Date: 2011-07-28
To: Trail Names
Miles today: 0.0

The taking of a trail name is one of the most remarkable traditions to be found on the AT. Granted, maybe the trail name tradition isn¢t as visceral or physical as the Maryland Challenge, Naked Solstice, Trail Magic, the Half Gallon Challenge, or AYCE gorgefests, all of which I look forward to. But, it is still remarkable. So, I¢ll remark.Taking on a trail name can serve any number of purposes. It can be a way to reinforce who you think you are already; it can be a way to label the new, reinvented you; it can be a reflection of a small part of yourself which never had the chance to flourish; or, it can serve no other purpose than to amuse yourself and the people around you. Whatever the purpose, it¢ll be your handle for many months, if the hike goes well. It isn¢t often that we have a meaningful say in what we are called. Usually, our parents take care of that when we¢re born and we just stick with it. Having a hand in deciding the AT you is a pretty unique thing. In a given life we usually name more pets than we do ourselves.Then there is the issue of where these names come from. Where does one get a name? It seems they arise in any number of ways. A hiker can think of one and give it to himself before the hike starts. These are names like Gamecock, Sarge, Big Red, Mr. Ed, or Just ¢insert name here¢ [this one is for people who think trail names are silly, or just can¢t be bothered]. Many times names can just emerge naturally in the early part of a hike, caused by some mental state, physical condition, or spiritual insight. This is where names like Trippy, Phlegm, Gasman, Bliss, Psycho, Shinsplint, Fat Bastard, YeahWay, and others come from. I think these tend to be the most honest and amusing. The best ones are those with multiple layers to them. I wrote my last post about my buddy Mike, a ¢07 NOBO thru-hiker. He went by ¢Raincheck.¢ I never asked him how he got the name because I thought I knew. See, Mike¢s lovely bride is a fiery Irish lass. He¢s also an audiofile, a devoted fan of the blues and anything R&B based. One of his favorite performers is the legendary Irishman, Van Morrison. Morrison has a song called ¢Raincheck¢ off of his album Days Like This. It contains lyrics like ¢Gonna keep movin¢ on up to the higher ground.¢ And ¢Won¢t let the bastards grind me down.¢ Perfect for the AT. Entirely consonant with Mike¢s personality and tenacity. Turns out though, that his trail name had nothing to with the song. Mike has several friends who¢d offered to hike the trail with him. They fell out one by one, offering him their apologies and a ¢raincheck.¢ It stuck; a name was born. Another way to get a name is to be given it beforehand by another thru-hiker. This is how I got mine. I¢m going by ¢Nor¢easter.¢ Mike gave it to me. He put a lot of thought into it and came up with a bunch of reasons for this label. First, it is the direction I am traveling as I move from GA to ME. Second, I am from that area of the country. I was born in Massachusetts, raised in Connecticut, and later this year will be moving from the UK back to Vermont. Finally, he thinks my reasons for doing this are a ¢perfect storm¢ of motivation ¢ turning 50, leaving a long career in the intelligence business, moving back to the states etc. Pretty cool. And apt. So, from this point, I¢m going by that fine name. ¢Nor¢easter¢ signing off.