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Re: [at-l] First White Blaze

In 1977 I was in the Air Force and stationed in Charleston, S.C.  I was attending
college at the Citadel during my off-duty hours.  I was also doing a little research
work for Dr. Bruce Ezell who eventually became my mentor.

Both my first wife and I had family back in Tennessee and she wished to visit them
that summer while I worked, studied and participated in research.  While I was
planning the trip to take her and our daughters to Tennessee, Dr. Ezell suggested
that I stop in the mountains on my way back and take a walk to the top of Water Rock
Nob.  I did and enjoyed my first real hike so much that, when I was returning to
pick up my family and bring them back to Charleston he suggested I see a peculiar
rock outcropping known as Charlie's Bunion.  He also suggested I read Ed Garvey's
book about hiking the AT.

So I hiked out to Charlie's Bunion, stopping at a shelter along the way and
marveling at the wire supports for people to spread thgeir sleeping bags on.  It was
during this hike that I saw my first white blaze, though I had not read Ed's book
and did not understand the full significance of them.  I did learn, that day, that
the AT is 90% uphill . . . in both directions. ;->

When I reached Charlie's Bunion, I climbed up onto some high rocks to eat lunch.
>From this spot I could through the mountains to west out to the lowlands and farm
country.  After I had been sitting for awhile several guys came up the trail
hollering and whooping and disturbing the peace something awful.  The spent several
minutes throwing rocks and empty beer cans off the bunion, then turned and left.  I
was just beginning to enjoy the restoration of tranquility when there came a long
peal of thunder and a huge cloud slid over the mountain just across the valley and
headed my way.  Novice to mountain hiking that I was I still knew that I did not
want to be caught on a high, rocky outcropping in a thunderstorm so I reluctantly
packed up my trash and headed back for the car.  Even so I was enveloped for a brief
time in the clouds.

Sometime during that day I was first bitten by the AT bug and since then I have
hiked, driven past and flown over it many times.  When I fly on commercial airlines
I always carry a road atlas with me because I like to have an idea about what I am
looking at.  On several trips I am convinced that I actually glimpsed the AT as I
flew over.

Not long after that I read Appalachian Hiker: Adventure of a Lifetime by Garvey and
have longed to thru-hike ever since.  Now, though it is not perfectly possible, the
opportunity is at hand.  The software company I worked for failed recently and I
have decided that this is my chance to go.  After many long discussions, my wife has
agreed to suport me in this effort.  I have not set a start date because there are a
number of variables that still need to be accounted for, but I plan to be on the
trail and walking north no later than mid-April.  Sooner if I can manage it.

Before I sign off from the list I will post the URL for the web-page where Sue, my
wife, will be transcribing my journal and posting photos from the trail.

I've had Springer fever for over 20 years, this year I may find the cure.

Cloudwalker


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