15º when we wake up - and 55º when we get home.

We drive to the other side of the canyon to a parking area that was completely cleaned and get our trekking poles out to move through the deep snow to the edge of the canyon for a few pictures. Then it’s back into the Outback and we start the descent from Davis down to Wardensville.
Suddenly we noticed there is no more snow on the ground about 35 miles from our start. The temperature is also above freezing and the snow that had been trapped under the windshield wipers melts away. And like that, our winter trip is abruptly ended. No, we still have to drive on I-81, 66, 17, & I-95.

But our beautiful scenery turns into windmill lined mountain tops everywhere. Some believe that the windmills are green. Scenic Overlook ahead it says. I pull in there and all I see are windmills along the ridge of all the mountains as far as I can see. No way can I take a nature scene. The switchback roads built on the side of the mountains to get them don’t look too green with erosion evident. And, the windmills destroy beautiful panoramic photography. I’ve got to figure how to remove the windmills with some software magic.

BTW, Mount Storm, the coal fired power plant, had only water vapor disappearing out of it’s stacks - no smoke at all. All the sounding area strip mines had been backfilled as they were depleted look nice with tall forests of fir trees. You certainly can tell where the strip mines were if you look hard enough because there are hardwood forests on either side of fir tree forests. I bet most people wouldn't have a clue. Green wind power or dirty coal esthetics? The strip mine forests look much better than the tops of all the mountains littered with the windmills as far as you can see. At least it was beautiful at Blackwater Falls State Park. They haven’t windmilled that yet.

Yikes I-95 3:00PM-ish Fredericksburg to I-295. WAZE driving app says get on. I’m not so sure as I merge onto 6 or 7 lanes of southbound traffic. I couldn’t really take the time to count. The usual mile backup at route 3 exit ( Culpepper I believe ). Hectic last 45 miles down I-95. Whew! Kind of undoes our zen of Blackwater Falls State park.

Today’s picture is a canyon view with the sun shining. The snow storm is over and so is our trip.