It has been two weeks since I finished up my Foothills Trail thru hike and I have this weird itchy spot (really a line, almost like from a cut) on the back of my knee. It doesn't look like the typical "bullseye" rash associate with Lyme disease, and it itches while Lyme rashes are not supposed to itch. I have no other Lyme like symptoms at all - no fever, no joint stiffness, muscle weakness, etc. I feel great overall.
Is it even possible for ticks to be active in the SC/NC mountains in February? I feel like the chances are very low with temps ranging from the high teens to 40s.
Honestly I feel like it would have been more likely to be bitten by a bed bug in the crappy motel I stayed at after finishing my hike than by any insect on the trail. Any thoughts on whether I should be concerned about possible tick exposure?