First Cross-Country Flight!

It's safe to say that I love my new U2.I got to the Pulpit at 11:00 and it was definitely cross North. But there were straight in cycles, easily launchable. Tony and I decided to get set up and then drop a car in primary. While we were setting up, Carlos, Dave Proctor, Mark, and Cragin showed up. Generously, Mark offered to follow Tony and me down to the LZ so we could drop both cars, and solve the rides-up issue early. I have been looking to go over the back for a few months but didn't think it was happening because of the cross. So putting both Tony's and my car in LZ sounded perfect. Back up top, while most of us stood there considering it, Dave got suited up and launched from the new (wood) ramp. It didn't take him long to find a thermal down the ridge and get up. However, the North cross was pronounced. Making the primary was not going to be an issue... After watching the wind on the old ramp for awhile, I decided to give it a shot. I waited through a lot of cross junk and took a good cycle. I found minimal ridge lift and headed down the ridge. One thing I've learned in hang gliding is that there's no shame in following the leader. Though I couldn't respond, I could hear Dave on the radio giving me real time advice in the air. Invaluable. He told me to stay behind him and I followed him out away from the ridge. We hooked into a nice thermal and took it up maybe 1K over the ridge where we lost it. Or at least I lost it, maybe Dave just left it to make me feel better.... I followed him around for awhile in search mode but couldn't keep up on glide. That Litespeed is fast and I wasn't messing with the VG yet on the U2. He headed down toward launch and I stayed near the LZ because I was sinking. Others have mentioned and I have also noticed that on thermal days the thermals are much better out away from the ridge. This was also true just a little while earlier when I was following Dave. So at about ridge level, I headed out, hoping to find something and preparing to land if I didn't. Beep, beep, beep... What's this? I started turning and it started to turn on. Up I went and drifted back with it. By the time I was over the ridge, I was about 1,500' over. I stayed with it and drifted back, climbing all the time. By the time I was over the second ridge, I was around 2,300' over. Once again, I was plenty high to go over the back (and halfway there) but there was no one to accompany me. Unfortunately, Dave was getting hammered on the ridge at this point and I was all alone. But I had my radio and my cell phone......so I went for it. As I drifted over the third ridge, I located the High School on 75 and pointed towards it. It seemed like the perfect time to start playing with the VG so I pulled it on 3/4 and went on glide. I didn't hit anything on the way but I got there with a good 1,500' so I thought, maybe I'll make it in to Mercersburg. Over the school I blundered into a weak thermal, cut the VG back down to 1/4, and climbed up another 500' or so. Then I thought, maybe I can make it past Mercersburg! I went on glide again (more VG fun!) to the North of town and once past it found another, much nicer thermal. I climbed about 2,000' in that one and then decided to follow 416 south because it was pretty much straight downwind. I found a couple more small climbs and eventually was down to around 1,000'. There were several fields in range at that point and I picked the big one out of a few possibilities. The toughest thing for me was trying to determine the contours of the field from that high. But I could see power lines by the road and there were none in or around the field. And there were no fences that I could see. So I circled down and set up a long final. Around 3-400' I realized I was too high so I did one more turn. Mistake. There was too much wind in the valley and I ended up too far back and too low. I should have done S-turns. I immediately bailed on that field and went to one of the others that I had seen earlier. It was much smaller, back in a neighborhood. The approach was ugly but I put it down without whacking or anything. It was one of those sliding landings. I actually landed about 50 yards across the MD state line for 16 miles on my first XC. I called up launch and reported my position which I thought was a couple miles down 416. Honestly! Dan Tomlinson agreed to come get me and while I was on the phone with him, I saw the Maryland flag waving and realized where I was, more than a couple miles. Sorry, but sweet! So it was an awesome experience and I learned a valuable lesson about landing out and specifically setting up the approach. Huge thank you to Dan, I owe you one! And thank you Dave also for the in-flight advice, it really did help. Consider the umbilical cord cut!