Grayson Highlands

I took a couple of days longer than I wanted in Damascus but I think in the long run it was good for me. I was able to get my blister some care, let the swelling in my ankles go down, and get super excited to get back on the trail. My first day out I was planning on doing 16 miles, but did 21 or so. I got to the shelter I was planning on going to and found it full so I decided to find an awesome place to camp. Then I just got in the "zone" again and kept moving. I ended up camping on top of White Top Mountain in a beautiful field of yellow flowers with lots of fog and rain blowing through. Luckily I got set up and fed before the rain blew in. I slept great! And in the morning I woke up to a mobile crane driving up the road I was next to. I threw the driver a peace sign out the window of my tent and he waved back. I can only guess what he was thinking...

The next day I went through Grayson Highlands. It is just so beautiful. I think that was the place I first fell in love with the AT. I decided to just do 12 miles and I kind of poked along, taking my time, soaking up the scenery. I had to do a bit of hiking in the rain, and it looked like more was coming so I was coming off of one of the balds kind of fast. This turned out to be a mistake. I put my right foot carefully on a rock that looked pretty stable. Finding it so I proceded to lift my left foot. At this point, my stable right foot became unstable and I suddenly found myself laying on my back looking up at the looming storm clouds with one of my trekking poles underneath me. Luckily my back was between me and the rock, my pack cover was on so my pack didn't get soaked, and those clouds were quite pretty. I got up, shook myself off, and got on down the trail to the shelter.

At the shelter I met up with my new group...