Atkins to Pearisburg #2

If anyone is interested according to Guthook I camped at

Night 1. Mile 571.2. Dirt Road. Nice spot. Did have a truck drive up and turn around about dark. Good 4G Verizon service.

Night 2. Mile 596.3. Campsite Another nice spot for 1. Not really room for 2 but you could make it work if someone didn't mind being slightly out of level. Super setup for an easy 14 miles into Trent's Grocery the next day. Lots of easy miles with few climbs or rocky sections. Good 4G Verizon service.

Night 3. Mile 628.3. Campsite. I originally stopped at Doc's Knob but it was early and there was no cell service down in the hole so I packed up and moved up 6/10 of mile to this campsite so I could play on my phone. Could fit 2 people here. Great setup for what would be an easy few hours into Pearisburg the next day were it not for the 4 miles of blowdowns that will probably be cleared by the end of the month.

Hello, 10-K
So I'm doing this same section next weekend. I've been following your comments on guthooks. Looks like a fun time navigating blowdowns! haha. It seems like water will not be problem.
A few questions for you:

1. Do you know if Lickskillet Hostel ever re-opened? (the church hostel off Price Ridge Rd.) Didn't see info in guthooks but figured you may have heard about it from other hikers.
2. At Trent's Grocery, did you happen to notice if they sell freeze-dried meals? (possible small resupply)
3. Did you see the campsite at mile 577 (Davis Farm campsite I think it's called) or sites near it? My per day mileage will be a bit lighter than yours since I will have my dog with me. Was thinking of camping here for night 2. Any info on this little site? like water etc.?
4. Did you see a lot of thru-hikers? Should I expect crowds at shelters? I know the bubble is a little south, but also that many started way earlier this year so trying to get a feel for shelter availability.
any info is much appreciated!

thanks
Greyimp7

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Greyimp7

Hello, 10-K
So I'm doing this same section next weekend. I've been following your comments on guthooks. Looks like a fun time navigating blowdowns! haha. It seems like water will not be problem.
A few questions for you:

1. Do you know if Lickskillet Hostel ever re-opened? (the church hostel off Price Ridge Rd.) Didn't see info in guthooks but figured you may have heard about it from other hikers.
2. At Trent's Grocery, did you happen to notice if they sell freeze-dried meals? (possible small resupply)
3. Did you see the campsite at mile 577 (Davis Farm campsite I think it's called) or sites near it? My per day mileage will be a bit lighter than yours since I will have my dog with me. Was thinking of camping here for night 2. Any info on this little site? like water etc.?
4. Did you see a lot of thru-hikers? Should I expect crowds at shelters? I know the bubble is a little south, but also that many started way earlier this year so trying to get a feel for shelter availability.
any info is much appreciated!

thanks
Greyimp7

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Thanks.

I did not check out Lickskillet and have no info on that one.

Trent's didn't have freeze dried meals that I noticed. It was pretty slim pickings. I got a couple of burgers to go and had them for dinner one night. I did notice they had 4-5 cans of canister fuel.

Davis Farms campsite is marked with a sign but I didn't go check it out. It's downhill off the trail so an extra up in the morning. I'm like 95% sure I remember thinking you could camp right off the AT here without going down there.

I played hopscotch with 1 thru hiker all the way from Atkins to Pearisburg and only saw 2 other hikers total, both of them were going south. It was a solitary hike.

Enjoy your hike - this is a great section!

3. Davis Farm campsite has a nice view of the valley and water close. You do drop down off the ridge. Watch out for the cows if the fence is down in the pasture!

Awesome, friends!
Thanks for the info. Hopefully maintenance crews are out this and next weekend.
When I return, I'll post back with more updated info for anyone who is looking into this section.

Greyimp7

First, wow, it took me 6 days to complete that same section. I didn't stop at Lickskillet or Trent's, but I can recommend a night at Woods Hole (assuming they're open right now) which sets you up for an easy last day into Pearisburg.

Second, I highly recommend Davis Farm Campsite. One of my favorite campsites in all of VA. It's about 1/3 mile off trail, but it has a nice large flat area with room for 3-4 tents and a nice spring just a little ways further downhill. Great sunset views of the valley to the west. You will hear cows but they stop once it gets dark. Most surprisingly, I had a full 5 bars with AT&T there.

Thanks for the info. I'll be going through that section in April as part of a 378-mile planned hike. I like being able to add little notes to my guide, especially where there might be a decent campsite that isn't listed.

Regarding water at the Davis Farm campsite - I have a note (probably from one of the youtubers...but not sure which one) that says there was NO WATER on March 11. (also no water at the stream 0.9 north of Jenkins shelter, same day; water at the shelter was good) Rain since may have changed that, but AWOL's does list them both as unreliable.

There is also a campsite beside the gravel road about a mile south of the Davis camp turnoff, no water though, get your water at the bottom of the hill at the road crossing a mile north of the Chestnut shelter.

Does anyone have a recommended place to park in Atkins that is both safe and free?

That stretch of blowdowns on top of the ridge N of Chestnut Knob/Walkers Gap extended for about 6 miles and was the slowest hiking I'd ever done. 1 mph and legs scratched to hell. I'm also praying I haven't caught Hantavirus from Chestnut Knob. I vividly recall sweeping all the rodent droppings off the first bunk on the left when you walk in, and seeing in the beam of light the massive dust cloud it created. I felt like that wasn't a good thing and got home and began reading about hantavirus from aerosolized rodent droppings. It was still a fun stretch assuming I don't die.

It adds emphasis to our feelings of gratitude for those who do maintenance when their crews/clubs are usually spending their weekends and other optional times correcting such inconveniences or threats. But for them . . . .