Trail conditions/activity

[Not Sunshine]

I've never enjoyed being around large crowds of people but I'm needing a few mental health hiking days...

I was wondering if I could get some advise about the sections just south of Damascus at the end of the traildays weekend this year.

Would it be safe to assume the majority of people will be in Damascus or just to the north?

Has there been much for water-borne illnesses this year as last year?


If there was a section that may be less-than-active the days following traildays wknd in damascus, where would they be? 60 miles north of town? 100 miles north? 50 miles south? amicalola is too far south. :-p

[Tron-Life]

As far as north of Damascus goes, there will probably be alot of people in the Greyson Highlands area because of the ponies and road access to Mt Rogers and Whitetop. I was up there a few weeks ago when the first big wave of thru-hikers came through which was fun but that might not be what you are looking for. Not sure how late people started but there may be some thru-hikers still trickling through Damascus this time of year. You could try hiking north from Marion/Atkins to wherever, there might be fewer people there because access to the trail is more limited.