Date: 2006-03-14
To: Trail Lingo
Miles today: 0.0

Since my last post, I have been finalizing my itinerary and planning my re-supplies. I have also sent for my last few gear odds and ends. April 29th is drawing near and I am really excited. I continue to hike a couple of miles almost every night for physical preparation. I have been experimenting with some different insoles and my feet are much happier (Thanks Tad). I am planning to head out to the A.T. again this weekend for another section hike. I have done hours of reading to prepare for this hike and it always makes me laugh when I come across some of the hiker terms that are often listed in a glossary of these books. I thought I would share some of these terms with you in case I use them once I start my journey. Enjoy!A.T. - Appalachian Trail AYCE - the abbreviation for ¢all you can eat.¢Banana 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.Blazes - painted, 2-inch by 6-inch, vertical white rectangles that are placed at eye height on trees and other objects, in both directions, to mark the official route of the Trail. Side trails are marked with blue blazes. 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? Gear head - a thru-hiker who has hiked over a thousand miles or so and still talks about nothing but gear.Half-wall privy - Outdoor privy with no roof and low walls. Lean-to - another word for shelter, used primarily in New England.Maildrop - Food or sundry resupplies sent via USPS, UPS, or other carriers. 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. Stile - a construction, usually wooden steps or a ladder, that allows easy passage over a fence or other obstacle.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. Trail magic - the term used to describe the serendipitous acts of kindness extended to thru-hikers by strangers during their hike; as opposed to pre-planned cookouts and feasts at Trail crossings which should really be called ¢Trail catering¢ instead.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. 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. Zero day - a day during which zero miles of the A.T. are hiked, usually a day spent in a Trail town resupplying and resting but can be a day in the woods as well.