Appalachian Trail Terminology

Here are just some of the acronyms and terms used by all hikers on the Appalachian trail:

• AT - Appalachian Trail
• ATC - Appalachian Trail Conservancy (Part of a cooperative-management system working with numbers of local, state and federal partners to oversee the protection and management of the world's longest hiking-only footpath)
• Aquablazing - a non-purist action of canoeing/kayaking a section of river near the AT in place of hiking on the AT offered by some hostels and/or Outfitters.
• AWOL - Short for "The A.T. Guide" by computer scientist and AT thru-hiker David “Awol” Miller.
• Balds - Barren areas on many mountain tops.
• Banana-blaze - to follow a man down a trail out of romantic interests; usually done by a woman
• Base Weight - Total backpack weight less food and water
• Bladder - hydration reservoir used by most backpackers for easy storage and drinking while hiking
• Blue Blaze - the blue-colored marking on trees or signs used to show direction towards a water source
• Green Blaze - Usually referred to a hiker who is high on marijuana or hiking with someone in order to obtain it
• Pink Blaze - Usually referred to a male hiking on the AT following a female of interest
• White Blaze - iconic white-colored marking indicating the AT trail found on trees, signs, rocks, or other objects used to show the direction either northward or southward
• Bluff - steep cliff or high riverbank of flattened or rounded front-facing edge
• The Bubble - term for the denser cluster of thru-hikers, typically recent grads mixed with recent retirees, starting at Springer Mountain, GA, in late March through the first week of April with the intent of completing the AT before the cold season begins in October. On average, 1 in 4 actually complete the hike.
• Bushwhacking - hiking off trail through brush
• Cache - a place used by Trail Angel(s) to store food or other treats
• Camel-Up - drinking as much water as possible to in place of carrying any
• Cairn (karen) - Stones piled up used as either a trail marker or a memorial
• Cathole - A hole dug in the ground for human waste. Ideally at least 6 inches deep and at a minimum 200 feet away from any water source.
• Cowboy Camping - camping under the stars without a tent or shelter
• Double Blaze - Two trail markings on one tree or sign used to indicate a turn is ahead
• Droppin' Trout - a warning shouted to other hikers in the shelter that you are about to change clothes
• False Summit - a peak that appears to be the pinnacle of a mountain but, upon arrival, is not
• Flip-flop - generally considered hiking the AT in two separate sections and in opposite directions
• Flip-forward - Skipping a section and restarting ahead typically due to weather/terrain conditions, and returning later to complete the missed section
• Flip-flopper - a hiker who flip-flops
• Footprint - ground mat used under tent or sleeping pad/bag
• Gaitors - ankle or shin protection typically used to prevent debris from getting in shoes or brush/grass from scrapping your skin
• Gap - low spot in between mountains or a dip along a mountain range
• GORP - Granola, Oats, Raisins, Peanuts mixed together for snacks on the trail
• Green Tunnel - a dense green section of the AT formed into a tunnel by way of volunteers clipping trees and shrubs
• Guy Lines - paracord used to tie down a tent or a tarp
• Harpers Ferry - town in West Wirginia near the halfway point of the AT and headquarters of the ATC
• Hiker Box - storage of food, gear, or hiker's items left behind for others in need at shelters or hostels along the AT
• Hikers Legs - term referring to the muscles you build up hiking hard miles through the Trail. You cannot gain these muscles in a gym. It will take 2 to 8 weeks for your muscles, ligaments, and toughening of your feet to handle long miles on a trail.
• Hiker Trash - term of endearment for those in the long-distance hiking community who have chosen to abandon social norms and expectations, usually disheveled in appearance.
• Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH) - a phrase meaning to hike at your own pace to avoid issues trying to keep pace with others; i.e. live your own life
• Hut - a fully enclosed lodge with running water, wood stove, and amenities found in the White Mountains National Forest
• Kinlin - small dry sticks used to start a fire
• Knob - small rounded hill
• Hostel - typically a converted barn or house used as hotel-like accommodations for hikers at cheaper rates. Often providing bunk beds, bathroom/ showers, and snacks.
• LASHR - Long Ass Section Hiker. Typically someone who hikes more than 2 weeks on the AT at-a-time.
• Lean-to - simple three-wall shelter with a roof found approximately 8-12 miles apart along the AT. Reservations required only at 2 National Parks. Some made of wood, others made of concrete or a combination of the two.
• Logbook - a booklet found at each shelter used as a registry to record last known location. Also used by hikers during their thru-hike year to log in their trail name and leave messages for others following that year.
• NERO - Near Zero. An indicator of hiking "nearly" no miles on the Trail within 24 hours.
• NOBO - Northbound AT hiker from Georgia to Maine
• Pocket Rocket - term for a small foldable canister stove-top
• Privy - bathroom near shelter of an outhouse style
• PUDS - Pointless Ups and Down. Trail design along mountains going up and down several times in a row instead of the Trail going around them.
• Scramble - using hands and knees to hike over rocks along portions of the Trail
• Section Hiker - someone who hikes only a portion of the AT at-a-time. Typically up to 2 weeks.
• Shelter - see "Lean-to"
• Slackpacking - hiking the trail without camping equipment or gear; typically only with lunch, snacks and water while someone provides a drop off and pick up for you every day
• SOBO - Southbound AT hiker from Maine to Georgia
• Stealth Camping - camping at a non-designated camping spot
• Switchbacks - Trail design utilizing a zig-zag method instead of one continuous straight path to provide a more moderate uphill or downhill hike as well as to better maintain the trail from weather erosion
• Thru-Hiker - a person who hikes the entire trail in one continuous pass or sections but within one year time frame
• Townie - Dayhikers
• Trailhead - Beginning area of a trail
• Trail Angel - a volunteer who provides hikers with either free food/snacks, water bottles, shuttle rides, or places to stay
• Trail Magic - items such as food, snacks, water, etc., provided by Trail Angels
• Trail Name - a pseudonym all hikers recognize as your name. Usually "The Trail will provide" you with a name if you hike long enough.
• Treeing a bear - the act of incidentally scaring a bear out of a tree
• Ultralight (UL) - term used to describe equipment made of high-tech material to provide a hiker with the lightest weight possible
• Vestibule - Covered section of a tent immediately outside the zipper entrance.
• Widowmaker - tree or limb that could fall at night or during a storm with the potential to kill a hiker in a tent
• Webwalking - first person walking through a trail collecting all the fresh spider webs
• Work for stay - the agreed upon act of working at a hostel in order to stay the night for free
• ZERO - an indicator of hiking no miles on the Trail during a 24-hour period. Usually taken as a complete rest day off the Trail to recover from the physical demands.