Day Six: The Finale - It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

 Don't ask me why, but we were up and ready before 7am on that final day in Marion, just waiting for our little coffee shop to open its doors.

There was just a faint amount of snow falling as we made our way across the street and around the corner once again to Better Coffee Co.  Of course, I opted for the maple bacon donut to go with my coffee.

Bunny was there just before 8am to give us our final shuttle ride of the trip.  We filled her in on our adventures over the last two days and listened to her chuckles at our less-than-wise choices.  

All too soon, we were back in Bland.  All remnants of the sign Bunny had run over last Friday were gone. (Haha!)  Thankfully, my van was still there.   And then it was time to say goodbye.  We sure were going to miss our Bunny!

We headed north out of Bland, and into a heavier snowfall.  I hadn't really had driving a 12-passenger van in the mountains of West Virginia on my Wednesday agenda, but here we were.  We saw several terrible semi-truck accidents along the way and really hoped there were no major injuries.  

We were headed home but had one last stop to make on our way.  Misty has had a long-standing minor obsession with Mothman, and there just so happened to be a Mothman statue right on our way home.  So, we made a little pitstop in Point Pleasant, WV to check "a visit to Mothman" off of her bucket list.  I have never seen someone so excited to hug a statue and stick money in his rear end.  Apparently, this is a thing!  Misty was one happy girl.

And then we were back on the road, through Ohio and finally into Michigan.  Thinking back on our adventure, it sure seemed like a lot longer than just five days.  That sunny afternoon in Damascus seemed to be a long time ago.  While we didn't have the trip we planned, we definitely came back with many stories, and many lessons learned.  There aren't many people who would even be interested in a winter backpacking trip in the mountains of Virginia, but I had four friends willing to join me.  We laughed, we cried, was sang, and we ate so many Gummy Nerd Clusters.  I think, maybe, that our group is keeping the Nerds factory in business.  They really are the perfect trail snack!

This was my third trek on the Appalachian Trail, but definitely not my last.  I left some unfinished business there in Virginia, but I will be back to get those miles.  There will also be future trips.  I have ten states on the AT that I haven't been to!  I can't wait to visit the Smokies, The Shenandoahs, The Whites, The Presidentials, and Katahdin.  I can't wait to hike through small towns and stay in little hostels and have coffees in little cafes all along the trail.  I fell in love with the trail running community several years ago, and the hiking community is now right up there with it.  Sure, the adventures on the trails are great, but the people I have met along the way have made all the difference.  

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." - J.R.R.Tolkien