NEW SLANG
cobbknocker- whoever is first to wake up and start hiking usually ends up clearing the trail of spider webs
pink blaze- verb to follow a female hiker
Aqua Blaze- to raft a nearby river and skip a section of AT, most popularly the Shenandoah river
scarfing- trail context, describes a hungry hiker searching 'un-bussed' tables at a diner looking for more food
freegan- one who seeks free food, as their appetite has a damaging effect on their pocket
bear box- lock boxes located at shelters and campsites for safe food storage
bear pole- pole with several hooks at the top and a long tool used to hang food bag, popular in Shenandoah
Thru-hiker- those attempting a complete passage of the 2178+ miles of A.T. in one calendar year
Section-hiker- those attempting the trail's entire length start-to-finish over the course of many years with several over-night trips
Day-hiker- those simply enjoying a day in the woods
NOBO- a Northbound hiker; we're usually talking about Thru-hikers here
SOBO- a Southbound hiker; once again usually those passing Thru
Flip/Flop- a journey attempting the entire trail with a twist... one option would be to hike NOBO from GA, then take a ride to Maine upon reaching some halfway point to begin a SOBO hike from ME
YoYo- to complete the entire distance end to end, then turn around and return to the other end resulting in 4000+miles
Zero- a day of rest when zero trail miles are travelled; this usually takes place in town
Nero- a day of light excersice when low mileage is travelled; usually the first day out of town with heavy pack
white blaze- 2x6 inch white paint mark on tree or stone used to mark the route of the A.T.
blue blaze- a side trail leaving the A.T. usually for water, shelter, or point of interest
yellow blazer- those who wish to skip a section of trail stick a thumb out on the 'yellow blaze' road
cairn- a pile of rocks used to mark trail where blazes are not practical
lean-to- three sided shelter usually near water source; built of stone or log; often a social gathering place
mousehanger- a string descending from shelter ceiling used to hang your foodbag; usually features an upside-down empty tuna fish can as a mouse baffle
privy- composting toilet for relief; BYOTP or use leaf
trail register- log book located at TrailHeads and Shelters where hikers may leave messages; prime source of entertainment and oppurtunity for creativity
hiker box- a box usually located at Hostels, P.O., or other place in town where hikers may either shed pack weight or score free food/gear
bounce box- a care package mailed to multiple locations along trail for resupply
slackpack- to arrange a shuttle of fully loaded pack to the next A.T. road crossing; a wonderful way to enjoy weightless freedom, but not for some purists
yogiing- a persuasive way of receiving help from those in town without directly asking; rides to town, hot meals, etc; Yogi Bear is our inspiration
Trail Magic- a chance encounter that lifts one's spirit during tough times; this could mean lots of things: keg party in middle of woods; an unmanned cooler with icy beverages at road crossing; a full service grill out/hiker feed; local residents taking hikers in for a night's stay; blueberry, blackberry, raspberry patch etc
Trail Angel- someone who takes pride in spreading trail magic
Ridgerunner- the uniformed eyes and ears of the A.T. similar to a forest ranger whose responsibilities include education, first-aid, search&rescue, visitor-use inventory, campsite/shelter monitoring and maintenance; a paid employee of either the Appalachian Trail Conservancy or one of the Trail Clubs.
Tyvek- lightweight, waterproof textile conventionally used for housewrap and envelopes; unconventionally used by hikers for rain tarps, ground cloth, packs, etc.
Beaver fever- Giardiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia; in other words... treat your drinking water
snowcone- a heaping pile of shit covered with toilet paper found in a privy that needs stirring
LNT- Leave No Trace
AYCE- All You Can Eat restaurant
ATC- Appalachian Trail Conservancy
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