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In reading the Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker Companion book, I have to laugh at some of the terms that are used in which I will learn while I'm out there. So, I wanted to take the time to share with you some of the terminology that hikers use.A.T. - Appalachian TrailBanana Flip - A type of tumble in which your feet fly up in the air and you land on your back, as if you had slipped on a banana peel.Big Ups - Hiking up mountains that never seems to reach a peak.Birdbath - A method of bathing using either a restroom sink or, on the trail, a limited amount of water.Cameling - Drinking all the water you can while at a water source, so that you minimize the amount of water you need to carry.Chum Privy - Outdoor toilet consisting of a box above a pit with a seat and no shelter. Yes, seriously...no walls.Eau d'hiker - the smell of a hiker four days out is undefinable, so we are not even going to try.Face Plant - A face-first tumble.False Summit - A high point that seems to be the summit until you get close enough to see that you are not yet done climbing. Why is that last 200-foot climb twice as hard as the 1,200 feet that preceded it?Half-wall privy - Outdoor privy with no roof and low walls.Maildrop - Food or sundry resupplies sent via USPS, UPS, or other carriers.MUDs - Mindless ups and downs.NOBO - Northbound hike.Nutcracker - A type of tumble that occurs as you are halfway over a fence rail.PUDs - Pointless ups and downs.Seep - A spot where water oozes from the ground and forms a puddle that looks pretty darn good on a dry trail in August.Skunked - Getting passed by while hitch hiking.Tourons - A term used for tourists, usually applied after you have sweated blood, climbing to a great view, and find it overrun with people who drove to the peak and then ask you how far you have hiked or any of the other dozen questions that you are sick of answering. Of course, if tourons offer you food, they become magically transformed into nice folks, and, if they offer you a ride into town, they become the salt of the Earth. Weird how that happens...Trail Angel - Person who seeks to help hikers by providing rides, food, or drinks for no fee.Turtle-ing - A type of tumble in which you land on your pack and struggle to regain your feet in the way that turtles do if flipped onto their backs. Turtles are better at it than most hikers.Umbles - Things that let you know things are not good with the body: grumble - a person is irritable and complaining; mumble - a person is not communicating clearly; stumble - a person has trouble walking and maintaining balance; bumble - a person can't do simple tasks well, losing coordination. Vitamin I - Ibuprophen.Web Walking - Being the first hiker on the trail in the morning, which means you will be the one clearing the spider webs from across the trail, usually with your face.Weekend Warrior - Hiker who is hiking for a couple of days.Yogi-ing - The fine art of getting other hikers, picnickers, or others to offer you food, drink, or rides. It's a subtle art, requiring the hiker to communicate a need without actually asking for something. Limping, wistful staring, subtle drooling is allowed, but actually asking, begging or stealing is not, despite the actions of Yogi Bear (from whose name the term originates.Well, there you have it. The Appalachian Glossary. Enjoy!