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Re: [at-l] first AT steps.

Since I remember as a little kid being taken by my parents to Bear Mtn. & the
zoo so I walked on the AT  first circa 1952.  At that time the AT logo and the
white blazes were meaningless to me.  In 1960 I first hiked the AT with the
boy scouts in Harriman Park.  Our leader, Popsie Weaver RIP, told us about this
trail that ran from ME to GA and I became facinated.  Popsie was the guy that
I learned most of my woods skills (the stuff not in the scout handbook).  At
that time Popsie was no older than I am now but to an 11 year old he was 
ancient.  Ergo the affectation Popsie.  To his face he was Mr. Weaver or when
I got old enough to use his first name (as a scoutamster myself) Mike.  Now 
whenever I see a white blaze and I am not hiking (like when I go up the 
Palisades Interstate Parkway and cross the AT) it arouses a similar feeling
to that of a far away train whistle late on a quiet night.  The ancient 
need to wander that took people from Asia over the ice bridge into north 
America that remains in all of us (or at least those of us on this list)
begins to stir and frustrate my dull existence.

Happy trails
Rich
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