Dictionary

Trail Dictionary

I've been getting a lot of questions from family and friends about some of the terms that go along with the trail so here is a primer of trail slang for all the those that are not familiar with the trail.

Blaze: Trail marker. In the case of the AT it is a white 2in wide by 6in tall white rectangle painted on rocks, trees or anything else handy to mark the trail. i.e. White blazing is hiking the trail.

blue blazing: any side trail off of the AT is usually marked with a blue 2x6 rectangle. For purist it is not cool to use blue blazes as short cuts or to avoid tough terrain on the trail. Example El Jefe :"How the hell did Apple Juice beat us to the shelter?".  Beef stick: "The slacker blue blazed around the last two peaks."

pink blazing: chasing a girl. The trail has a lot more guys than girls so pink blazing is speeding up or slow down to spent time with a girl. Example: El Jefe: "Has anyone seen Apple Juice?" Grins: "Yea, he's hiking like 3 miles a day pink blazing with some Swedish chick"

Trail Angel: One who is responsible for Trail Magic (see below)

Trail Magic: Anything good that happens while on the trail. Mostly it's a former hiker or just someone who loves the trail leaving goodies on the trail like cold Gatorade or snacks. It can be so much more though. People have given me rides, food, drinks, a shower, place to stay, lots of food, beer, wine, even more food, and mostly a appreciation of just how nice most folks really are.

all i can think of right now but I'll add as more come up.