Longterm Resupply Option

[hellomolly]

I spoke with my NOBO boyfriend two days ago and he asked me to pass along a piece of information for future thruhikers.

In the Thruhikers Handbook, there is a note that around mile 538, you can go to Atkins, VA, for a resupply. It does not note, however, that Groseclose, which is closer to the trail (I think) is a good long-term resupply option for those who don't want to wait until Pearisburg.

Apparently there is an Exxon there where you can resupply and there is also a restaurant (I think within the Exxon?) run by a very friendly woman named Karen who serves good, cheap food in "hiker portions." Marc got a ginormous bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich with a large coffee for $4.50.

Just wanted to let people know. It's tough to pass info along SOBO so Marc thought me posting here might give people a heads up.

[garlic08]

That's exactly what I did in '08. It worked great and I didn't need to go to Atkins. The Exxon is typical convenience store food, slightly better than normal but not excellent by any means. The restaurant is "The Red Barn", if I remember correctly, across the road from the Exxon. I had two $3.00 non-meat breakfasts there which were good and greasy, just what I needed. There's also a motel there, but it looked like it was on its last legs and I was glad I was there in the morning.

[10-K]

Is the at Hwy 11 where the Relax Inn is?

[Spokes]

Hikers staying over in Atkins should consider the Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel run by Rambunny and Aqua. People at the Red Barn Restaurant can get you in touch with them. You'll get more value from your money spent there than at the motel.

[CrumbSnatcher]

Is the at Hwy 11 where the Relax Inn is?10-k, after you hit the road,the motel is right across the road. the motel,gas station,the barn,dairy queen are all real close by. thats if they are all still in buisness? you can see it all layed out in front of you, from the last big grassy/bald hill, before you get there! i think the motels restraunt burned down awhile ago. back in 2004 or so (the last time i was there)the barn was great food. and i always found enough supplies at the gas station to get me to Bland VA. and trents a little farther north.
is trents grocery still open?

[stranger]

Personally speaking, I think the Relax Inn gets a bad wrap. It's right on the trail, it's next to a 24hr truck stop and convenience store, and the Barn is just up the road. It's basic but for $40/night it's a warm bed, or air conditioned room, bathtub, owners are nice, cheap laundry, will hold drops, a great place to catch up on the French Open and drink beer : )

Flashy...it is not.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

The barn is a good place to eat -and I was able to get most items I needed at the Exxon Station The Relax Inn was a disappointment very poorly maintained

[Blissful]

Personally speaking, I think the Relax Inn gets a bad wrap. It's right on the trail, it's next to a 24hr truck stop and convenience store, and the Barn is just up the road. It's basic but for $40/night it's a warm bed, or air conditioned room, bathtub, owners are nice, cheap laundry, will hold drops, a great place to catch up on the French Open and drink beer : )

Flashy...it is not.

It was pretty bad in '07 - tub leaked (with flood in the bathroom), tv and ac didn't work and they charged us $5 to pick up the box. Granted this was '07 so maybe things are better.

I'm staying at the hostel this year. :)

[steve43]

i stayed at the relax inn in '08, and it certainly wasn't the best place i've ever stayed at on the trail, but it was convenient. another hiker clued me in to ask for a non-smoking room because they tended to be cleaner. the shower was a little sketchy, but at that point i wasn't too choosy. the tv worked, it had a clean bed and there was a washer and dryer on the property. the people were friendly and helpful. for $40 i got my money's worth. if i ever hike that section again, i'd probably stay there again.

fifo

[Cookerhiker]

For those of you who met all your resupply needs from that convenience store, that's great - glad it worked out for you.

But I wouldn't change the Companion wording. I thought the term "long-term resupply" mean larger-scale grocery stores with more selection than convenience stores.

Perhaps Sly or one of the Companion editors can weigh in here. All I know is that if I'm hiking and the guidebook's "long-term resupply" turns out to be a convenience store, I'd be quite disappointed.

[Johnny Thunder]

FYI...it's an easier hitch to the strip mall area of Marion from that Atkins road crossing than from the "Marion" road crossing (at the ranger station). If hikers plan on actually going into Marion for grocery/walmart/drive-in-movies they would have an easier time doing so from in front of the Relax-Inn.

[Slo-go'en]

I stayed at the Relax Inn last year and it is bit rough. But it was raining out, the room was warm, the shower was hot and my TV worked. Too bad it was a Sunday and the Barn closed early.

As for hitching to Marion from there, I don't know if it is any easier then from the ranger station. I hitched from the ranger station to Marion a day or two earlier without having to wait too long. (but it was from a former thru hiker who happend to be passing by..)

A few years earlier I tried to hitch from Marion to the trail past Atkins and that was difficult. I got a ride to Atkins okay, but from there I ended up walking to the trail. I did get lunch from a group of factory workers who where having a cook out outside the building and invited me over when they saw me walking by. That was good trail magic, and I hadn't even gotten on the trail yet!

[Doctari]

Yes indeed. I did not supply here (end point of my last section) but my habit, even at home in SW Ohio, is when in a place similar to many suply points on the AT, I "Practice" shopping as if doing a re-supply. I usually see if I could do a 4 night (1/2 day, 3 full days, 1/2 day) supply. At the Exxon I felt I could do that easily, & probably for 5 or 6 other hikers. Not a great selection in terms of variety, but enough to do the job & not be jerky & power bars for breakfast & 5 Ramen dinners till next supply.

[garlic08]

No way should that be considered for long-term resupply shopping. It's just a convenient option for those flexible enough to deal with reduced choices once in a while. I just remembered it because it worked for me and I considered it a real bonus not to have to hitch or walk into Atkins.

[RichardD]

Last Summer I mailed a resupply to the Relax Inn, I called ahead from the Ranger station near Partnership shelter to reserve a room. There were two gas station convenience stores and both were quite large. The Barn was about a quarter of a mile up the road and the food there was good.
The Relax inn was not particularly clean but was convenient. The owners offered a for fee shultle to the grocery store (I think it was Marion but I am not sure, about a ten minute drive). Several hikers shared the fee which put it at $5 each.
I plan on sending a resupply there next year when I attempt a thru. Although the hotel was the least clean of all the places we stayed last Summer it was not so bad as to cause me to not want to stay there again.

[10-K]

10-k, after you hit the road,the motel is right across the road. the motel,gas station,the barn,dairy queen are all real close by. thats if they are all still in buisness? you can see it all layed out in front of you, from the last big grassy/bald hill, before you get there! i think the motels restraunt burned down awhile ago. back in 2004 or so (the last time i was there)the barn was great food. and i always found enough supplies at the gas station to get me to Bland VA. and trents a little farther north.
is trents grocery still open?

Trent's was open last year and doing well. What a great place to stick a store with a short order grill!