Date: 2014-02-25
To: The Final Countdown and Hiker Lingo
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

This weekend will be my last at my house for a long, long time. A week from Saturday, I will begin my long March up the Approach Trail to the peak of Springer Mountain, officially beginning my 2014 NOBO thru-hike.It still feels exceptionally strange saying that; I've been in the planning stage for years, and it feels like it will just keep going. I feel like I have a ton of time to keep rearranging my pack, weigh my food options, and ruminate on the logistics of the first leg of my journey. My body hasn't accepted that I have just over a week to sleep in my own bed and access a technology known as "refrigeration." In reality, my days left in civilization are almost in the single digits.Fortunately, everything seems to be coming together relatively well, and my hike has been a great excuse to visit with people I haven't seen in ages. I have been so fortunate with the level of support and understanding I have received from my family and friends, and I'm assured of their continued support on those days when my trek seems more like a trudge.As my hike commences, I'm sure that I will be using a fair amount of lingo that will be unfamiliar to those who haven't yet immersed themselves in the hiker culture (I can't really blame them - it is a smelly place to be). So here I will provide a truncated thru-hiker's dictionary so that my journal entries won't seem like a garbled mess:Common Thru-Hiker Words and Phrases:Thru-Hike: to complete the entire length of a long-distance trail in one calendar year.NOBO: a northbound thru-hike, also referred to as GAME (GeorgiA to MainE).SOBO: a southbound thru-hike, also referred to as MEGA (MainE to GeorgiA).Flip-Flop: A mix of a NOBO and SOBO, often by hiking from one terminus (Springer Mountain in GA or Mount Katahdin in Maine) to the halfway point (Harpers Ferry, WV), and then moving to the other terminus to continue in the opposite direction.White Blaze: the 2x6 inch white rectangle painted on threes, rocks, and other landmarks to mark the AT.Blue Blaze: 2x6 inch blue rectangle that marks side trails spurring off from the AT. These often lead to water, shelters, or simply bypass a part of the AT.Yellow Blaze: this refers to when people drive/hitchhike to a destination further down the trail rather than walk the AT, following the yellow lines on the road instead.Brown Blaze: when I hiker veers off of the trail in order to lighten his/her load, AKA take a dump.Pink Blaze: to set one's hiking pace in order to follow a love interest Purist: a thru-hiker who must hike by every white blaze on the trail.HYOH: "Hike Your Own Hike." In other words, hike the way you want to, and don't let others tell you that their way of hiking is the "correct" way. This is the mantra of most thru-hikers.AYCE: "All You Can Eat," the most popular types of restaurants on the trail.GORP: "Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts." A staple of the hiker diet. Bounce Box: a supply box with non-essential supplies/equipment that you "bounce" from post office to post office. Great for extra clothes, batteries, etc.Mail Drop: a package sent to a hiker for resupply purposes.Trail Magic: a spontaneous act of kindness¢typically in the form of food, supplies, or support¢that is given to thru-hikers on the trail.Trail Angels: the providers of trail magic.Zero: a day when there are zero miles hiked.Nero: a day when the amount of miles hiked are close to zero, typically when a hiker goes into a town for resupply and decides to stay.Bushwhack: to hike where there is no trail.Leave No Trace (LNT): a set of rules hikers follow to minimize their impact on the environment. Click here for more info about LNT principles.Shelter: a three-sided building alongside the AT where hikers may stay. Shelters are usually spaced five-to-seven miles apart, have privies or outhouses, and are located near water sources. Referred to as a "lean-to" in New England.Cowboy Camping: to sleep outside without a shelter, using only a sleeping bag and pad for protection from the elements.Mountain Money: toilet paper.There is much more slang in the lexicon of hikers (much of which can be found here), but these are some of the ones I use/hear most often.I am putting together a video showcasing the gear I will be using throughout my hike, which I hope to have completed soon. Until then, happy trails!