Wilbur Dam Road, TN to Damascus, VA

[CentralVaAt]

I'm planning a 3 day section in a few weeks starting at Wilbur Dam Road to Damascus. I'm thinking of staying at or near Iron Mountain Shelter and Abingdon Gap Shelter. Has anyone hiked this section recently? Any tips or advice? Bear activity? Thanks in advance!

[Gambit McCrae]

I would have to say carry water up from Wilbur RD as the walk down from Vendeventner shelter(first shelter youll pass), is the longest steepest water source ive used lol, other then that it has been 2 years since I did that section, a nice stretch of ridge from vendeventner shelter to iron shelter, and I don't remember the Abingdon shelter. I went from Pont Flatts to Vendeventer shelter, and from there to Osborn farm and from there to Damascus.

[la.lindsey]

I'm planning a 3 day section in a few weeks starting at Wilbur Dam Road to Damascus. I'm thinking of staying at or near Iron Mountain Shelter and Abingdon Gap Shelter. Has anyone hiked this section recently? Any tips or advice? Bear activity? Thanks in advance!

Well, I just walked from TN91 to laurel fork shelter today, so that took me past Wilbur dam road. I stopped at Iron Mountain shelter to look at the shelter log.

Going southbound it was a nice hike, so I guess you'll have a fair bit of uphill. I did pass one thruhiker going NOBO who gasped out "too many uphills" when I stood to the side, so be prepared for that, I guess.

Otherwise that section was fairly unremarkable except for the mud, which hopefully you won't have. I thought most of the trail (except for the last mile before laurel fork, but that's not your section) was very well graded with nice switch backs. I didn't think water was an issue until the end of the day, but that's because I tend to be very cavalier about water. You should be fine if you actually get water at water sources instead of skipping them like I do.

I got nothing north of TN 91, but I'm hiking that NOBO next weekend up to just past partnership shelter, so I can't report back then.

[u.w.]

I did almost that exact section at the end of March this year. I was just under 4.5 miles farther south of Wilbur Dam Rd, at 321/Watauga/Shook Branch Rd - and hiked north back up to Damascus.
When I hiked it there were no bear [paper]signs up anywhere. Then I hiked f/ Hughes Gap north back up to 321/Watauga/Shook Branch Rd & then into Hampton at the end of April - There's bear [paper]signs up all over the place now - though I saw zero bears and zero evidence of bear(s) on either hike....

The signs state that bears are an issue around Watauga Lake, north up to Wilbur Damn road... So based on the signs.... you oughta be fine.....

I stayed at Iron Mountain Shelter one night & Abingdon Gap Shelter the other night. You'll have a bit of an uphill starting off at Wilbur Dam Rd. It's not a terrible climb at all though, and there's switchbacks. I stopped for water at the spring about a mile and a half before Vandeventer Shelter. As Gambit McCrae mentioned, the water just prior to (south of) the Vandeventer Shelter is down a steep blue blaze. I started down it.... thought better of it, lol, turned around, and pressed on
The Vandeventer Shelter is a short one, so watch yer head around it. It was raining and foggy when I went by it so no views, but supposedly there are good views there behind it... Also decent water about four miles north of the Vandeventer Shelter too - where I did stop for water and calories before continuing on to the Iron Mt Shelter. And the spring/stream about .3 south of Iron Mountain Shelter is decent - but there is NOT water at the shelter.
Decent water at Abingdon Gap Shelter, down a steep hill behind the shelter. Real nice section of trail between there and Damascus, it goes quick.

u.w.

[CentralVaAt]

Well, I just walked from TN91 to laurel fork shelter today, so that took me past Wilbur dam road. I stopped at Iron Mountain shelter to look at the shelter log.

Going southbound it was a nice hike, so I guess you'll have a fair bit of uphill. I did pass one thruhiker going NOBO who gasped out "too many uphills" when I stood to the side, so be prepared for that, I guess.

Otherwise that section was fairly unremarkable except for the mud, which hopefully you won't have. I thought most of the trail (except for the last mile before laurel fork, but that's not your section) was very well graded with nice switch backs. I didn't think water was an issue until the end of the day, but that's because I tend to be very cavalier about water. You should be fine if you actually get water at water sources instead of skipping them like I do.

I got nothing north of TN 91, but I'm hiking that NOBO next weekend up to just past partnership shelter, so I can't report back then.

Great, thank you so much!!

[CentralVaAt]

Thanks so much for you feedback!