While we've been reading about the Appalachian Trail for a while, we realize that some of the terminology we'll be using might sound a bit, well, odd. So, here are few things you might want to know:
Thru-Hiker - Someone who hikes the whole 2170-odd mile Appalachian Trail. This can be done in any number of ways. We are attempting to thru-hike the trail in one season. Others are Section Hikers - or people who do the trail section by section and finish after a few seasons or multiple years.
Mail Drops - We don't want to carry everything we need on our backs! So, our parents have nicely agreed to send us packages at certain designated towns along the way. Mail drops will likely contain certain foods we like, but might not find in every little town on the trail, plus extras like batteries, phone cards, etc. etc. We will likely also have a Bounce Box - or a box that we mail to ourselves from town to town with extra toilet paper, ziplock baggies, etc.
Zero Day - A day off! We can't hike every day you know... Although it may sound like a vacation, hiking every day up and down mountains and hills with our packs on our backs, through rain, snow, wind, heat, aches and pains, is going to be a lot of work. We're looking forward to it, but we'll also be looking forward to a day off here and there, in town, where we can eat LOTS along with do our errands, call friends and families, eat, do laundry, eat and eat more.
White Blaze - The Appalachian Trail is marked from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine with 2" x 6" white paint swaths on trees, along streets where the trail goes through towns, trail posts, etc. They'll help keep us on track.
Blue Blaze - Any trail that leads off the Appalachian Trail is marked with a 2" x 6" blue blaze. Just so we don't get too confused and lost and wander where we're not supposed to.
Stinky - That's what we'll be! And believe me, thru-hiker stinky is different and much stinkier than regular stinky :-)
PUDs - Pointless Up and Downs. PUDs are bumps that don't always show up on the topo maps, and which often make a long day of hiking much tougher than expected. Silly mountains! Why can't the trail be flat? It would be much easier that way... (Above, a rare flat section of the AT in NH.)
Vitamin I - Ibuprofen!
AYCE - Where hikers congregate in towns. And which often lose money on hungry, hungry thru-hikers. All-You-Can-Eat restaurants and buffets from Georgia to Maine, beware!
Trail Names - In keeping with an old tradition on the trail, many people don't go by their given name. Instead, they have what is called a "trail name." The theory is that you are given your trail name once you're out on the trail, due to a certain personality trait or some incident that happened. However, these days many people chose their own trial name before they leave, or take a nickname with them. We plan to tempt fate, and see what people decide to call us. Of course, if people start calling Ryan "Sir Farts-a-lot", we might change our minds and choose our own names! :-)
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