores. Also you can get a meal at a restaurant. If you got water at walker gap you could stay at Chestnut. That was a long climb up for me, I had hiked from Bland that day.

[LittleRock]

Looks like a good plan for the most part. Some suggestions:

1) July is going to be very hot and humid. I'm sure you're very much used to those conditions since you're from TX, but I must warn being out exerting yourself in those conditions for several days straight takes its toll on the body. My advice is to start hiking early (~6-7 AM), take a siesta in the early afternoon, and finish up later in the day. Stop and take a water break at least once an hour, and drink at least a gallon a day to avoid dehydration.

2) There's no water at Chestnut Knob Shelter. It's a nice shelter, but you have to carry water about 1.5 miles up from Walker Gap. It's a pretty tough climb from what I remember.

3) Skip the Davis tentsite and head into Atkins for the night. The Davis tentsite has no water, and it's an easy downhill into Atkins from there. Atkins is right on the trail, there's a motel, restaurant, and easy resupply. Much easier than going off trail to Sugar Grove.

4) Definitely stop at Partnership. It has a shower, and you can get pizza delivered right to the shelter.

5) Definitely take the Creeper trail. The AT route into Damascus is more difficult and less scenic.

[Gambit McCrae]

Thinking of a section hike most likely 10 days of hiking. Opinions on this loose plan:

1. Drive to Damascus, spend a night at a place where I can leave my car and get a shuttle to Bland, any thoughts on where?
2. What are water sources likely to be like (seems likely it will be hot/dry in july)

3. Here's where I'm loosely planning to stop, any I should avoid or others I shouldn't miss?
Jenkins
Chestnut Knob
Knot Maul
Davis tentsite?
Partnership (should I avoid this one?)
Trimpi
Old Orchard
Thomas Knob
Lost Mountain

4. Thinking of walking back on virginia creeper trail south of Lost mountain, thoughts?
5. Is resupplying in Sugar Grove realistic? I'd like to only carry 5 days of food. Is Davis to Sugar Grove to Partnership in 1 day reasonable?

1- Sounds like a good plan - may be fun to drive up to Elk Garden and tent up on the bald above the parking lot for the night.. Free and an awesome sunrise.. then drive down to Damascus and park, hit up sundog outfitter on where you could park your car. They also provide a great shuttle service to get ya up to bland.

2-I wouldn't worry about water thru here, just get it when ya see it...Many rivers and large creeks along this stretch, You will pass the Holston 3 times during your walk

3- I have stayed at Chestnut knob A+++ on that site
Know Maul I stayed at, nothing special but a solid spot. Check on the legalities of tenting in the fields past the shelter, I do not know if it is allowed but would make for a great morning view.
I would stay away from Partnership shelter personally
Thomas Knob - - Brier ridge is an easy down hill about 1.5 miles south of Thomas Knob, and is my favorite tenting spot on the AT. May keep this as a possibility if you have some energy left once at Thomas knob, Brier ridge as water most of the time, and is a fantastic sunrise/sunset
Lost Mountain- - I passed this one up due to daylight left and pushed on to Saunders, just outside of Damascus.

4- Walking the creeper trail back is a great idea, lots of waterfalls and streams, bridges...From the time you leave the creeper on the AT on your way into the Damascus, you are not missing out on anything special, 1 up and then back down to town.

5-I do not have any experience in resupply in this stretch, but I would say riding down into Marion from partnership would be a good resupply point.

[dgreene]

Thanks everyone! Just the kind of information I was looking for.

[JEBjr]

There is a short section just South of Knot Maul that is private land and hikers are asked not yo camp on. Pretty much the area between the VA 42 crossing and the VA 610 crossing. The Quarterways Hostel is located on VA 610. There are a few spots right before you cross VA 42 and tenting on top of the ridge that escapes me just South of 610 and a better spot just off the mountain at Crawfish Valley with water. That would also be your water source if you planned to stay at Davis Path.

James