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[at-l] First White Blaze - Intial Failure, Ultimate Success

I grew up an hour from the AT in Pennsylvania,  and alas,  didn't even know
it.  I'm a late bloomer with regard to backpacking,  but I make up for it with
my passion for it.  Once Peter Jenkins stirred my interest in backpacking
(1991),  I read everything I could get my hands about the topic and learned
about the AT and knew that thru-hiking it would be one of my life's major
goals (in 2003).  The trouble was, I was here in Florida hundreds of miles
from the Trail.

In July 1994 on a short family vacation in PA,  my brother-in-law (a bird
lover) suggested a trip to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Eckville.  We loaded
kids and everybody up in two cars and headed out for Hawk Mt. on the last full
day of our trip.  At this time,  I had no clue about where Hawk Mt. was.  We
got there and went into the gift shop to pay our fee.  We wandered through the
shop and came across the scale plaster topo model with the trails laid out.
And, lo and behold,  I see that these trails hook up to the AT!  Of course,  I
wanted to immediately set off to see my first white blaze,  BUT,  we hadn't
come for that and the route we were taking had been planned and I had to
accompany the family group and watch my chance to see the AT slip right thru
my fingers.  The next day we flew back to Florida and I cursed my buzzard's
luck at having been so close,  but failed.

I would be back the following year and would not be deterred.  During the long
wait,  I acquired my backpacking gear -- but did not use it -- I wanted to
break it in on the AT.  I got maps and began planning how I was going to
squeeze in some backpacking on a family vacation.

When July '95 finally arrived,  I drove so as not to subject my still unused
gear to baggage handlers.  My actual backpacking trip was going to start about
five days after arriving in PA and I didn't want to wait that long to glimpse
my first white blaze and feel the trail under my feet.  The following morning
after arriving I set out (solo) for the closest AT point at Route 309 with a
day pack.  I parked in the hiker lot, and felt an enormous anticipation as I
got out and clipped on my day pack.  Since north is the direction of choice
among thru-hikers,  I decided that north was the direction to begin my day-
hike.  I can't say that seeing that first blaze was an epiphany because I
could still see the highway,  but within a few minutes on the Trail I knew
that all the frustration and anticipation and investment in all that
backpacking equipment was validated.  I was finally here,  home on the Trail.

Happy trails,

Solar Bear
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