The Pilot of a homebuilt; high wing tail dragger lost control during the landing roll and exited the runway; suffering only very minor injuries. No damage to the aircraft was reported. Reporter cited an undetected rear quartering crosswind as contributory.

Narrative

My route took me near a small airport on my short flight home. Thinking I would benefit from a couple take offs and landings on pavement I announced my intention to land to local traffic in the area. I set up a normal base approach and touchdown was uneventful. As the tail wheel settled; a quartering wind forced my tail to the right even though I had aileron rolled toward the cross wind. I touched the right brake hoping to correct. It continued to the left and then I added full throttle to go around. Normally the plane leaps back into the air straightening itself. This time it did not but continued to weathervane to the left. I exited the runway on the left side and; not quite airborne; went down the bank of the runway into the cattails. Skinned knuckles only; but once outside the aircraft realized I had chosen the runway direction to land that had been more down wind than up wind. My slowing aircraft had made my aileron/rudder corrections become reverse to what was needed to maintain my heading down the runway. In retrospect; I should have not made the spontaneous decision to proceed to landing without first confirming local wind conditions by over flying the field and checking the sock; or tuning to AWOS.