Talk Like A Hiker

The trail community has its own jargon or slang:

2000 Miler - a person who has hiked the entire distance of the A.T. either by thru hiking or section hiking

A.T.C. - the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  Dedicated to preserve, manage, and promote the trail.  See www.appalachiantrail.org for more info.

A.Y.C.E. - "All You Can Eat".  Buffet-style restaurants very popular among hikers.

Bald - A southern term for a low elevation mountain that is covered in tree growth except for the top or crown.  Balds are often covered in meadows and make a nice place to stop to take a break to enjoy the views.

Bear Bag - Also known as a hiker's Food Bag.  When stopping to make camp for the night, hikers hang their bear bag from a tree branch or other object to keep it out of reach of bears or other critters.

Bear Cable - A permanent cable system located at some campsites designed to help hikers hang their bear bags.

B.M.T. - Benton MacKaye Trail.  Also starts at the A.T.'s southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia, but takes a different route through the southern Appalachian mountains for about 300 miles before meeting up with the A.T. again at the northern end of the Smoky Mountains at Davenport Gap.  See www.bmta.org for more information.

Bivy - A lightwieght, waterproof bag that covers a sleeping bag.  Some hikers use this instead of a tent or tarp shelter.

Blazes - Painted markings on trees or other objects at eye level that are meant to mark the official route of a trail.  On the A.T. these are white 2" x 6" vertical rectangles.  Blazes on other trails may be other colors, shapes, or sizes.

Blow-Down - A tree that has fallen over the trail.

Blue-Blazer - A hiker who follows a blue blazed, or side trail, from the A.T. sometimes to take a shortcut or just have a change of scenery from the A.T.

Bog Bridge -  Narrow wooden walkway placed over swampy, wet, or boggy land.

Bounce Box - A box containing seldom used items (think extra batteries, etc) that hikers will mail to themselves, or "bounce", further up the trail to use at a later date.

Bushwhack - To hike where there is no marked trail, or off trail.

Camel Up - To drink as much water as possible at a water source before filling you water bottles in order to prolong the need to drink again due to the distance between water sources.

Cache - A supply of food, water, or materials hidden for a hiker to find at a later time.

Cairn - A man-made pile of rocks set up as a trail marker often used above tree line instead of painted blazes.

Cat Hole - A small hole dug in the ground for hikers to deposit human waste.

Col - A northern term for a dip in a ridge that does not have a road going through it - typically smaller in size and magnitude than a notch.  See also "Sag".

Cove - A southern term for a high, flat valley surrounded by mountains.

Cowboy Camping - Camping without any shelter under the stars.

Croo - Or 'crew' of volunteers or caretakers that maintain sections of trail or shelters on the A.T.

Cryptosporidium - A waterborne parasite found in lakes and streams.

DEET -  A powerful insect repellent.

Double Blaze - Two blazes, one above the other, as an indication of an upcoming hazard, sharp turn, or intersection in the trail.  "Garveys" are a variation of a double blaze where the top blaze is offset from the bottom blaze in the direction of the turn in the trail.

Duct Tape - Heavy duty, multipurpose tape that hikers use for everything from covering blisters to repairing gear.

End-to-Ender - Another term for 2000 miler.  Or a person hiking the entire length of any long distance trail.

Fall Line - The most direct route downhill from any particular point.

Flip-Flop - A term used to describe a hike where the hiker starts at one point, then decides to skip a portion of trail and jump further ahead, then hikes back to where they skipped ahead in the opposite direction.  A common flip-flop on the A.T. is to hike from Springer to Harpers Ferry then jump ahead to Katahdin and hike back to Harpers Ferry.

GAME - Or GAMER, is a hiker going from GeorgiA to MainE.

Gap - A southern term for a large low point between mountain ridges sometimes with a road running through it.  A Water Gap is a gap with a river flowing through it.  See also "Notch".

Gear Head -  A hiker whose main focus in backpacking is the gear.

Giardia - An intestinal infection caused by an waterborne amoebic cyst; it causes stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.  Can be avoided by filtering or chemically treating your water.

GORP - Trail mix or "good ol' raisins & peanuts".

Headlamp - A small light attached to a band or strap that is worn on the head.  Hikers typically wear these instead of using a standard flashlight because a headlamp allows a hiker to freely use both hands.

Hiker Box - A cabinet or box, usually at hostels or backpacking stores, where hikers place unwanted food or gear for other hikers to freely take.

Hostel - An establishment along the trail that offers bunks, showers, and sometimes kitchen facilities.  These are usually much simpler than a motel and are sometimes run on a donation basis.

H.Y.O.H. - The mantra of the hiking community -- "Hike Your Own Hike".  This translates roughly to, hike how you want to; don't feel like you have to hike someone else's way; and don't make others feel like they should be hiking like you do, whether in reference to speed, location of hike, rest stops, type of gear used, etc etc.

Hypothermia - Potentially fatal condition where the body's core temperature drops to unsafe levels.

Katahdin - Or "Big K", is the northern terminus of the A.T. on Baxter Peak in Maine's Baxter State Park.  Katahdin is an Native American word meaning "greatest mountain".

Knob - A southern term for a prominent hill or mountain.

Krumholtz - Stunted or gnarled trees found near treeline, from the German words for crooked and wood.  Found especially in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Lean-To - Another word for a 3-sided shelter.  Typically a term used in the New England states.

Leki - A brand of hiking poles.  Commonly this is used to refer to any hiking poles, much like Kleenex is used to describe all tissues, and Coke is used to describe any soda.  "I'm an idiot.  I left my Lekis back at the shelter."

Long-Distance Hiker - a general term for someone who is hiking for more than a few weeks, and usually has to resupply at some point during their trip.

LNT - Short for "Leave No Trace", which is a philosophy and skill set that promotes hiking through an area as lightly as possible as to not harm, destroy, or change the natural environment. 

Lyme Disease - Caused by ticks, this debilitating illness is often a hikers greatest fear. 

Long Trail - The Long Trail in Vermont runs from the Vermont/Massachusetts border to the Vermont/Canada border.  The southern third of the Long Trail runs in conjunction with the A.T. until the A.T. takes an easterly route toward New Hampshire.

MacGyver - Term used by hikers meaning to build or repair something in a creative way in reference to the TV show of the same name.

Mail Drop - A method of resupplying while hiking; the hiker arranges to mail packages of food and/or supplies ahead of time, or has a friend or relative mail the packages according to a predetermined schedule so that it arrives on time for the hiker to receive it at the post office or hostel, etc.

Maintainer - A volunteer who participates in trail maintenance programs of the ATC or any of its member clubs or oganizations.

MEGA - A hiker going from MainE to GeorgiA.

Mountain Money - Toilet paper.  Hikers will sometimes trade food or supplies to obtain this as needed.

Mouse Trapeze - An improvised contraption used for keeping mice or other critters away from your backpack when hung in a shelter. 

Nero - A "near-zero" mileage day when hiking.

NOBO - A hiker traveling NOrth BOund on the A.T.

Notch - A northern term for a large, "V" shaped, low point between to mountain ridges.  See "Gap".

Pot Cozy - A foam or cloth wrap to keep a pot warm while the contents finish cooking.  A fleece hat makes a good pot cozy.

Power Hiker - A hikers who makes a habit of covering long distances each day often starting early in the morning and hiking late into the evening.

Privy - An outhouse along the trail usually at shelters for solid human waste.  Don't pee in the privy as this can upset the pH balance for the decomposition.

PUDS - Hiker term short for "Pointless Ups and Downs", referring to mundane sections of the trail.  Similarly, several PUDS in a row are called MUDS, or "Mindless Ups and Downs".

Puncheon - The proper term for a "Bog Bridge".

Purist - A hiker who wants to pass every white blaze of the A.T. 

Register - A log book or journal usually found at a shelter or trail head which hikers use to sign.  These logs can help searchers locate lost hikers or simply let hikers communicate with other hikers along the trail  Some hikers leave very comical entries in shelter registers about their recent hiking experiences.

Relo - A section of trail that has been moved, or relocated.

Ridge Runner - A person from a trail maintaining club or governmental organization that hikes back and forth along a section of trail in order to provide information and education to hikers, enforce regulations, monitor trail and campsite use, and perform trail maintenance.

Rime Ice - Occurs when super cooled water droplets stick to surfaces and freeze into the direction that the wind is blowing.

Ruck - A gathering of past and prospective AT hikers.  Some of the more popular ones have developed into large annual events.

Sag - A southern term for a low point, or pass, typically smaller in size and magnitude than a gap.  See "Col".

Section Hiker - Someone who is attempting to become a 2000 Miler by doing a series of smaller section hikes of the trail over a period of time rather that in one consecutive season.

Shakedown - A 'shakedown' is a multi-day hike that one takes to figure out what equipment works best in preparation for a long distance hike.  The objective is to eliminate unnecessary gear.  It has been said that after a shakedown, you should put your gear in 3 piles - one for gear you used all the time, another for gear you used sometimes, and the last for gear you never used.  Get rid of piles two and three and that is the gear you should take with you on your hike.

Shelter - A 3-sided wooden or stone building along the trail where hikers sleep at night.  There are  over 250 shelters along the A.T. spaced less than a day's hike apart and are near a water source.  In the Shenandoah National Park and in the White Mountains of New Hampshire they are called "huts".  See also   "Lean-to".

Shuttle - A ride from town to a trail head or vice versa.

Slackpacking - Term referring to a style of backpacking where a hiker travels a section of trail without a large backpack. You leave your heavy backpack with a friend or family member; they drive to a point further down the trail and you carry a light pack until you meet up with them again.  Hiking is easier, more leisurely or can be done at a faster pace.

Springer - Spinger Mountain in Georgia, the southern terminus of the A.T.

Springer Fever - Or "white blaze fever" referring to the overwhelming urge to begin hiking the A.T. Hikers can experience this  each Spring even years after their hikes.

Stealth Camping - A style of camping that leaves no indication to others that you were ever there.  Can be considered part of LNT principles but can also refer to camping illegally on private or public land.

Stile - A type of ladder or steps over a fence to allow hikers but not livestock to pass.

Switchback - An extremely sharp turn in the trail that takes a hiker 180 degrees in the opposite direction, back and forth when climbing or descending a mountain rather than just straight up and down.

Ten Essentials - A short list of about 10 items that is generally thought to be necessary for any hiker to carry in their pack at any given time at the bare minimum.  Example:  Water, Food, Shelter, Clothing, Map/Compass, Fire Starter, First Aid Kit, Knife/Tool, Light, Sun Protection.

Thru Hiker - A person who is attempting, or has completed, a hike of the A.T. in a continuous journey in a single season (year).  See also "2000 Miler".  All thru hikers are 2000 milers, but not all 2000 milers are thru hikers.

Trail Angel - Someone who provides unexpected help to a hiker.

Trail Head - Where a trail leaves from a road crossing or parking lot.

Trail Magic - An unexpected occurrence of help or serendipity.

 

 Trail magic: charity unto others, sometimes anonymous, sometimes not; sometimes given, sometimes just received; transportation or food or drink or first-aid or miscellaneous. Most often found on the Appalachian Trail. Provided for thru-hikers, and yes, other hikers, by others, known as Trail Angels.

--The Appalachian Ridgeback Blog.Three jugs of refreshing, crystal clear trail magic placed along the AT by an anonymous Trail Angel (photo taken on 6/30 -- a day when the high temp reached 100 degrees).

Trail Name - A nickname given to, or adopted by, a hiker.

Treeline - The point of elevation on a mountain where the climate will no longer support tree growth.

 Ultra Light - A style of backpacking that focuses on using the lightest possible gear.  Sometimes interchangeable with the term "gram weenie" when referring to a hiker that constantly changes or modifies gear to save as much weight as possible.

Vitamin I - Term used to refer to Ibuprofen, the anti-inflammatory drug that many hikers use while backpacking to combat the soreness incurred while on the trail.

Widow Maker - Partially fallen limbs or entire trees that pose a danger to a person underneath them.  Don't set up your tent under a widow maker.

 Work for Stay - Some hostels, or other establishments, along the trail with allow hikers to stay free of charge in exchange for doing chores.

Yogi - Or yogi-ing is the act (or the art of) getting strangers to offer you food without you asking them directly.

YMMV - Short for "Your Mileage May Vary", meaning that something worked for one person but another person's results or opinions may not be the same.

Yo-Yo-ing - The act of completing one A.T. thru hike, then immediately turning around to start another going in the opposite direction.

Zero - Or "zero day", is a day in which a hiker does not hike any miles on the trail because they are staying in a town to rest or resupply.