Town of Damascus, Va. [Archive]

Lone Wolf

12-09-2002, 15:15

Jack Tarlin

12-09-2002, 15:37

Speaking for myself, I don't see that any re-affirmation is necessary-----there are all sorts of hiker-friendly places on the Trail: My short list of outstanding ones includes the Duckett House Innand Bluff Mountain Outfitters in Hot Springs; Miss Janet's House in Erwin; Kincora Hostel in Denis Cove; the Rendezvous Motel in Pearisburg; the Outfitter at Harper's Ferry; the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon; the Five Olde Tavern in Hanover; Rivers and Trails in Caratunk; Keith Shaw's in Monson.

However, these are all individual places. The great thing about Damascus is that the whole damned town is friendly to hikers, and has been for years.

If the town wants to make the 2003 theme, "Still the friendliest town on the Trail!" that's fine with me, but I don't really understand why they have to re-affirm it; I wasn't aware there was ever any question about it---if the town's position in this regard has been challlenged by any other comunity, well I guess it was a place I managed to miss each year.

Peaks

12-09-2002, 17:13

My vote for friendliest town goes to West Hartford, Vermont. It seemed as if everyone not only wanted to, but actually took the time to talk with me as I went through the little town. It started with the local youngsters inviting me into their swimming hole near the bridge over the White River. And just got better from there.

Jumpstart

12-10-2002, 07:56

Okay, utter and complete honesty:

As we went through this year, I remember thinking Damascus was great, but was wondering what in particular made it worthy of the title. Don't get me wrong, I still bought a T-shirt from the post office for our maildropper back home; and it had a nice hostel and ameneties,and the side track cafe served excellent food. But in my HONEST opinion, I had a better time, better reception, and found more convenience in other towns near the trail. I think all the towns have something unique to offer, it just all depends on what you are looking for from a particular town. I tended to enjoy towns where thru-hikers weren't their specialty, they were just nice to everyone.

stranger

12-10-2002, 09:12

Damascus is one of the best towns on the trail...for sure. But it's been a while since I've been down there, unfortunately. My personal best town experience was in Palmerton...got a tour of the town by the sheriff, had girl scouts leave care packages for us, the manager of the IGA gave me his watch when he learned I lost mine, etc...But Damascus is still Damascus...I haven't been there in a while so I'll shut up now!

Walessp

02-23-2003, 18:41

Anyone know a safe place to park in or near Damascus for a month or so early in April?

Sky Rider

Lone Wolf

02-23-2003, 18:55

There's a free long term parking area by the south end of the town park or Mt. Rogers Outfitters charges 2 bucks a day.

Sleepy the Arab

02-24-2003, 00:03

"Damascus: Still the Friendliest Place on the Trail...

...now go park your tent in the local Superfund cleanup site, away from all the nice folks. Thanks. "

Lone Wolf

02-24-2003, 08:22

C'mon Arab it can't be any worse than the the dope and booze you ingest.

MOWGLI

02-24-2003, 08:31

I much preferred Hot Springs, NC to Damascus. I also loved my time at NOC and Fontana Dam although neither of those places are really a town.

Great outfitter in Damascus though. Nice jukebox in the pizza joint too. Is the pizza joint still there?

Lone Wolf

02-24-2003, 08:46

Still there but it's not Quincy's anymore. It's run by Muslims so no beer and the food is marginal.

MOWGLI

02-24-2003, 08:47

Thanks LW. Too bad.

smokymtnsteve

02-24-2003, 10:11

me liek hot springs best two!

max patch

02-24-2003, 10:38

The only negative experience I had on my thru happened in Damascus.

Pitched my tent down by the water; went into town and when I returned someone had stolen my tent. Not the only time that has happened according to local police. Luckily all my other gear was locked in a car at the time.

smokymtnsteve

02-24-2003, 21:11

was this at Trail days Max Patch??

...large groups always have oppourtunist waiting.

I enjoyed Trail Days.....and even been in Dam ass kiss for '
THE BEAVER DAM JAM the july the fouth party in damacus...

been there done that had a good time ..but LOTs of people and partying and I'm not planning on hitting trail days again this year... TOO MANY PEOPLE.

but I hope to make TRAIL FEST in HOT Spring...me liek hot springs and me LOVE to stay at Elmers:banana

max patch

02-24-2003, 21:32

Smokey, no, I started my thru on 5/1 and Trail Days was over by the time I reached Damascus.

Lone Wolf

02-24-2003, 21:36

Hot Springs is o.k. A little too liberal for my tastes. You can have a gay old time there though.

smokymtnsteve

02-24-2003, 21:49

well I have never looked for a gay ole time in hot springs...but doesn't seem like it would be a HARD job to find if you were a looking....

Even though I found the dinner party at elmer's just Fabu! :D

Redbeard

02-25-2003, 12:13

Hot Springs and Damascus are both hip, and according to the northern midwest version of what "The South" is, they shouldn't exist. These southern trail towns are way more on track than towns here in the wasted north.

Blue Jay

02-25-2003, 16:13

I have to disagree about the wasted north. I saved enough money to hit each little town in Maine last summer. I was treated like a king in each one. Granted NY to NH is a little stand offish, but Maine Rules

Redbeard

02-26-2003, 12:39

Oops, let me qualify that remark, I meant the northern midwest, I.E. Chicagoland area.

Pirate

02-27-2003, 16:18

This years theme should be: Give Trail Days back to the Hikers not the Tech Reps!!! Have a shirt made up with a tech rep in a cicrle with a line thru him.

smokymtnsteve

02-27-2003, 16:46

.....

Redbeard

02-27-2003, 21:54

Fire? Can we pillage too? The Garmont fixit guy hooked me up with some freesole and fixed my bottle holster, I can't complain.
I will complain about the lack of RUM in Damascus though!:D

Doc

10-31-2003, 10:48

Just some rambling thoughts about Damascus. Spent some time there this Spring. Dave's place across from the outfitters is great for $10 per night. Super place to leave a car for section hikers. Folks at MRO set the standard for helpfulness,weather shuttles, lodging, or gear. One thing that was pleasing was their willingness to suggest other places to stay when their place was full. I spent one night at Hiker Inn which was the place I would go again. I think that it was $20 a night, but quiet, clean, and run by a great lady. Basically a 4 bunk room with bath, microwave, etc. The place didn't do it for me. Stayed one night, but it was noisy and filled with many folks who stayed up way beyond what this tired hiker could tolerate. Price was right and some nice folks passing through-especially the bikers. The bike shuttle to WhiteTop was a nice change from lifting boots every inch of the way. Fifteen bucks got me a bike and ride to the top for a 17 mile ride gradually downhill through some of the nicest bike trail you can imagine. Some overlaps the AT, so it was nice to zoom over the trail with no effort-I repeat-no effort. I liked so much that I plan on bring my wife back next Spring so we can ride and she can see what a great place Damascus is. If I had to move from Maine, I think that Damascus might be the place, or Hot Springs, or Hiawassee, or.......

Twofiddy

02-20-2004, 14:35

Very Hiker Friendly Town of Damascuss that is....

I mean you figure the place has to be. It is 50 miles from no where and it sole source of business is recreation folks, trail hikers, bike riders, and passers by....

Worst thing that I can say about the place is that DOT DINER served me beer with my breakfast the day that I was supposed to walk out of town there. Needless to say I was drunk by 10:00 am and sucked into spending another night in town.

I would not trade that extra night for anything though. Damascus Dave, Jeff, Mike, Sun Dog, the folks at Dot's Diner, all really great people and places.

The one funny thing that happened was the first day that I was in town I went to Side Track for Breakfast... I could not get any silverwear to eat with, after repeat requests, I got up and walked out leaving my breakfast on the table with my half empty glass of OJ... I high fived Prince William on the way out the door, he walked in, sat down, got silverwear, and ate my breakfast and drank my OJ... moral of the story...

Shop the left over menu first...

The wait that morning for food was like 30 min!!

So some ones day was made by walking in to full plate of food read to eat.

Twofiddy

02-20-2004, 14:44

This years theme should be: Give Trail Days back to the Hikers not the Tech Reps!!! Have a shirt made up with a tech rep in a cicrle with a line thru him.

I totally disagree with this statement!!

As a recreation industry employee, a professional white water guide, outfitter, ski patroller, and AT Thru Hiker (2003), I think that the effort that these companys are making to be present, offer customer service, offer what is for the most part a ton of FREE STUFF, makes Trail Days a better event.

These companys only get one or two chances a year to get in touch with this many hard core end users of there product. They are thankful and greatful that they can interact with us, help us, and support our hiking.

Sure there is always the business motivation behind these things but that is what drives our country. I dont see any mom and pop shops out there making back packs for trail hiking that you can just walk in and toss on the counter 300 miles up the trail if you have a snap or zipper or stich break and they replace it for free.

There is room for the hikers, and the Tech Reps, and the merchants, and the festivities.

I believe that it could be better managed that it was last year. I believe that the new camping location could be better organized to keep the vehicles parked in one location and the campers in another, and keep that group of people who kept driving laps around in the mud in there Jeeps under control (YES I AM A JEEP OWNER and 4x4 enthusaist)

Trail Days is what it is and what it has become... an event for the hikers, and those that support them.

Lone Wolf

02-20-2004, 14:44

50 miles from nowhere? It's only 10 miles to I-81 and the big town of Abingdon.

TooTall

03-07-2004, 10:54

Saw a passing message about Mountain Man hiking through Erwin after selling the Side Track Cafe. Did Mountain Man also sell his place outside of town or did he keep that? Anyone know who are the new owners of the Side Track Cafe?

Kozmic Zian

03-07-2004, 18:11

Yea........Damascus. Yep.....Great Trail Town. Don't say the 'P' word in Dots. I made that mistake after a bunch to many, one year. Wow, you'd a thought I forgot to go to church, or somthin'. It only gets rowdy there once a year, I guess, at Trail Days. Brother Dave and the Boys at MRO are the Best. Service around town is very hiker oriented, and dependable. Naw, I say it's as good a town as there is on the Trail. There are others too, though. KZ@

freewheelinmilo

03-07-2004, 19:04

losing quincys is quite a hit. but, come on, while some towns may have scored better on the friendliness checklist, damascus is damascus. the one and only. the heart and soul of the notion of a trail town. they should change the theme to "damascus" period. its like saying "mount katahdin-still the best mountain on the trail."

to make damascus friendlier, wolf, you could offer to drive me to the airport. wait you already did that. ive got the specs, ill e mail you.

Brushy Sage

03-07-2004, 19:45

I had to jump back to keep from getting run down by a kid accelerating out of a side street, maybe due to my long hair and beard; on the other hand, the outfitter repaired my Leiki hiking pole at no charge. Jenny and Ben treated Patco and me like royalty. Is she continuing the Lazy Fox B&B operation this year without Ben (he died last year)?

One Leg

03-07-2004, 23:08

Last year, I was in Damascus for a media interview with WCYB. The cameraman had me walking along the trail where it comes out of the woods, near some folks' yard, and onto the street. We had to repeat this several times in order for the cameraman to be appeased.

As I was walking back toward the park area, a lady started yelling at me. Thinking I was about to get bawled out for walking in her yard, my first instinct was to go on the defensive, but I didn't. I turned to hear what she was saying. She was excitedly telling me that she'd seen me in a local paper, and invited me to return. When the interview was completed, my family and I drove over to her house, and we had just the greatest time visiting these folks who, up until that moment, had been complete strangers.

As we departed, they offered their yard to us to park our RV during trail days, which we will attend. You just don't run into folks anywhere else who are as friendly and as giving as the folks in Damascus, Virginia, and I am very proud to call these folks my friends.

I live about 2 hours away from Damascus, near Morristown, Tennessee, and the folks around here could learn a lesson or two from the residents of Damascus.

I don't have the experience of a thru-hike as of yet, but I will be pleasantly surprised during this year's attempt if I run into the friendly hospitality in other towns along the trail that I encountered during my visit to Damascus.

Moon Monster

03-07-2004, 23:40

My Damascus experience was no better/worse than my baseline experience in all other trail towns. Nothing happened to make me feel any more welcome than in any given other town. So, I can'r really relate to the spirit here.

Still, I will take in trust that the AT community's opinions in aggregate make it still the firendliest place on the trail. and I respect it a lot for hosting something like Trail Days every year.

But for my hike, the friendliest town by far to me, was Palmerton, PA. Many folks there went well out of there way to check on us and make sure we were comfortable. The locals I met seemed excited that hikers chose to come into their town. Maybe that's all because hikers don't have to go into Palmerton.

Lone Wolf

03-08-2004, 08:14

Brushy Sage. The Lazy Fox IS open. The fist few NOBOS arrived on Friday and a couple of them stayed there.

Jaybird

03-08-2004, 08:58

Every year at Trail Days there is a "theme." Last year celebrated the "Arts of the AT." This coming year the theme is "Damascus. Still the friendliest town on the trail." Down at the outfitter here in town we were discussing this theme. We were wondering why the town would need to reaffirm that status. What do you hikers who have been thru Damascus and stayed here think? Friendly, unfriendly, neutral?

Yo L.W.

i havent hiked to Damascus yet...(will do that in a section-hike in Sept 2004..if all goes as planned) but, have visited the fair city.

Folks there were very friendly...even you, LONE WOLF...the owner of Mt.Rogers outfitters too...

i dont spend much time in many trail towns...but, plan to attend TRAIL DAYS this year! :D

see ya'll UP the trail!

Pirate

03-10-2004, 12:01

Flash Hand

08-22-2004, 01:53

I plan to stay in The Place for two or three zero days in Damascus, so I can rent a bike for the entire Virginia Creeper Trail but I am aware of stealing problem in The Place. I don't know how to deal with this, but I want to hold a bed at The Place for two or three days while taking a bike ride without my stuff to be stolen.

Where can I put my pack in storage and still hold a bed at The Place?

Flash Hand :jump

Doc

08-22-2004, 15:22

Forget the Place. I found it noisy and not to my liking. However, at this time of year space shouldn't be a problem even if you play it by ear and don't reserve a space-if this can be done. I have stayed several times at MRO's place across the street from their store. Another great place, and where I would go again is the Hiker Inn. I suspect the owner would hold your stuff and reserve a bunk when you want it.

The VC trail is super. Returned this Spring with my wife so we could ride it and had a great time. One bridge towards Abington was under repair, so you might want to check status of trail.

Damascus is a very nice town and I'm sure you'll have a great time. If I ever decide to leave Maine, Damascus is high on the list of spots to live.

Doc

Flash Hand

08-22-2004, 23:53

Forget the Place. I found it noisy and not to my liking.
Doc

Noisy? its never a problem for me :banana

Flash Hand :jump

max patch

08-25-2004, 14:01

I know the Damascus city website lists plenty of B&Bs and cabins.

Are there any hotels in Damascus that have a pool? Or is Abington the closest place to find a chain hotel?

Lone Wolf

08-25-2004, 14:32

Yes Abingdon is the closest town with chain motels/hotels. Damascus does have a town pool open to the public for $2.00.

Jaybird

08-26-2004, 05:12

I know the Damascus city website lists plenty of B&Bs and cabins.Are there any hotels in Damascus that have a pool? Or is Abington the closest place to find a chain hotel?

Damascus has several streams running thru it, a river, & a shower & few garden hoses @ the hostel! If you're staying in Damascus & can do w/o a swimming pool...check out the Apple Tree B&B...my wife & i highly recommend it & there are some nice cabins just south of Damascus we stayed in during TRAIL DAYS 2004. :D

Lone Wolf can get you specifics...since he lives there.

Good luck with your hike & your pool search!

Seraphim

01-08-2005, 18:34

TRAIL TOWNS. Northern towns are definitely different from Southern ones. Like... Damascus and Monson. Growing up in GA and traveling the US now, I see major differences every day. Okay, take Atlanta vs Boston. Different feelings, different energy, different traditions and opinions, but around the same size with the same population and array of services. Trail towns that are regarded as 'hiker friendly' must contain something that makes hikers get OFF the trail to experience the wonder. In Damascus, there's no need. It is the trail. No need for gimmicks, Damascus is above that, beyond to bigger and better things. like DOTS and The Place. Mt. Rogers and SunDogs. Damascus' reputation for friendliest trail town makes hikers expect that. And having lived outside of Damascus for six months, I thoroughly agree that it is a friendly town. But the friendliest? Not every citizen likes hikers, and there's not a hostel that's dog-friendly. Quincy's is no more, I actually hate the substitution and only went once. And is Side Track closed forever like it was rumoured? Those two restaurants were classics, and if both are gone forever, Dot has a lot on her hands! Damascus, though. All of the businesses are great, it's the perfect size, the outfitters are #1, it's beautiful, it's part of the trail, The Old Mill serves good ol #7 and other, the VC... and.... Trail Days. The biggest association with Damascus, and this year, the cops were all over, 'keeping it safe', acting like we were going to riot, pulling out huge cans of mace and tear gas, showing them off, pouring out people's drinks and hassling. Did anyone else experience this? I witnessed this, but I was never involved. I think perhaps someone was, and that is why Damascus has received mixed reviews from hikers as of late. I would hope good outweighs bad. Trail Days isn't the same as it used to be, and I think a lot of alumni feel like it's ruined, whether by young hikers, locals, cops or laws... As for me? Well, I left my heart in Damascus.

DMA, 2000

01-08-2005, 19:26

When I was in need, I found the Damascus PD quite helpful, particularly Sgt. White. The chief did threaten to arrest me, but he was just kidding.

But with no disrepect towards Damascus intended, I'll have to second the above props for Palmerton, PA. I took there one of the great hot showers of my life, enjoyed good cheap beer and food, and spent a lovely 0 day. Nice people too.

baseballswthrt

01-20-2005, 05:52

Kncats and I are attending a conference in Bristol this weekend. Unfortunately, we won't have any time for hiking this weekend. Where are some good plaves to eat in Damascus? Too bad the Side Track isn't open yet!

The Hog

01-20-2005, 07:45

To the tune of California Dreamin':

All the leaves are green,
And the sky is gray.
I've been for a twenty-two mile walk
on a Spring Day,
on a Spring Day.
If I hadn't tarried,
I would be in V-A.
Damascus Dreamin'
On such a Spring Day!

Stopped into a shelter,
I passed along the way.
Got out my little stove,
and my Squeeze Parkay.
Cooked a little hot lunch
to carry me for the day.
Damascus Dreamin'
On such a Spring Day!

I wrote this on May 29, 1984 at Double Springs shelter (day 44 of my 178 day thru hike). The tune played through my head all the way into The Place. What a great town! While there, I met a Brit named John Merrill, one of the great walkers of all time. He had logged over 50,000 miles, including a 7,000 trek around the perimeter of Great Britain, the length of the Alps, the PCT, etc. I asked him which way he was going, and he said, "West." Turns out he was walking the U.S. east to west, a 4,000 mile trip that he later wrote about in a book titled, Turn Right at Death Valley. His exploits put my own trip in perspective.

Lone Wolf

01-20-2005, 08:17

What do you want to spend? Dot's and The Old Mill are the only places worth a damn.

baseballswthrt

01-20-2005, 08:32

As little as possible! I take it one is expensive and one is cheap? We'll probably go to Damascus on Friday afternoon or evening. We will have to stop by Mt Rogers Outfitters and look around! It's a 7 hour drive for us, so we'll be hungry!

The Old Fhart

01-20-2005, 08:32

I'm not sure how Mama Cass would have liked your song, Hog, but I think it is just great! How you could have got the inspiration to write something that great in a cement block tin roofed shelter that is sinking into the ground is amazing. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Lone Wolf

01-20-2005, 08:34

Dot's cheap, Mill not.

baseballswthrt

01-20-2005, 08:37

What type of food do they have?

Lone Wolf

01-20-2005, 08:40

Dot's has burgers and such and the Mill has steaks, ribs,etc. Tonight they have a seafood buffet for $18. A big selection of seafood.

baseballswthrt

01-20-2005, 08:42

Thanks, Wolf. We appreciate it!

wacocelt

01-20-2005, 08:48

Youngblood

01-20-2005, 10:36

If you give him advance notice LW will meet you at MRO and shuttle you around town in his rikshaw. You should have seen him toting folks up and down the gravel roads at NOC during the Ruck! No wonder he's lost so much weight!

Alpha
Alpha,

You know, you might be on to something... think tourist would pay for a rikshaw ride on the AT, pulled by thru-hikers down the middle of the friendest town on the trail? ... and maybe even pulled by some of the more notorious thru-hikers? Wonder what you could come up with... hmmm, Baltimore Jack could take them out on the White Blazed Path and Lone Wolf could bring em back on a more senic Blue Blazed Path.

Youngblood

J.D.

01-20-2005, 10:53

Lone Wolf!

Having met you on Springer New Years Eve and learning that you ACTUALLY live in Damascus, I cannot explain how envious I am...! It is so good that you have involved yourself with that fine community!

My one adventure in Damascus for Trail Days was too much fun! The community and visitors were 99.9% wonderful, friendly, and grinning ear-to-ear. The tiny other percentage are probably ALWAYS unhappy with themselves & the world or too high...<g>....

Happy Trails,

J.D. & SkyDog

Windsock

01-20-2005, 14:15

As a newly ex-thru-hiker, I am eagerly anticipating my first Trail Days festival this coming May. And, though I'm at school in south Texas, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get there despite not owning a car and finishing up finals right around the time it should occur.

My experience with Damascus this October was definitely a positive one. Easily the friendliest PO, definitely the most competent outfitter, good people almost without exception, and the shower at The Place was some of the most finely tweaked water pressure I experienced the whole way. To me much of the recent talk of Damascus as an "overrated" trailtown speaks more to the excessive hype than the town's actual shortcomings. Especially for southbounders, Damascus is a buzzword, a carefully crafted trail entity the significance of which we have the majority of the Trail's distance to construct and distort.
As to Trail Days I have heard repeatedly, insistently (and without dropping names) from the highest authority that Trail Days' magic has been on a steadily declining curve since around 2000. Moving hikers out of town, strict laws about tenting, campfire ordinances, open container nitpicking (fine, I can understand that one), Orwellian police presence and just flat-out uncool flaunting of power at what should be and once was a well-intended and well-received gathering of Damascus' favorite kind of lowlife. There has even been talk of misappropriation of Trail Days-generated funds in order to demonstrate that the festival does not generate nearly the revenue that it actually does.
I'm forcing myself not to expect anything come May; I'll just let myself see Trail Days as if I'd never heard anything about the way it used to be. Especially now that I hear what the theme is going to be, though, my interest is piqued. They'll either have to make some concessions to the hikers or stand silent trial for utter hypocrisy.

Footslogger

01-20-2005, 14:38

I'm forcing myself not to expect anything come May; I'll just let myself see Trail Days as if I'd never heard anything about the way it used to be. Especially now that I hear what the theme is going to be, though, my interest is piqued. They'll either have to make some concessions to the hikers or stand silent trial for utter hypocrisy.========================================
There are lots of hikers who have been to more Trail Days than I ...but I've been to every one since 1997. Some things have changed over time. But if you've never been to one before that's all just water over the dam. Come expecting to have a good time and most likely you will. By far, the hilight of attending a Trail Days event (IMHO) is getting to hang with hikers you met on the trail and would otherwise never see again.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Lone Wolf

01-20-2005, 14:46

Trail Days camping was moved out of the middle of town because there is simply no more room to hold all the hikers, plus a few bungholes stay drunk and rowdy till all hours of the morning. Shi**y sounding drum circles at 3:00 AM ain't cool. I've been to 14 Trail Days. More and more non-hikers are showing up for a party hence a bigger police presence over the years.
"The Place" that you speak highly of is in danger of being shut down cuz some hikers are proving year after year they can't/won't abide by the posted rules and not putting $ in the donation box.
If a hiker never came through Damascus again, the town wouldn't notice. Hikers don't spend much $. The Creeper Trail is the big cash cow.

Mountain Dew

01-20-2005, 16:42

Thanks to Miss Janet working with the police the drum circles shut it down at 12 am SHARP last year Wolf. All in all I thought the people in the hiker camp behaved themselves very well. The police even came by Billville to hang out and talk numerous times. I think they enjoyed the music and coffee...

Lone Wolf

01-20-2005, 16:53

I'm not referring to last year. The drum circle shut-down was predetermined before Miss Janet or anybody else came along. And yes, last year's hiker campground was quiet.

A-Train

01-20-2005, 17:38

If a hiker never came through Damascus again, the town wouldn't notice. Hikers don't spend much $. The Creeper Trail is the big cash cow.

Can you elaborate on that a bit more. Seems MRO wouldn't be doing very good business if hikers weren't walking thru. I'm sure they make a good business during traildays. Take away the hikers and there is no Traildays.
I don't think Sheriff would be opening a food establishment if there weren't to be anymore hikers coming through.

Not to say any businessperson is getting rich off the AT and it's hikers, but I certainly wouldn't say they don't spend ANY money.

Lone Wolf

01-21-2005, 02:01

There are 5 Creeper Trail bike shuttle services in town. Come June the town is swamped with bikers, especially weekends. I'm sure Sheriff and Becky aren't opening a food joint with hikers in mind.

Lugnut

01-21-2005, 13:49

Are there enough creeps in a town that size to justify so many shuttler services? :D

The Solemates

01-21-2005, 13:58

This is no exaggeration. Ive been to Damascus about a dozen times, and it is always much much much busier on a sunny summer saturday with bikes everywhere. i must admit, ive done the creeper twice. but we always bring our own bikes and dont give the town of damascus a dime. :o

Jack Tarlin

01-21-2005, 16:11

There ws no "Orwellian" police presence or "flaunting of power" at Trail Days 2004. The cops I saw, met, and talked with were friendly, courteous, and nothing but professional. There were VERY few problems this year, and this was BECAUSE of the professionalism of the town officials, and not in spite of it.

The residents of Damascus (and the town's officials and Public Safety people) have been treating hikers well----sometimes too well----for years, and to imply that things have changed or gone downhill there, or to imply the town's officials are anything but fair,friendly, and respectful to hikers and other visitors is simply untrue.

Mountain Dew

01-22-2005, 04:42

Lone Wolf, "The drum circle shut-down was predetermined before Miss Janet or anybody else came along."--- o.k. I should have been more explanatory. You are correct Wolf, but they sure knew exactly who to hand pick when they needed a voice the whole A.T. community would listen to.

I remember her making the announcement to the crowd and hearing one hiker ask another in a very arrogant manner...." who the hell is she" ...hahaaa About that time another hiker responded with ... " She's Miss Janet so have some respect" .... hahaaaa