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View Full Version : What's the dealio with Tent City - Traildays?



Freeze
05-13-2010, 16:46
I'm hearing we can't camp in the filed anymore. Everyone is being told to tent in the adjacent woods (with limited tent spots),and that parking has gone up to $20.

Anyone know what the deal is this year?

Jim Adams
05-13-2010, 16:55
I have 3 friends thru hiking this year, all three are in Damascus now. They phoned me today and said that the campsites in the woods are small and few and already getting full. Parking is $20 and not enough room if you compare it to the last few years. Sounds like a bad situation. Will know more when I arrive tomorrow morning.

geek

David@whiteblaze
05-13-2010, 17:02
I've heard that construction for some kind of park or ballfield has been zoned for tent city and the parking, meaning that a smaller lot was used... therefore more $$$ for fewer cars= same payout.

Jack Tarlin
05-13-2010, 17:16
The deal is that the previous campsite is now a construction zone.

There is beautiful creekside camping two minutes away.

There is NO fee for walk-in campers.

There's a one-time fee for people to park their cars, which they can use as often as they wish during the weekend.

That's the "deal" and in my opinion, it's not that big a deal, either.

In re. to "payout". Nobody's getting rich from the car park thing. Keep in mind that the concessionaire (the guy who is running parking this year) has to pay for his staff, security, fencing off the lot, a hefty insurance rider, etc.

Jim Adams
05-13-2010, 17:19
Jack,
I'm not concerned at all about paying to park but is there enough room in the campground and the parking for the amount of attendees? I hate to drive 6 hours and have to stay in Abingdon.

geek

Jack Tarlin
05-13-2010, 17:22
Tons of room as of twenty minutes ago.

For folks who arrive Friday night, maybe not so good, but this isn't your first rodeo......try and get here sooner.

Re. camping: I know more about the camping area than the parking area.

There's plenty of good places to camp, and truth be told, it's a lot nicer than last year.

Jim Adams
05-13-2010, 17:32
Tons of room as of twenty minutes ago.

For folks who arrive Friday night, maybe not so good, but this isn't your first rodeo......try and get here sooner.

Re. camping: I know more about the camping area than the parking area.

There's plenty of good places to camp, and truth be told, it's a lot nicer than last year.

Very cool! Should be there tomorrow morning around 8am.

geek

Jack Tarlin
05-13-2010, 17:33
Lots of room in Billville; come find us.

Freeze
05-13-2010, 18:16
Thanks for the update.

Lone Wolf
05-13-2010, 19:21
i've talked to several hikers today that were kinda pissed that certain "camps" were given preferential treatment meaning the best spots were cleared for them and that their vehicles were allowed in the camping area for the duration. there were too many roped off areas. it should be first come, first served. my opinion and i stand by it.

David@whiteblaze
05-13-2010, 20:58
In re. to "payout". Nobody's getting rich from the car park thing. Keep in mind that the concessionaire (the guy who is running parking this year) has to pay for his staff, security, fencing off the lot, a hefty insurance rider, etc.
Erm, What I meant was (and I have no clue about the figures...) If parking before was 100 cars and $10 per and now its 50 cars and $20 per, all it means is that everything remains the same... not that someone was making a killing by raising rates... sorry for the confusion:rolleyes:

Marta
05-14-2010, 12:04
Tons of room as of twenty minutes ago.

For folks who arrive Friday night, maybe not so good, but this isn't your first rodeo......try and get here sooner.



Right...I should quit this pesky job so I can beat the crowd to Trail Days...:eek:

Hopefully it will all work out one way or the other.

Jack Tarlin
05-14-2010, 13:17
Wolf:

The vast majority of the people who were able to clear and claim camping spots ahead of time were people who volunteered to prepare the camping area; without their efforts, there would not BE a camping area.

A very small group of people were allowed to drive into the camping area after the gates were put in place, and an even smaller number of folks were allowed to leave their cars on site "for the duration". But this also means that these folks will have no way to use their vehicles til Monday, as opposed to the folks in the regular parking lot who can come and go as often as they please.

And areas have always been roped off and "reserved", and it is indeed first come first served. The first people on the site, many of whom spent the better part of a week raking away poison ivy, clearing brush, splitting wood, etc., well these people were there first andhence, they were served first. Anyone that's "pissed" at this, well, sorry, that's too damned bad.

There were dozens and dozens of hikers here in Damascus well before the event, but very few of them were interested in doing any volunteer work. If they wanted to do a little work and get themselves a nicer camp spot, they sure had the chance.

I sincerely hope that these are some of the "pissed off" people. If they'd spent a bit of time wielding a rake or a shovel, and less time hoisting beers and getting stoned then maybe they'd have more attractive campsites.

But honestly, this is whining pure and simple and I don't really have time for it.

Marta
05-16-2010, 18:34
There was plenty of parking, and plenty of tent space, even for those of us who arrived late-ish on Friday.

The Trail Days organizers did an excellent job.

Whoever chose the bands for Friday and Saturday nights is especially to be commended--they were very good.

generoll
05-16-2010, 18:53
I didn't sling my hammock until Saturday night and had no problems. Borrowed a Sven saw from someone at Billville and had a spot cleared in about 10 minutes. there was lots of tent space out in the open behind the Bingo Training Center.

Jim Adams
05-17-2010, 00:24
I didn't sling my hammock until Saturday night and had no problems. Borrowed a Sven saw from someone at Billville and had a spot cleared in about 10 minutes. there was lots of tent space out in the open behind the Bingo Training Center.

Nope. We set up in that clearing on friday afternoon and then were forced to move because we were told that the fire company didn't allow people camping on their property. By saturday night there were people camping and parking in that clearing and nothing said to them.:-?

geek

Marta
05-17-2010, 16:44
Nope. We set up in that clearing on friday afternoon and then were forced to move because we were told that the fire company didn't allow people camping on their property. By saturday night there were people camping and parking in that clearing and nothing said to them.:-?

geek

Maybe they just didn't want YOU and your friends there. Didya ever think of that? :D

gungho
05-17-2010, 17:02
the tent sites were plentiful, they were just spreadout, what you need to realize is that the guy that controlled the parking was also the same person who spent days volunteering his time and resources mowing, bushhogging, hauling in dirt and gravel just so everyone had easy access to find and make their camp. For the latecomers(the ones who arrived after thursday) need to realize is that most of the people already their(myself included) had to shovel, rake, cut and clear brush in order to make a suitable place to make camp. I look forward to utilizing this area for years to come. And i applaud all the volunteers that helped make this possible

The Old Fhart
05-17-2010, 19:04
Jack Tarlin-"A very small group of people were allowed to drive into the camping area after the gates were put in place, and an even smaller number of folks were allowed to leave their cars on site "for the duration"."My driver was allowed to drive in at no charge to drop me off at the campsites but that probably had more to do with the ADA guidelines than cronyism. :D

Jim Adams
05-17-2010, 19:57
My driver was allowed to drive in at no charge to drop me off at the campsites but that probably had more to do with the ADA guidelines than cronyism. :D

We also dropped off our gear at our campsite and then gladly paid the $20 to park across the street. Then had some a$$hole drive in and park right infront of our camp for 2 days in his pick up...no charge. This was my 18th TD's in 20 years and the town has had problems with camping since the first one that I attended. This is a major event for the town, you would think that they would have had a permanent solution by now.

OTOH, other than a slight problem with a drunken local in our camp it was one of the best Trail Days that I have ever been to. I had a great weekend. Got to see alot of friends both old and new. Thanks to all who worked the event.

geek