View Full Version : Trail Days 2008 information
hello fellow hikers. i am new to this site and to posts, so bear with me. my boyfriend and i are going to trail days. i've check their site but am still a bit lost. where do post our tent? we want to be close to other hikers but still close to town to go eat. will there be a water source on the campground? any info for us? thanks
shiverz :)
hello fellow hikers. i am new to this site and to posts, so bear with me. my boyfriend and i are going to trail days. i've check their site but am still a bit lost. where do post our tent? we want to be close to other hikers but still close to town to go eat. will there be a water source on the campground? any info for us? thanks
shiverz :)There's a campground, someone in town will direct you, everyone else will be going there, you'll be able to find it easily. You can walk to town in a few minutes, and there are shuttles as well. There's water, showers and flushing privies at the campground. Easy.
I am a newby to this site so please go easy. I have never been to trail days but my wife and I are talking about a thru hike when our youngest son gets out of high school in a few years. My question is that I think trail days will be beneficial to us and I would like to hike in for it but would there be any place to stay? what overnight options are there for trail days?
Thanks for yuor insight
I second the notion that The Gathering or the SoRuck would be more useful, if you're looking for information. If you are looking for gear, Trail Days is excellent because a lot of specialty vendors will be there--you can try on stuff that otherwise you would only see as pictures on the internet.
There's a pretty basic area set aside for camping. Other than that, you can try for a motel room in Abingdon. The B&Bs and commercial campgrounds in Damascus are probably already booked up.
I am a newby to this site so please go easy. I have never been to trail days but my wife and I are talking about a thru hike when our youngest son gets out of high school in a few years. My question is that I think trail days will be beneficial to us and I would like to hike in for it but would there be any place to stay? what overnight options are there for trail days?
Thanks for yuor insightThe campground tends to turn into a big party at evening time, with a lot of folks drinking and carrying on. If you're looking for a mellower experience and/or sleep you usually are also allowed to camp in town at the Place hostel in town. Same access to all the happenings, just away from the late night party shenanigans and hootin and hollerin. However trail days would be a great place to meet and talk to a few thousand other hikers about the trail.
warren doyle
04-20-2008, 17:36
The ALDHA Gathering (ww.aldha.org) would be a far more productive time and place to gather information about planning a future thru-hike with a group of people who are attending not to party but to have fun, to share their adventures and to learn from each other.
Jack Tarlin
04-20-2008, 23:23
Well, gee whiz, Warren, if Trail Days is such a God-awful place to get information and learn stuff, then why are you sceduled to give multiple presentations there this year? Seein' as how unproductive it is and all that. :D
Well, let's let this one go. Let's just remember that Warren thinks that Trail Days is an unproductive place to gather information, and we'll leave it at that.
Thanx for the heads up, Warren!
Oh, and the correct address he mentiond is www.aldha.org
Warren has kind of a spotty attendance record at recent Gatherings, so it's not surprising he forgot the address.
dixicritter
04-20-2008, 23:26
These posts were split from the Trail Days 2008 thread in Site Happenings to help keep the thread on topic and so that this discussion could continue. :)
warraghiyagey
04-20-2008, 23:35
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/forum/nothingtoadd.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)
warren doyle
04-21-2008, 09:38
Moderator,
I'm glad you split the thread.
However, it would make more sense if you include posts #119 and #120 to start this thread and give the reader a sense of continuity.
I also see that the chief WB bully (in my opinion) is back online with more of his distorted garbage (post #6). There have been 26 ALDHA Gatherings. I have attended 25 of them. I coordinated 10 of them and have co-coordinated 7 of them (inlcuded this year's Gathering).
To call my attendance 'spotty' is just the latest example of the incessant falsehoods that this obsessive individual has spewed forth on his tiresome, self-ordained 'mission' the last seven years.
My initial post on this thread was in reply to a dreamer's post on whether attending Trail Days would be a good place for him get information about planning a thru-hike with his family. Another poster recommended the Gathering or the Southern Ruck as better choices. My intial post was in support of this poster by encouraging the original poster to attend the Gathering.
While there are some informative programs at Damascus Trail Days, it is not it's main focus. As the years of Trail Days has progressed, more hikers of certain demographics (age and personal conduct) have avoided attending Trail Days.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
04-21-2008, 10:11
Warren, you failed to attend the 25th anniversary of ALDHA - even though you were told in advance that you would be recognized at the Saturday evening program. You've made your bed - now lie it in.
BTW, unless I've missed something you are not a moderator here and have no right to tell the moderation staff how to do their job. For the record, I was not the one who handled this thread split so this isn't sour grapes - just an observation.
warren doyle
04-21-2008, 10:31
Warren, you failed to attend the 25th anniversary of ALDHA - even though you were told in advance that you would be recognized at the Saturday evening program. You've made your bed - now lie it in.
BTW, unless I've missed something you are not a moderator here and have no right to tell the moderation staff how to do their job. For the record, I was not the one who handled this thread split so this isn't sour grapes - just an observation.
Observation: Your first paragraph demonstrates that you know absolutely nothing about this.
Suggestion: Stick to your photoshop stuff or subjects you actually know something about.
RITBlake
04-21-2008, 10:34
Warren, you failed to attend the 25th anniversary of ALDHA - even though you were told in advance that you would be recognized at the Saturday evening program. You've made your bed - now lie it in.
BTW, unless I've missed something you are not a moderator here and have no right to tell the moderation staff how to do their job. For the record, I was not the one who handled this thread split so this isn't sour grapes - just an observation.
Sorry but how does this is in any way help answer the original question in the thread?
warren doyle
04-21-2008, 11:00
Sorry but how does this is in any way help answer the original question in the thread?
Good point.
dixicritter
04-21-2008, 11:35
OK... This thread will not turn into another thread about Warren Doyle. Knock it off.
warren doyle
04-21-2008, 12:05
OK... This thread will not turn into another thread about Warren Doyle. Knock it off.
Sounds good to me!
Lone Wolf
04-21-2008, 12:11
where do post our tent? we want to be close to other hikers but still close to town to go eat. will there be a water source on the campground? any info for us? thanks
shiverz :)
you may set up yout tent at The Place hostel behind the Methodist chuch in town or at the main Trail Days campground less than a mile out of town. there's a free shuttle that runs back and forth day and night. there is water, showers and porta johns at the campground
If you are coming with transportation here is a link to the website lodging page. ( http://www.traildays.us/lodging.htm )
Also, Abingdon is on about 20 minutes away and offers many hotels.......I'm pretty fond of this one....pricey, but an alright place to work;) http://marthawashingtoninn.com (http://marthawashingtoninn.com/)
Tennessee Viking
04-22-2008, 00:27
hello fellow hikers. i am new to this site and to posts, so bear with me. my boyfriend and i are going to trail days. i've check their site but am still a bit lost. where do post our tent? we want to be close to other hikers but still close to town to go eat. will there be a water source on the campground? any info for us? thanks
shiverz :)
If you are looking for a bit of solitude. There a couple forest campgrounds a short drive away. Backbone Rock is about 10 minutes away from town. There is a blue blaze trail up to the AT located there. Then Bear Tree is not far from the trail but its a drive up the mountain.
I pitched at the Place last year, met a lot of good people, and didnt have my tent run over by a drunk hiker at 3 a.m. - and youre right in town. I got there a day early though and it was already pretty crowded w/ tents.
You cant drink or smoke pot at the Place - Dont know if thats a concern.
I pitched at the Place last year, met a lot of good people, and didnt have my tent run over by a drunk hiker at 3 a.m. - and youre right in town. I got there a day early though and it was already pretty crowded w/ tents.
You cant drink or smoke pot at the Place - Dont know if thats a concern.
OK... This thread will not turn into another thread about Warren Doyle. Knock it off.If he'll hold it out I'll knock it off.
Seriously...anyone who's into hiking ought to enjoy both the Gathering, Rucks, AND trail days. All are a good time and all different from eachother in many ways. One thing about trail days is it is attended by many more people who are actually currently in the act of thru-hiking. As Warren D. pointed out, rucks and gatherings are attended by people of a slightly different demographic...fewer people, and many of those fall more into the categories of packsniffers, anti-party fuddy-duddies like mr. Doyle and folks who haven't actually hiked in many years. I always attend both trail days and the gathering, and have found that at either event, the area I have the most fun in is the area inhabited by the bully Warren describes in his post #9 and others of the demographic he so disdains. I described the party-situation in neutral terms, because although I will stay up all night carousing for the entire duration of trail days, and likely for days after, I know many folks don't enjoy that, and I thought it would be nice to give a warning. But here's my key input...I don't mind if they don't want to join in the drinking and partying, I'm happy for them to act in whatever way suits them. However, Mr. Doyle never misses an oppurtunity to criticize those who don't share his particular views about such activities. In fact, I believe (although I don't know the details and he's welcome to set the record straight if Im wrong here...) he has even connived to have rules enacted to forbid such activities at Gatherings in the past, or at least to misinform folks about policies regarding such activities. This kind of self-righteous behavior is a sign of some kind of problem. Although we've never spoken personally, I've seen him speak (briefly at the Soruck before last...) and I've seen him dance (weirdly sensual....) and I can tell he is a very interesting person. Some of what comes out of his mouth seems very innocuous because that's his style, but it's often very opinionated and even nasty in it's insinuations. That's why "Doyle-bashing" persists. Fortunately, the man he regards as whiteblaze's bully-in-chief is always there to make sure he doesn't get away with it. Poetically, to boot.
camojack
04-22-2008, 01:12
you may set up yout tent at The Place hostel behind the Methodist chuch in town or at the main Trail Days campground less than a mile out of town. there's a free shuttle that runs back and forth day and night. there is water, showers and porta johns at the campground
Can I set up my tent in your yard? ;)
We're all camping in his backyard. You didn't get the memo?
camojack
04-22-2008, 01:39
We're all camping in his backyard. You didn't get the memo?
Nope. ;)
D'Artagnan
04-22-2008, 09:11
Another good thing about staying around The Place is its proximity to the Baptist church. They normally have a trailer set up with hot showers. It's part of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief group if memory serves. Sure hits the spot. And no, they don't take the opportunity to proselytize to you in case that's a concern.;)
warren doyle
04-22-2008, 10:37
Post #22 is distorted and shows a plethora of misinformation.
The Old Fhart
04-22-2008, 10:42
Post #22 is informative and has a plethora of good information.:D
warren doyle
04-22-2008, 10:46
I guess we see with only what we possess.
The Old Fhart
04-22-2008, 11:19
Bfitz in post #22 sums the Trail Days experience up well. It is like a buffet where you can pick and choose what you want. If you prefer quiet nights (like I do), you make arrangements and where I stay I have instructions to make sure the windows are locked so some freeloader doesn't sneak in to sleep on the couch. There are plenty of presentations and events to suit every taste including a great slide show on 'Winter On Mt. Washington' that I plan to attend.;) If you're rowdy and into primal gyrations you can even attend a contra dance or the equivalent drum circle.
WD is right when he says: "I guess we see with only what we possess" and that's why he continually criticizes Trail Days and sees the negative. The rest of us have a positive outlook or, as Oscar Wilde said:"“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.":D Like most of the open minded attendees, I plan on having another great time, no matter what the naysayers spew.
I've seen him dance (weirdly sensual....) I don't think I needed to read this :eek:
ofthearth
04-22-2008, 13:58
Quote:
Originally Posted by bfitz
I've seen him dance (weirdly sensual....)
I don't think I needed to read this
__________________
Frosty
Sounds like an interesting fellow to get all this attention :-?
Creek Dancer
04-22-2008, 14:05
I was just looking over the schedule of activities for Trail Days this year. Why is there a charge for the contra dancing? All of the other activities are free.
Contra Dance –$2 for 2008 Thru-hikers, $6 for all others - Music by Dot-Dot-Dash – Callers Warren and Terry Doyle teach each dance before the music begins (bringing a partner is not necessary); Rock School Auditorium.
http://www.traildays.us/schedule.htm
I can't help it, it's true. I mean, anyone who watched him at the talent show at trail days that time knows what Im talking about. Maybe I was a little drunk, but.....
hopefulhiker
04-22-2008, 20:07
I was thinking about coming up there to volunteer with helping the town set up... I am getting a little to old for the big party scene though... Also Bfitz.. we miss you over on the political forum..It has gotten a little lopsided since you left...
saimyoji
04-22-2008, 20:10
Once again dixi's request goes ignored. :rolleyes:
Nightwalker
04-22-2008, 23:57
Once again dixi's request goes ignored. :rolleyes:
Welcome to Whiteblaze. :)
I was thinking about coming up there to volunteer with helping the town set up... I am getting a little to old for the big party scene though... Also Bfitz.. we miss you over on the political forum..It has gotten a little lopsided since you left...
Hah! I bet.
Once again dixi's request goes ignored. :rolleyes:
Well, if anyone is to blame for the thread going off topic its... Warren. The first three responses were direct answers to the questions that were asked. Only when Warren went off topic did the rest of the thread go off topic. Which is typical - Warren posts something he knows will be controversial, sits back and waits for the responses and then says "What? What did *I* do?"
saimyoji
04-23-2008, 18:36
Welcome to Whiteblaze. :)
Join Date: 08-28-2004
Location: tumbling in turmoil
Posts: 2,900
Images: 125 (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/browseimages.php?do=member&imageuser=3920)
warren doyle
04-23-2008, 21:36
I was just looking over the schedule of activities for Trail Days this year. Why is there a charge for the contra dancing? All of the other activities are free.
Contra Dance –$2 for 2008 Thru-hikers, $6 for all others - Music by Dot-Dot-Dash – Callers Warren and Terry Doyle teach each dance before the music begins (bringing a partner is not necessary); Rock School Auditorium.
http://www.traildays.us/schedule.htm
The other contra dances at past Trail Days cost hikers $6. I suggested to Bunny M, who coordinates the Damascus Contra Dance, to ask for some financial support from the Trail Days committee this year to reduce the admission price for hikers. The committee gave her some funding so the hiker admission price is 66% lower than previous Trail Days. There are costs involved in putting on a contra dance, mostly compensating the musicians.
Terry and I are donating our services as callers.
The admission price for a 3-hour contra dance in the East ranges from $5-10 a person.
Happy trails and twirls!
Warren
There are many videos of contradancing on YouTube.
Alligator
04-23-2008, 21:40
I'm thinking I might use a ticket stub from last year to get in for free.
warren doyle
04-23-2008, 21:55
I'm thinking I might use a ticket stub from last year to get in for free.
Something I would never do.
There are many videos of contradancing on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmMSBn7gtiU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmMSBn7gtiU
That's a hilarious vid, Chomp. The gal on the left looks familiar. I think I woke up in her bed one morning, freshman year of college. I haven't touched a drop since!
I didn't know Billville had a dance team. Nice moves. :D
Alligator
04-24-2008, 09:52
Something I would never do.You're so vain...you must of thought this thread was about you...You're so vain...
warren doyle
04-24-2008, 10:20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmMSBn7gtiU
Now, that was funny.
I enjoyed reading this thread more than most. Tell it like it is everyone!
I can't help but wonder what wasn't fit to tell the world, but maybe I'm better off not knowing.
Hummingbird
04-25-2008, 12:16
What is the point of any hiker putting down another?
Warren, it will be nice to see you again.
This year, since we just moved to Abington, we will not worry about a place to stay at night!
Hummingibrd
What is the point of any hiker putting down another?
That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard. :p