The contrasts on this side of the ridge are much starker than the other.  Here, one whole section of wood will be dried out and brown.  Then rounding a corner, one will find everything coated in snow, and the trail an almost un-navigable ice chute.  "It is like we just walked through the wardrobe!"  

We have left the A.T. behind us and are snaking our way down a blue blazed trail.  My mind races back and forth between feeling hungry and ready for a warm shower and bed, and sadness at the fact that soon I will have to say good-bye to the trail and to my friends.  At around 3PM we reach the car.  It is kinda fun to try to cram all 5 of us and our gear into the small 4 person compact.  But we manage.  
 

The Homeplace far from disappoints.  A mound of fried chicken disappears quickly along with most of the mashed potatoes and green beans.  The country ham survived fairly well in tact during the first wave of feasting, but soon it and even the cole slaw was depleted.  The second wave of chicken did not fare much better than the first.  There were so many bones on the table it looked as if we had devoured a small mammal.  
 

"Alright Moonshadow.  That last piece is yours!"  "I can't! I have chicken dripping out of my ears."  "C'mon Moonshadow!  You can't let these 06-ers see you like this!"  At that, a flicker of silvery light flashes in my eyes as a fork stabs into the defenseless chicken thigh.  Crumbs has no time for chit-chat when it comes to fried chicken!  
 

Now there is nothing left.  We retrieve our other car from the A.T. parking area and make our way back to our home base.  Viking has been cat sitting at a friends house in the mountains.  We sit for a little while for one last chat, but the road calls and Monday morning will be here all too soon.  We hug our good-byes and hope for hikes to come.