Hiking near damascus

[hikehoov]

I'm starting to plan a hike for late july. This will be my first overnight hike and I'm very excited about it. Everyday I'm coming up with new questions though, so I'm glad I found this board.
My first question is this: I will have approx. 8-10 days to spend on trail. I had originally thought about starting in damascus and just see where I would end up, then just find a way back to my car for the drive home. But now that I've learned that damascus has parking and shuttles, I figure I'll leave my car there, pay for a shuttle north, and hike back. Right now I'm thinking of going to Atkins, VA and hiking back. According to the AT guidebook that's 75.3 miles. I'd consider myself a "beginner", plus I'm going to be doing this solo. If I hiked everyday, it would only be around 10 mile days, so I'm wondering if maybe I should plan on starting a little farther north? Any suggestions will be appreciated and I'm sure I'll keep coming up with new questions.
Thanks.

[norub]

I think a great trip would be to park at Massey Gap at the base of Grayson Highlands (that's about 1/2 hour from Damascus), and do a 2 or three-day trip through the stunning beauty of the Highlands. Then, if you're up for a greater challenge, to top off the trip, take your car to Damascus and get someone to shuttle you back out somewhere and hike into town. It's a beautiful area.

[Kerosene]

You're young and you'll be hiking in July with a lot of daylight, so if you're in reasonable shape you should be able to get from Bland to Damascus in 8-10 days (120 miles). This should be attainable if you can keep your pack weight below 35 pounds; it doesn't get overly hot and humid; and you don't start out too fast.

However, being your first trip, you might want to still start at Atkins (actually Groseclose, just up I-81) and hike into Damascus. Once there, you could take a zero day and decide if you want to keep hiking for a few more days, coordinating a pick-up with one of the shuttlers.

[hikehoov]

I had considered Bland, but my job isn't so friendly with giving out vacation time. I think I'm pretty lucky I'm getting off just the two weeks. I feel like if I was trying to hike 120 miles, and then found out it was going to take me longer than expected, my job wouldn't really be too forgiving about me not showing back up on time. I definitely don't want to rush through any part of the hike. I'm partly doing this to get away from my job for a bit, so I don't want to be hiking and thinking about hurrying up so I can get back. I guess I'll stick with Atkins and if I have spare time, Damascus seems like a great place to just hang around for a day or two.

[Doc]

Damascus is indeed a great place with super people. As others have said in other posts, the folks at MRO can help you with all your needs such as shuttles, advice, rooms, etc. If you have time, check out the Virginia Creeper Trail. Small amount of $ gets a bike and a shuttle to Whitetop for an easy 18 mile downhill ride. Be forwarned however that by starting with Damascus you will have experienced about the best Trail town going and you may expect other towns to be comparable-they are not!

Doc

[Lion King]

Heres another suggestion for you.
Park in Damascus, get a ride South to the trail head at Shady Valley, which will take you (Starting out) aprox 2 days to get to Damascus..of course a lot of thruhikers do that and then some all in one day, but thats a different world then coming off the couch and hitting the trail.

This way, you start off on some pretty farmland trail that isnt too tough to get you ready, then you hit Damascus the second day, this way your initial hike can be really light weight, then restock in Damascus, eat a good meal, hike the Creeper trail to Lost Mountain shelter...the only way to hike there, personlaly speaking, it is a blue blaze but it is so beautiful with trestles and waterfalls and the river it should be the AT.

Then you can hike from there to Thomas Knob (Which is a little more difficult) in the next day or two. If you look at your map and you are tired or stressed for time, or the weather is absolute crap, you can take a blue blaze to Old Orchard shelter from the grayson highlands, then its a couple of miles to the road where you can hitch down East to Troutdale, if its later in the day, stay at the church hostel, hitch the very same road back to Damascus and have a really good, beautiful, and widely deverse terrian experiance, as well as varied difficulty.

Enjoy

[norub]

I wholeheartedly agree with Lion King's suggestion. A bit of everything, lots of variety, nice hiking, awesome scenery, a great trail town, all rolled into one.

[brancher]

I'm kind of looking to do the same thing, but to come up from the South. I finished the Approach and the GA section up to Unicoi last week, and I'm looking to plot a 1-week section North into Damascus for Trail Days, then later hiphop back from Unicoi to Standing Indian. Figuring to start walking north toward Damascus on a Saturday (or Sunday, depending on work), and walking to the following weekend. About 9-13 miles per day expected, depending on terrain. Any suggestions for a starting point?

p.s. Yes, I'm a shelter rat when practical and not too obnoxious for my taste....

[hikerjohnd]

Start at Watuga (sp?) lake and hike north into Damascus - easy hike great views

[MedicineMan]

well yes for those of us who hike...i've done Watauga Dam to Damascus 5 times and once out of curiosity looked up the elavation gain----suprisingly between the dam and Damascus you'll still climb a little over 3000 feet...maybe easy per AT standards but you'll still burn some calories.

[gumball]

We are doing Damascus to Atkins at the end of May--will we have any problems using our hammocks because of the balds?

[brancher]

Start at Watuga (sp?) lake and hike north into Damascus - easy hike great views

Thanks. I'll keep that one in mind.