On trail Food drops in VA?

[Mobuchu]

Hey all, I'm hoping to do at least 1, if not 2, 100-120 mile sections in VA this year and looking for suggestions. It'll be a week long hike with 1 Food drop in the middle and we'd really like that food drop to be ON trail. Thats the tough part in VA, Hot Springs and Damascus made this easier to plan last year!

So my biggest question is good spots to do a food drop and then I can plan from there. As section hikers we typically do Mtn house meals, and don't actually cook, so any trail towns/resupply spots that provide them will work too. Just don't want to take much time to shuttle to a town since it's a short trip. I've hiked everything up to Narrows, VA so my sections will all be north of there.

How about Middle creek campground? Big Meadows Lodge/campground? Any others?

I know, we should cook more! But when you only do a week at most it's just too easy to do the meals.

Thanks,
Daybreak

[map man]

Daleville: Kroger grocery store is a few tenths of a mile off trail if you want to shop as you go. If you want to overnight at the Howard Johnson or Super 8 both of those places accept packages you mail ahead and are just a couple tenths of a mile off trail.

Other motels/hostels/B&Bs a mile or less from trail that accept packages if you stay there and are in parts of Virginia you haven't hiked yet: Four Pines, NOBO mile 704.0; Colony House Motel, west at Rockfish Gap, NOBO mile 863.7; Mountain Home at US 522, NOBO mile 971.5; Bears Den hostel, NOBO mile 1005.0. That's in addition to the couple places you already mentioned.

[MuddyWaters]

Unlimited.
Mail it to a shuttler
Pay them to deliver it to you, time and place you choose.

[Mobuchu]

Daleville: Kroger grocery store is a few tenths of a mile off trail if you want to shop as you go. If you want to overnight at the Howard Johnson or Super 8 both of those places accept packages you mail ahead and are just a couple tenths of a mile off trail.

Other motels/hostels/B&Bs a mile or less from trail that accept packages if you stay there and are in parts of Virginia you haven't hiked yet: Four Pines, NOBO mile 704.0; Colony House Motel, west at Rockfish Gap, NOBO mile 863.7; Mountain Home at US 522, NOBO mile 971.5; Bears Den hostel, NOBO mile 1005.0. That's in addition to the couple places you already mentioned.

Great info mm, thanks for the specifics, I'll add those to my list. Should be able to work around those easily to knock out VA in the next 2 summers.

[LazyLightning]

Unlimited.
Mail it to a shuttler
Pay them to deliver it to you, time and place you choose.

There's a great idea I never thought of... I planned my thru hike looking for places that are walking distance from trail that I could have stuff sent to, planned as I went looking to do about 100 mile sections at a time. If I knew I could have just sent to a shuttle driver and pay them to bring it to me I may have done that a few times.... Not for Shaws $80 drop fee in the 100 mile but I'm sure it gets more reasonable elsewhere

[MuddyWaters]

There's a great idea I never thought of... I planned my thru hike looking for places that are walking distance from trail that I could have stuff sent to, planned as I went looking to do about 100 mile sections at a time. If I knew I could have just sent to a shuttle driver and pay them to bring it to me I may have done that a few times.... Not for Shaws $80 drop fee in the 100 mile but I'm sure it gets more reasonable elsewhere

Ive heard of it being done on AT in places

Won't be any cheaper than hauling people. But $35 to $50 is probably a reasonable for 20 or 25 Mi type distance. Add postage on top of that and yeah it's getting kind of pricey. But if it keeps you out of a town stay at at a motel or hostel, so may all even out.

[A/T Spike]

I used Stamimals to resupply at rt501, rt60 and at I64. Was less then 60 bucks for all three resupplies.