The trail leading south from Damascus is not one of my most memorable sections but it had to be done to meet Ken before the Roan Highlands. I meet the Chair Ladies on my first day out; they are famous for hiking sections of the trail each year, carrying their folding chairs for rest stops. On the third day, I am slowed down by the ministrations of local trail opponents. Someone has taken the time to unroll a ball of thread down the trail which I have to snap apart every thirty feet or so to make progress. The weather also persisted with rain showers on most days. I curse the trail builders as I climb over Pond Mountain and warm myself up at Laurel Fork Shelter before stopping at Moreland Gap Shelter. I meet Ken at the end of the fifth day and, after spotting his car further south, we hike through the spectacular balds of the Roan Highlands. Hump Mountain, Jane Mountain, and finally Roan High Knob bring this leg of my hike to an end. Within days, I am back at my brother's place in Troy, NY where I prepare to hike north from the Mass Pike.