ALDHA: The Appalachina Long Distance Hikers Association. Great Association of hiker who love the Appalachian Trail. www.aldha.org
Alcohol Stove: Small stove that runs on HEET or denatured alcohol. Mainly used for boiling water to rehydrate or cook food.
Alpine Zone:
AMC: Appalalchian Mountain Club. Trail club in New Hampshinre that providdes huts (expensive shelters for hikers to stay at) and maintainer of the Appalachian trail in the White Mountains.
Angel: See Trail Angel.
Apron: Transition area on a switchback. Going up a switchback, it's where you stop, look at the new direction....up.....and groan. Going downhill, it is where you crash if you are out of control.
AT: Appalachian Trail.
ATC: Appalachian Trail Conservancy. A nonprofit, volunteer based organization dedicated to the management and preservaton of the Appalachian trail. www.appalachiantrail.org
AYCE: "All You Can Eat" Restaurants that offer AYCE are the hikers goal while in town. A thru-hiker can do serious damage to an AYCE restaurant's buffet.
Backslope: Trail construction term. Describes the cut bank along the uphill side of the trail, extending upslope from the tread. See Tread as well.
Bald: Describes a treeless, rocky summit in certain areasof the Appalachians. A "bald" is usually a treeless summit in the southern region that is not necessarily above timberline, but the peak is still open at the summit. Has more of a pastoral feel than the treeless summits of the Whites or the Adirondacks.
Base: Primary excavated bed of a trail upon which the tread, or walking surface lies.
Base Course: Layer material placed on a trailbed to support surfacing. Trail construction term.
Bear Bag: A bag generally attached to a long rope for throwing over a tree brance or attached to a bear cable to hang their food up and away from bears and other animals. This is generally the food bag a hiker carries and not a separate bag although this is beginning to change.
Bear Box: Metal containers found at trail heads where bears are active. The idea is to take all food and other smelly stuff out of your car and leave it in the bear box. Boxes use latches, pins and other devices to keep the bears out.
Bear Cable: A permament cable rigged high between trees or pole for hanginig bear bags. Generally found a shelters or campsites.
Bed: Excavated or cleared surface on which a trail lies.
Bench: A long step, or tier, on the side of a hill. You climb until you reach the bench, then you walk across it, then climb util you reach the next bench.
Benton MacKay Trail or BMT: Starts at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain in Georgia and travels to the Ocoee River in Tennessee. ~ 90 miles.
BFR: Big F***ing Rock! Nuff said.
Bivy Sack: A waterproof bag, usually lightweight, that will cover a sleeping bag to protect the occupant from the elements. Generally used while "tarping", or sleeping "under the stars" without a tent. Used by minimalist hikers or as an emergency shelter.
Black Blazer: Someone, usually a disgruntled townie, who paints over or otherwise removes trail markers and blazes to prevent hikers from finding the trail.
Blazes: Colored identification that are placed at eye level placed on a trail at intervals to mark the trail. These are generally placed on trees, rocks, or on other structures that are easily seen from the trail. On the Appalachinan Trail, the blazes are 2"x6" white vertical rectangles. Also see Cairn:
Blaze Orange or Hunters Orange: An internationally known bright orange color used on clothing for visibility. Used during hunting season to let Bubba know you are not a 4 legged critter and to not shoot you!!
Blow-down: A tree that has fallen across the trail. Can be plentiful on the trail after large storms and before volunteers are able to clear them.
Blue Blaze: See Blaze: A Blue Blaze or Blue Blazed trail on the Appalachian Trail is a spur off the main trail that leads to shelters, water sources, views, hostels, and bad weather detours on the Appalachian Trail.
Blue Blazer: An Appalachian Trail hiker who substitues a section of blue-blazed trail for a white-plazed section between two points on the trail.
Boardwalk: Planking built on piling in areas of wet soil or water to provide dry hiking.
Bog Bridge: Narrow wooden walkway placed over wetlands. These simple walkways protect the bog and allow easy passageway thru the bogs or wetlands.
Bollard: Round post barrier, often metal,usually 4' high to prevent vehicles from entering a trail.
Borrow: Fill used in trail construction, obtained from a nearby location, usually leaves small pits behind.
Braided Trail: numerous routes have been created, usually at access points or where shourcuts are easy, resulting in excess wear and innumerable little trails crisscrossing randomly every few feet.
Brown Blazing: A quick detour off the trail to defecate.
Bump Box: See Bounce Box.
Bushwack or Bushwacking: Hiking or movement thru a wilderness area void of man made trail.
Cache: A supply of food or supplies hidden for later use.
Cairn: used instead of a blaze above the timberline or where blazes are not practical to mark a trail. Cairns are man made markers made of piled up stones.
Canister Stove: A type of small backpacking stove that generally uses a gas or liquid fuel source. Not as simple as an alcohol stove some hikers prefer this type of stove over an alcohol stove. However fuel for this type of stove may be harder to find on trail than ethenol based fuels used in alcohol stoves.
Canopy: Upper layer of leaves in a forest, covering the ground below.
Caretaker: A Person who maintains certain shelters and campsites on a trail. They will care for the shelter/camsite and may collect a small fee from the hiker for use of these sites.
Cat Hole: A small hole dug for the burial of human waste.
Cirque: a group of mountains that form a circle.
Comfort Hiker: A hiker who is in the mindset that the fifty pounds on his/her back make them more comfortable than the twenty pounds on the ultra lighter’s back
Corridor: The area around the Appalachian Trail set aside for the trail to pass is named the corridor. This is sometimes less than 100 feet wide.
Cove: A high valley that is flat and surrounded by mountains. A southern term.
Cowboy Camping: "Sleeping under the stars" or put another way, grab you sleeping bag and just spread out on the ground with no shelter over you.
Crash Camp: An improvised camp site. When a 22 mile uphill day turns in to too much hiking crash camp sites are looked for around mile 19. Too small, not level enough and hardly ever near water. Crash camps lead to early mornings.
Croo: Name given to the crew that work at the Appalachian Mountain Club Huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Crux: The hardest part of "key" to a climb.
Cryptosporidium: Waterborne parasite: Is beginning to be found in the Eastern US. Found in lakes and rivers that have been contaminated with animal waste and sewage. This parasite causes rapid and life threatening dehydration. Filter your water properly!!!
Dip ‘N Sip – Syn. Cowboy water: Straight from the source, unfiltered unmolested. The easiest laziest means to aquire water in the woods. Usually at high altitudes well away from cow pastures.
Dirtbagging: The art of thrift shopping and other techiques for providing equipment and clothing inexpensively.
Dead Fall: Similar to a Blow down, a fallen dead tree across the trail.
Double Blaze: Two blazes one above the other indicate an immediate turn on the trail.
Offset balzes indicate the dirction of the turn by the offset of the top blaze. This is called a garvey.
Dodgeway: A V-Shaped stile through fences allowing humans to pass through a fence but keeping livestock from passing through.
Duct Tape: Strong tape used by hikers for repair of equipment to controling blisters. A universal mandantory piece of equipment for all long distance hikers.
Fall Line: The most direct route downhil from a paticular point.
Flip-Flop: A hiker that begins at one terminus of a long trail, completes a portion of the trail, then gets off the trail travelling to the other terminus and hikes back to where they originally came off the trail. This tactic is used for many reasons by thru hikers.
Flipping: See Flip-Flop.
Food Bag: A bag carried specifically for keepings a hikers food in their backpack. This bag is then easily suspended from a tree or bear cable at night to keep bears and other animals from gaining access to a hikers food. See Bear Bag.
From Skin Out:
Gaiters: Outerwear that zips or snaps around ankles and lower legs to keep water, snow, muck or rocks out of your hiking shoes.
GAME: Georgia to Maine
GAMEr: A hiker traveling the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine
Gap: a low spot along a ridge line, also know as a Col.
Gear Head: A hiker who is more interested in the type of gear he is carrying instead of hiking itself. Many people are pseudo gear heads as they are replacing or purchasing new gear for a long distance hike!
Giardia: Giardiasis, caust by an amoeba (Giardia Lamblia). This amoeba resides in water and is also known as Montezuma's Revenge. Symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea, loss of appetite and vomiting among others. Severe dehydration is possible so it is advised to treat symptoms early.
GORP: Trail mix of foods consiting of variations of raisins, peanuts, chocolate, dried fruit and other small snacks.
GSMNP: Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
Ground Control: Support person that will handle the hikers concerns off the trail. IE: taking care of the hikers house and lawn, paying bills, taking care of pets, and mailing mail drops and care packages.
Girl Scout Magic: A sexist demeaning term nodding towards girls complete ineptitude at starting a fire. Lighter fluid. The easiest laziest way of starting a fire in the woods. Usually well away from girl scouts.
Hammock: A sleeping system popular with long distance hikers that is hung between two trees.
Harpers Ferry, WV: The ATC's National Headquartes is located here. Considered the "mental" mid point of a thru hike on the Appalachian Trail.
HEET: A liquid fuel based on ethenol and used in compact alcohol. HEET is a fuel line antifreeze and is easily found in towns on the Appalachian Trail. HEET will burn hotter than rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol and is prefered by those using alcohol stoves.
Hicker: A new hiker still figuring out the hiker/gear issues on the trail.
Hiker Box: A cabinet or box at hostels and trail heads where hikers donate unwanted food and equipment for the hikers following behind them.
If a hiker has been on the trail long enough, he can tell a short distance hiker by the smell of the perfumes in his soap and deoderant. To a through iker, day hikers smell unnaturally clean.
Hostel: An establishment along the trail that is typically inexpensive lodging that has bunks, showers and occasionally a communal kitchen. At some hostels there are light provisions, fuel, and mail drops available.
Hydration System: A drinking water sytem that contains a plastic bladder, hose, and mouthpiece that allows one to hydrate hands free while on the trail.
HYOH: Hike Your Own Hike.
Icebergs: Large rocks/boulders placed in the ground at a campsite that is overused to discourage tenting.
Katahdin: The AT's northern terminus at Baxter Peak. Penobscot Indian word meaning Greatest Mountain.
Knob: A prominent rounded hill or mountain.
Krumholtz: "Crippled wood", the stunted and gnarled treeels near tree line, prevelent in the White Mountains.
Lean-to: A 3 sided open shelter on the Appalachian Trail in New England.
Long Distance Hiker: A "fuzzy" term that is applied to a hiker who hikes a trail for more than a few weeks. Similar term to thru-hiker. Some people use a 100 mile hike to deliminate between a hiker and a long distance hiker.
LTN or Leave No Trace: A philosphy of treading as light as possible and disturbing the land as little as possible while hiking.
Lyme Disease: A serious disease carried by Deer Ticks.
MacGyver: ingenienous way of repairing or building equipment with what is available on the trail....yes, named after MacGyver on the TV show of the same name.
Mackaye, Benton: Proposed the Appalachian Trail in 1921. Considered the Father of the Appalachian Trail.
Mail Drop: A method of re-supply while hiking long distances. A hiker will prepare boxes of food and suplies before starting a hike and another person will mail the package according to a pre-arranges schedule along the trail. Usually mailed to a hiker by General Delivery to a post office but can also be arragend at motels and hostels as well.
MATC: Maine Appalachian Trail Club.
Maintainer: A voluteer who participates in trail maintenance programs.
MEGA: Maine to Georgia
Mountain Money: Toilet Paper.
Mouse Hanger: Found in shelters and hostels. A devise using a rope, stick or dowel and a tin can for preventing mice from getting into packs and bags while hung.
National Scenic Trail: An official designator for a trail protected by the National Scenic Trails System Act of 1968.
Nero day: a short milage day. Usually used as time in town for supply, laundry, gear repair and rest. Sometimes used in conjunction with a Zero day.
NOBO: Thru Hiker starting in Georgian and heading North. Northbounder.
NOC: Nantahala Outdoor Center.
Notch: A New England Word for Pass.
NPS: National Parks Service.
Pack-out: The practice of leaving nothing behind on a backpacking trip.
Pass: Relatively low point on a ridge or in a mountain chain, alling travel from one valley to another.
PCT: Pacific Crest Trail.
Peak: A point higher than all adjacent points.
Pink Blazing: Term used when a person is following their partner on the trail. IE husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend.
Pot Cozy: Insulation or foam placed around a pot to keep the water hot while cooking food after it is removed from the stove.
Posthole: Hiking deep snow without snowshoes or skies.
Power Hiker: A hiker covering very long distances every day. This hiker often hikes late into the evening.
Privy: An outhouse at a shelter. This is used for solid waste and not urine. Do not pee in a privy.
PUD: Pointless Up and Downs. These are hills and mountains on the trail that have no views or are not interesting. These become boring and a grind. Multiple PUDS = MUDS which are mindless up and downs.
Pulaski Half Axe: Multipurpose trail building tool
Puncheon: see bog bridge.
Purist: A hiker who wants to hike every blaze on the trail with no short cuts.
Register: A log book found at trail shelters or trail heads. Hikers communicate their thoughts, feelings and trail conditions in it. It is also used for communication between hikers hiking the trail.
Relo: A section of the trail that has been relocated.
Ridge Runner: A person paid by a club or the government to hike along certain sections of a trail to educate hikers, enforce regulations, monitor trail and campsite use and preform trail maintenence.
RMC: The Randolph Mountain Club in New Hampshire. www.randolphmountainclub.org
Ruck: Gathering of hikers.
Scree: Small loose stones covering a slope.
Section Hiker: A Person who is attempting to become a 2,000 miler hiking series of sections of the Appalachian Trail. Genericly used of anyone hiking a small portion to complete a long trail over several hiking sessions. Some people take years to finigh the complete trail this way.
Shelter: A three sided wooden or stone building, spaced out a half day to a day apart, near a water source and most times with a privy.
Shelter Rat: Refers to hikers who camps exclusively in trail shelters.
Shuttle: A ride to or from town.
Slabbing: Refers to going around a mountain on a moderately graded footpath as opposed to going over the mountain.
Slackpacking: thru hiking without a backpack. Many thru hikers will arrange shuttles to slackpack portions of their hike.
SOBO: Southbound thru hiker.
Soloing: whether hiking or backpacking, soloing means going alone.
Springer Mountain: Summit of Springer Mountain is the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Springer Fever: The urge to be back on the Appalachian Trail each spring by past thru-hikers.
Stealth Camping: A method where there is no indication that you are camping or no trace you were there. Sometimes this is a term to describe camping illegally on public or private land.
Stiles Steps: Constructed over a fence to allow people to pass.
Summit: The highest point of a mountain.
Swag: The lowest connecting point between two ridges in the South.
Switchback: A turn that takes the hiker 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Used mostly in attacking a mountain.
Talus: A sloping jumble of boulders at the base of a cliff.
Tarp: A simple tent with no door or floor.
Tent Pad/Platform: Built u earthern pads or wooden platforms for tenting to ease impact on an area.
The Cotton World: Life off of the trail. So called because wearing cotton will not put you in danger of hypothermia. Also known as real life.
The reasons for the existence of the pack:
- More people are attempting to through hike the trail every year.
- The narrow window of opportunity to through hike the trail every year causes most hikers to begin their hikes in March and April.
Adding to the pack effect is the fact that hikers like to congregate at trail towns and trail angel's homes, and tend to leave these places in groups. So, rather than spreading out on the trail, hikers tend to hike in clumps or "bubbles".
Ticks: Parasitic insect that potentially carry Lyme diseaese as well as others.
Tin Can: Term for an alcohol stove.
Townie: Someone who lives near, and perhaps lurks about, a popular trail. Some townies help thru-hikers; others go out of their way to hassle hikers. In either case, the expression "get a life" comes to mind.
Trail Angel: Someone who provides unexpected help, transportation, lodging, or food to a hiker.
Trail bum – a “hiker” who “lives on the trail”: Usual found with a bottle of vodka and no backpack. If found with pack, it’s undoubtedly a 1970′s external frame ripped to shreds pack with matching meager gear inside. These people do not hike, they carry a pack and soak up all the angle’s kindness undeservingly. See “trail legend”
Trail Candy: Term for a good looking woman on the trail.
Trail Legend: In most cases see “trail bum”, in the rare occasion these are people who have hiked all the long trails multiple times, have good advice and “pretty much live on the trail”. Typically little critical judgement is needed, the crazies show themselves (or balls) early.
Trail Legs: The unatainable fitness. Those legs you long for for the first five weeks of hiking. Well trained trail legs can carry you ten miles through the woods with out stopping, better trained trail legs will carry you 15 miles into town without stopping.
Trail Magic: Unexpected but welcome food or help on the trail.
Trail Name: No, this isn't the name of the trail. This is something thru-hikers and backpackers like to do: Cristen themselves with a "clever" pseudonym to use on the trail. Some examples are "Banjo Bob" or "The Old Limper" or "Dangerlegs." The name is intended to refer to the individual's particular style, but more often refers to some odd habit or peculiarity.
Trail Runners: Light weight runing shoes used by hikers.
Treadway: The trail beneath a hiker's shoes.
Treeline: The point of elevation on a mountain where the climate will not allow tree growth.
USFS: United States Forest Service
Vitamin I: Slang for Ibuprofin. Probably the most "abused" drug on a long trail.
Yard Sale: The complete unpacking of one’s backpack. To unspread upon a surface so that it looks like a backpacking gear yard sale. It is unfortunate to have to yardsale to get to your tent during a rain storm, everything gets pissed on.
Yellow blaze: A relic of slang from the A.T referencing “blaze”. As in the white and blue stripes painted on the trees and posts along the way. Except in this context painted in roads reminding you where other people drive. You can yellow blaze around terrifying avalanch pitched snow or “burned down desert”. The easiest laziest approach to the terminus.
Yogiing: The practice of talking to and getting people to give you food. Best success is if this skill is used with picnicers, day hikers and campers.
Yo Yo: The practice of hitch-hiking or driving somewhere to cut off part of a longer hike.
Zeek: Zero + week. On the A.T I zeeked in NYC, VA Proper, VA Middle and VA Southern. Zero King becomes relavent.
Zero day or Zeroing: A day where no hiking is done. This is usually a day spent in town doing errands, laundy, resupply, eating real food and sleeping.
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