is Trail Days worth the backtrack?

[Roughin' It]

I am leaving around March 13th for my thru, and according to my calculations, to arrive in Damascus about the time Trail Days starts, I will have to only do 7.7 miles per day. So, I am pretty sure I will be a couple hundred miles north of Damascus when TD starts. For those who have backtracked to be a part of Trail Days, is it worth it? I am sure it is a good time and all, but how hard is it to find a hitch all the way back down there? Would you have wish you just kept hiking?

[Lone Wolf]

I am leaving around March 13th for my thru, and according to my calculations, to arrive in Damascus about the time Trail Days starts, I will have to only do 7.7 miles per day. So, I am pretty sure I will be a couple hundred miles north of Damascus when TD starts. For those who have backtracked to be a part of Trail Days, is it worth it? I am sure it is a good time and all, but how hard is it to find a hitch all the way back down there? Would you have wish you just kept hiking?

no. not worth it. come back in 2011. it's just another party.

[Elder]

Yes it is worth the effort...it is the Trail Days of the year You hiked.

Pay no attention to the grump behind the curtain!

[Pedaling Fool]

If you're going to make a decision based on the number of yeas vs. neas. Then my vote is nea -- don't backtrack.

[SGT Rock]

I'd vote no.

But you will have to figure it out for yourself. If you are with a group of friends and they all want to go back, the maybe you will want a vacation off the trail with your friends. Seems like there is always a ride to Trail Days and a ride back when it is over.

[white_russian]

It all depends on what kind of person you are. Some folks love it, but it is not that great to me.

[garlic08]

I didn't do it (backtrack), didn't even consider it, and I don't regret it at all. I went once about ten years ago because I just happened to be there, but I wouldn't go out of my way. Different story if you're going to rendevous with someone there. That was the case with the people I saw heading back.

[modiyooch]

I say no. I would go another year when you can have a reunion with people that you meet while hiking this year.

[modiyooch]

I say no. I would go another year when you can have a reunion with people that you meet while hiking this year.

esp since you don't seem to live too far from Damascus

[Pickleodeon]

I'd say it was worth it, at least for the year of your thruhike. My group and I weren't sure that we were going to, but we ended up in Atkins right about that time. We zero'ed there and got a shuttle from a church group the next day.

It was fun, you get to see pretty much everyone you've met along the trail and you meet the people that are just ahead and behind you that you might not have ever met, or that you might run into later down the trail.

It depends on your personal level of party-ness, though. We tented in a yard of one of the b&b's for free. Right by the river and out of party-central. Or, you could choose tent city in the field with about a thousand other drunk partying hikers, but don't expect to sleep. depends what you're into, but we had a good time.

Lots of free stuff, fun, food, showers, gear repair, and meeting up with other people.

And there are a lot of people willing to give rides, especially if you stop in a trail town, like at a hostel or an outfitter, they should be able to hook you up with a ride back.

[Roughin' It]

esp since you don't seem to live too far from Damascus

very true. I don't think I am the type of person to go out of the sheer excitement of it all, but maybe if I find a ride, who knows.

[Spokes]

It was way too much of hassle for me last year so just kept on hiking. Didn't regret it one bit.

[Pacific Tortuga]

I'd say the question you need to ask yourself is, will you ever have a chance to pass that way, during 'Trail Days' time again ?
You show living in Virginia and young, so chances are good. Keep on truckin' north, and enjoy it some time later, like L. Wolf said.
If your healthy (no injuries) and in a "hiking zone" mentally, don't disrupt it, any stupid thing can happen, while in a T.D. intoxication mode.

[rambunny]

I went back the 1st thru from Perisburg (took 3 hitches) wished i hadn't. Didn't the other 2-(too far north). But going to it the year after your hike you will love. I stayed in Abingdon for the last one i went to-(got good sleep). I agree if it happens it happens but don't interupt a good hike for it.

[David@whiteblaze]

Okay, I have a question... My aspiration is to hike the ECT to canada, staring in fall of '12 or '13 and then (given enough money) hike back. I need to leave pretty early to avoid the worst of the Winter in Canada, so I will more than likely be past damascus by may, but there is the possibility that I will be North of it (heading South) the next year, would that be worth it?

[Slo-go'en]

Trail days is one of those things you likely should experinace once in your life, but to make a special effort to get there? If the oppertunity presents it's self to get there, then it could be worth it. Hows that for a really ambiguous answer?

The one time I happend to end up at trail days, I was suffering with a bad chest cold so I didn't have a very good time and trail magic seemed to abandon me for a time while there. My opinon is therefore somewhat jaded. Though it was kinda interesting to talk to some of the equipment venders.

[David@whiteblaze]

Actually, that was just about perfect... I just wanted to know whether it was more of a day-hiker or a long-distance hiker type of event (or both) so that I could budget approprately.

[David@whiteblaze]

Forget my last... Ill probably pass it in January or February, and then around October, if all goes according to plan

[AUhiker90]

I have heard rumors of trail days being moved or something. Does anyone know anything about that???

[SGT Rock]

Very bad rumors.

Other places start Trail Days like events, but the town of Damascus puts on trail days. I can't imagine the town leadership wanting to have the thing in some other town.