Date: 2010-05-03
From: Damascus

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 89.3

Of course I did not hike 89.3 miles from Damascus to Knot Maul Shelter in one day. This is a summary of the time I arrived in Damascus until I reached Knot Maul Branch Shelter on Monday May 3.My grandfather arrived to meet me in Damascus on Wednesday April 21. I was really glad to see him and looked forward to hiking with him for a few days. We spent the day in Damascus visiting some of the other thru hikers in town and there were many. My grandfather played trail angel and shuttled some to the grocery store and back. We joined Smokestack, Panda, Natedog, Thrasher and Turkey at the cottage that Panda had rented for her mom, herself and Smokestack. We enjoyed swapping stories and New Jersey pizza that Panda had brought. Afterwards my grandfather and I retired our room in a great Bed & Breakfast for the night where we packed up our meals and gear fro the hike. I did not sleep well as my back started hurting and I ached all over. I woke in the morning with a sore throat. I bought some over the counter cold meds and my grandfather suggested that we wait a day before heading out on the trail.We relocated to the Mt. Rogers Outfitter' hostel, Dave's Place. I took my meds and spent most of the afternoon sleeping and wrapped up in my sleeping bag. I had developed a fever and really felt bad. My grandfather said that if I was not better by the next morning that we would find a doctor. Well Friday morning came and I was still running a fever. We went to the local clinic and they did a strep throat test that was positive. They gave me a prescription for some antibiotics and said rest. We rented our spot at Dave's place for another night and I started on the meds.I felt some better Saturday morning but was really weak feeling. My grandfather decide to head back to Tuscaloosa and told me to rest there for a couple more days and if I did not get better go back to the clinic.My friend Mike who had been in Damascus for about a week decided to return to Tuscaloosa with my grandfather as he only had enough funds to make it another couple hundred miles. So when they pulled out around noon I felt a little sad. Mike my best friend was gone, Smokestack, Panda and Natedog, Sofa King, Thrasher and Turkey had all returned to the trail.I spent Saturday night at Dave's Place again and decided that I had to start hiking again. I left Damascus Sunday afternoon and hiked about a mile and set up camp. Staying in town costs money. Monday I hike only about eight miles to the first shelter and decided to stay put as I was weak. I had hoped to be able to push hard and maybe catch some of the people that I had been hiking with, Smokestack, Natedog, Cowgirl¢¦ but I realized that was probably impossible.I did hook up with another group of thru hikers to hike with Tuesday. We hiked over Mount Rogers together in the moonlight. We hiked Grayson Highlands together and fed the free roaming ponies. That was really neat. All in all the hike on North was really good. We hitched into the town of Troutdale were we found a bunkhouse operated by the local church for just a dollar per night, a grocery store for resupply and a cafe.At any rate I hike on to Marion, then Atkins and on to Knot Maul Branch Shelter north of Atkins on Monday night May 3. I spent the night mostly thinking instead of sleeping. I knew when I left Springer on March 1 that I did not have the funds to hike all the way to Maine and I had already made it farther that I had expected because my grandfather had sent me food and money at mail drops but I just could not continue spending his money. I also had some obligations back home that I needed to take care of¢¦