Date: 2011-09-01
To: Prep #2 - Nomenclature
Miles today: 0.0

As this blog progresses, some terms used may not make sense without a guide to explain them. Seems hikers on the AT have their own lexicon. So, I put together this guide with help from many other hikers/bloggers who have gone before.Appalachian Trail TermsAlky stove ¢ a stove that burns alcohol for cooking purposesAqua-blazing- Making miles in a canoe instead of hiking. Sometimes done in the Shenandoah National ParkApproach Trail- Trail from Amicola State Park to the top of Springer Mt., southern terminus of the Trail. Haven¢t decided yet if we¢re taking it.AYCE- All You Can Eat!Bald- top of a mountain covered in grasses versus treesBandit camping- also known as Stealth camping ¢ setting up camp in an unauthorized locationBase weight- the weight of your pack without food and waterBear Bag-the bag in your pack that has the food stash ¢ need to hang it at night so the bruins don¢t get itBear Pole/Box ¢ Steel structures for hanging or hiding your food from the bruins usually found at sheltersBlaze/Double blaze - a 2¢ by 6¢ painted stripe marking the path of the trail. Stacked blazes (2) indicate a change of direction or other alert to the hikerBlow down - a fallen tree on the path causing detoursBlue blaze- marks a side trail or detour, as around a stream during high water, or to a shelter or mt. top off the main trail.Boil time- a measure of efficiency of a stove ¢ how long to get 1 qt. of water to a boil at sea levelBouldering- not hiking, but scrambling up and down large rocksBounce boxes- a box used for mailing yourself provisions from mail drop to mail dropBurn time- how long a stove will work on a given amount of fuel (i.e. a canister)Bushwack- hiking off trailCairn ¢ stone markers used instead of blazes in treeless areas. Also used for artistic purposes, or as a monument, such as at the peak of Mt. KatadinCamel up - to drink a large amount at a water source, so as to not have to carry as much, or stretch your water supply. Canister Stove ¢ A stove that uses pressurized fuel. The current favorite on the trail is the ¢JetBoil¢ system of stove, canister and fitted pots.Cat hole ¢ a pit dug in the ground to bury human waste ¢ see LNTClass ¢ a term for a given year¢s group of hikers, i.e., Torii is in the Class of 2012Croo ¢ Affectionate name for the summer crew members of the White Mt. HutsCowboy camping ¢ Sleeping ¢under the stars¢ with no shelterDeacon¢s seat ¢ A low wall in front of some shelters to discourage porcupines from entering. The darn things love to lick the salt off of stuffFill power ¢ Rating of the down insulation of clothing, sleeping bags etc.Flip-Flop hike ¢ Hiking in one direction, such as Springer to Harper¢s Ferry, then shifting to another section to complete the hike, as in Mt. Katadin back to Harper¢s FerryFontana Hilton- the AT shelter known for its view of fjord like Fontana Lake, with comparatively spacious accommodations, water spigots, flush toilets, nearby free hot showers and a one dollar shuttle to an all-you-can-eat buffet.Four State Challenge -involves hiking between the ridge line straddling Virginia and West Virginia all the way to or from Pennsylvania through Maryland in 24 hours, thus hiking in four states in one day ¢ 44 miles. (Doubtful¢¦..)GaMe - Shorthand for a northbound hiker (Georgia to Maine)Hiker Box - Boxes of extra stuff left by hikers,usually at hostels, hotels, where hikers dump the lovely things they no longer want to carryHiking Poles- two sticks that look like ski poles used to keep my knees going and my rear off the groundHYOH ¢ ¢Hike your own hike¢ ¢ a bit of philosophy shared between hikersLNT ¢ Leave No Trace ¢ a set of principles guiding how to walk in the woods and leave it the way you found it. Many good resources on the Internet regarding these guidelinesMail drops ¢ packages mailed to hikers at Post Offices and other stops (Hostels, etc.) along the trail. Notorious for overloading hikers for the walk OUT of townMeGa ¢ Shorthand for a southbound hiker, i.e., Maine to GeorgiaNero ¢ term for a day with short miles hiked, i.e. ¢Near-Zero.¢NOBO ¢ northbound hikerSOBO ¢ southbound hikerPeak bagging ¢ hikers making a point of reaching the tops of mountains. Sometimes the trail goes over peaks, other times a blue blaze is needed to reach a peakPink blazing ¢ term for a hiker detouring from the trail for romantic reasonsPost holing ¢ punching steps through deep snow to make (hopefully) forward progressPrivy ¢ an outdoor bathroom. Varies from a hole in the ground to an architect¢s delightPUDs ¢ ¢Pointless ups and downs¢Puncheons ¢ Also called boardwalks or duck bridges, raised wooden walkways to avoid mud, swamps, and other nasty ground. Sometimes found floating in high watersPurist ¢ a hiker who refuses to by-pass any white blazes on their hikeRainbow blazers ¢ Hikers who combine white, blue, yellow and perhaps aqua blazes to travel the TrailRegister ¢ notebooks found in shelters and at Springer Mt. for hikers to sign and (a)museRelos ¢ short for relocations ¢ when the Trail is moved to a new locationResupply ¢ when a hiker comes off trail to get more food, provisions, or a mail dropRidge Runner - A person hired by the National Park System, or one of the local trail clubs to monitor hikers on the trail or in the huts Section hiker ¢ a hiker traveling the Trail in pieces, over several periods of timeShelter/hut ¢ Structures along the AT for hikers to sleep. Vary from stone buildings to palaces. Some even get pizza deliveriesShuttles ¢ Transportation for hikers to towns, stores for resupply, trailheads. Sometimes free, sometimes not. Easier than hitchhikingSlack packing ¢ term for hiking without your pack, usually involving shuttling from trail head to trail headSpringer fever ¢ that crazy feeling when you¢ve decided to hike the AT, but can¢t go yetStealth camping/bandit camping ¢ camping in an unauthorized location.Thru hiker ¢ a hiker traveling the entire length of the AT in one seasonTrail angel ¢ a person, sometimes unknown, who provides an act of kindness with no expectation of anything in returnTrail Days -an annual AT hiking event that culminates the first weekend after Mother's Day during the month of May -- it's held in the town of Damascus, Virginia which is right on the AT.Trail magic ¢ any unexpected, unanticipated act of kindness assisting a hiker. May take the form of a ride, food, water, a chair at a trailhead or whatever.Tree line ¢ elevation above where trees no longer can grow. The White Mts in NH are well known for vicious weather changes above the tree lineTriple crown ¢ hiking the three long trails in the US ¢ the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail2,000 miler ¢ another term for a successful thru hikerUltralight ¢ the ingenious, sometimes manic pursuit of making one¢s pack as light as possible. Yes, this is where you cut the end off your toothbrush Vitamin I ¢ hiker¢s term for ibuprofen, painkiller of choice, consumed in copious amounts along the TrailWhiteblaze.net ¢ an awesome resource for information about the trail itself, preparing to hike the trail, and the people joining you along the wayWhite Blazing ¢ Walking along the official trailWidow makers ¢ Dead tree limbs hung up above the ground, waiting to fall on your tentYellow blazing ¢ walking along a road, or getting a ride Yogi-ing ¢ the art of begging without letting a person know you are begging (i.e., Yogi Bear ¢ remember the pic-a-nik basket, Boo-Boo?)Yo-yo-ing ¢ Walking the entire trail, then turning around and walking back the other wayZero ¢ Taking a day off from hiking, i.e., a ¢zero¢ day of mileage