Analysis of the Hiking Discourse
By: Lian Harrington
Tags: Hiking, Mydiscourse

by Lian Harrington

Hiking is described as long walks on trails in more rural areas. Hiking comes with its own sign systems, values, beliefs, and ways of dressing. James Paul Gee, in his article “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” in the Journal of Education, defines this kind of combination as a Discourse. He writes

“Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes”.

For one to be a part of the hiking discourse they must dress, act, and have the same values as those who are fluent in the discourse.

Identifying the Discourse

Hiking is a secondary, nondominant Discourse. Darcy Fiano paraphrases what Gee writes about secondary Discourses in her article “Primary Discourse and Expressive Oral Language in a Kindergarten Student”, saying “ secondary Discourses are those acquired through the various social institutions that we participate in beyond our home environment”. Thru-hiking is picked up or learned when one is older and many times through interactions with others. It does not bring with it any wealth or status outside of the hiking community and therefor I would categorize it under a nondominant Discourse. Gee describes a nondominant Discourse as one that “ brings solidarity with a particular social network, but not wider status and social goods in the society at large”. Thru-hiking fits into the nondominant Discourse description because it doesn’t bring any wider status or social goods outside of the Discourse.

How to enter the Thru-Hiking Discourse

One can enter the thru-hiking discourse in a few ways. The first is through apprenticeship. Gee writes that discourses are learned “by enculturation (“apprenticeship”) into social practices through scaffolded and supported interaction with people who have already mastered the Discourse”. People who thru-hike spend time before the hike to research and prepare for the trail. Most of the information about the trail comes from those who have already hiked it and could be called the mentor. This gives thru-hikers an advantage because unlike what Gee says that “failing to fully display an identity is tantamount to announcing you don’t have that identity” those who have never been on the trail won’t know everything there is about it until they have hiked it all. A hiker is in the apprenticeship stage I believe one doesn’t have to know everything about hiking to be apart of the hiking discourse. Hiking is a secondary discourse that has sub-discourses within it. For example one can be apart of the hiking discourse but may not be apart of the thru-hiking discourse. I believe that one can also mushfake being in the hiking discourse. Gee describes mushfake discourse as “ partial acquisition coupled with meta-knowledge and the strategies to ‘make do’”. If one had the right clothes and gear they could pass as being in the Discourse as long as their knowledge of the discourse wasn’t tested.

Sign Systems/Knowledge

A major part of the hiking Discourse is the knowledge needed to fit in. There are many things one must know before going out on the trail like trail signs and hiking etiquette. For longer hikes knowledge about the trail, wildlife, plants, and climate are crucial to keep safe. Respect is one of the most valued traits of a hiker. Respect of other hikers, of the trail, and of the landscape around you is crucial while hiking. “Leave no trace” is the motto for hikers. We are only there to experience nature not to alter it, so whatever we carry in we, we are supposed to carry out. This connects to the politics of hiking. While one does not have to be a conservationist to fit in most hikers follow that mindset when on the trail. Although this knowledge is important it is only one part of the Discourse. The other part is physical and mental preparedness.

Preparing for a Thru-Hike

When preparing for a multiple day or month hike being mentally and physically ready are critical to being able to complete the hike. Physical fitness determines the miles one is able to complete in a day. This is important because some of the campsites are ten or more miles apart. For thru-hikers it is important to get to a campsite because they have shelters. The less a thru-hiker has to carry usually means better mileage. When thru-hiking, keeping to a schedule is also important. There are certain months that are prime for hiking different trails. These times are when most hikers will attempt to hike because you will encounter the most mild weather. For the AT the best months are between march and may to start. Having the right state of mind starting the hike is key to being able to complete the hike. It will determine how you react to the unexpected on the trail. Many times the weather will change without notice on the trail especially at higher altitudes. Part of being mentally prepared is researching and knowing as much as you can about the trail before going for a hike. This is more important with longer hikes. Although all of these things are important one can be a hiker without having done any research or being that fit.

Transfer between Discourses

The thru-hiking Discourse is more challenging to enter into than the hiking discourse. Although one can transfer almost all aspects of the hiking discourse into the thru-hiking discourse, the thru-hiking discourse is a much more selective. One of the reasons the thru-hiking discourse is difficult to enter is because to be apart of the discourse one must have completed a long-distance trail from end to end. This is difficult to do because of the time commitment that is required. Members within the thru-hiking discourse have different statuses based on the trail(s) hiked, the time it took to complete, and sometimes age.

The three big trails in the U.S. that are known for thru-hiking are the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail.

These trails are all over 2,000 miles long and take between 3–6 months to complete. All together they are known as the triple crown of hiking. There are few who complete one of these trails, so those who have completed all three are highly respected within the hiking community.

Hiking vs. Thru-Hiking

One can enter the thru-hiking discourse thru different avenues than the widely accepted way. Much of the knowledge about thru-hiking cannot be picked up until one has experienced it. These shared experiences creates a bond among the members of the discourse. People who may know everything about thru-hiking from being told still lacks the firsthand experience and therefore is not apart of the discourse. Some people are able to mushfake their way into the thru-hiking discourse by section hiking. Section hikers as the title suggests hike different sections of a trail usually until they complete the whole trail. Many section hikers set aside a couple of weeks every year to hike. Although they don’t complete the whole trail in one trip they do walk the whole trail and therefore are generally grouped into the thru-hiking discourse. There are also those who will hike the whole trail in one trip but will start somewhere in the middle of the trail. These people are called alternative hikers.

Sign Systems

The Hiking discourse has several sign systems that are widely known within the hiking community. These differ between trails and locations. In the Northeast the AT is marked by white blazes and cairns. The white blaze is only used for the Appalachian trail in the eastern part of the U.S. The amount of blazes and how they are oriented directs hikers to where they need to go next. For example one blaze means to continue straight while two offset blazes can mean turn right or left depending to which side the top blaze is placed.

Conclusion

Hiking is a non-dominant secondary discourse that gives its members the tools to enter into the thru-hiking discourse. Thru-hiking is also a non-dominant secondary discourse that is apart of the hiking discourse. Unlike the hiking discourse, to be apart of the thru-hiking discourse one must have completed a long distance trail. To enter the thru-hiking discourse one must first enter into the hiking discourse. As one becomes fluent in the hiking discourse the more prepared they will be to hike long distance trails, allowing them to more easily acquire the thru-hiking discourse.

Tapon, Francis. “ Backpacking Versus Thru-Hiking.” BackpackingLight.com.