After a challenging day traversing rugged trails, the last thing you want is to find yourself lost in a conversation, nodding and smiling awkwardly as fellow hikers share their tales. Fear not! Arm yourself with the language of the trail by delving into our Hiking Dictionary. While this compilation is an ever-evolving work, we welcome your input to make it even more robust.
Alpine Zone
A high-altitude mountainous ecozone devoid of trees where rare and fragile alpine vegetation, often referred to as alpine tundra, flourishes.
AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club)
An acronym denoting the Appalachian Mountain Club, a prominent organization in the hiking community.
AT (Appalachian Trail)
Abbreviation for the Appalachian Trail, a renowned long-distance trail in the eastern United States.
Bivy
Short for bivouac sack, these small, lightweight, and waterproof structures offer space and weight efficiency over tents while providing protection from the elements.
Blaze
A six-inch paint swath on trees and rocks marking a trail. Blaze colors vary, but they remain consistent throughout a trail. For instance, the Appalachian Trail’s white blaze is iconic.
Blue Blazing
An act of “cheating” on the Appalachian Trail, where hikers take side trails as shortcuts.
Book Time
The estimated time to complete a hike, as suggested by a guidebook.
Cairn
Rock piles above treeline used to mark the trail.
Cirque
Mountain amphitheaters surrounded by steep cliffs or slopes, with the open side facing downstream. Northeast cirques often formed by glacial melt in mountainside depressions.
Cowboy Camping
Camping “under the stars” without any form of shelter.
Day Hike
A single-day hiking expedition.
DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club)
An acronym for the Dartmouth Outing Club.
Double Zero
Two full days off during a thru-hike. Example: Trail Days will be the perfect opportunity to take a double zero.
Flip-Flopping
Hiking a trail in one direction for a period, then getting transported to the other end to finish in the opposite direction.
The Grid
Hiking the New Hampshire 48 mountains during each month of the year for a total of 576 summits, leading to the affectionate term “gridiots.”
Gulf
A common name for cirques, also often referred to as ravines. Mt. Washington’s Great Gulf is the largest alpine cirque in New England.
Hanger
Someone who hammock camps.
Hut Hiking
In New Hampshire’s White Mountains, hiking from one Appalachian Mountain Club hut to another instead of camping out.
Krummholz
Stunted trees, typically conifers, that grow at treeline along alpine zones.
Landslides
When surface material gives way and slides down a mountain slope.
Lean-to
Three-sided shelters available to hikers on the Appalachian Trail and other popular trail systems.
MATC (Maine Appalachian Trail Club)
An acronym for the Maine Appalachian Trail Club.
New Hampshire 48 or White Mountain 48
The Appalachian Mountain Club’s recognized list of 48 mountains in New Hampshire over 4,000 feet.
NoBo
Northbound thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail.
Red-Lining
Completing all trails in the AMC White Mountain Guide.
Register
A notebook often left in a lean-to or trailhead where hikers post observances of the trail and pass messages to others they’ve met along the way.
Ridge Runner
People whose job is to patrol busy sections of trail and ensure hikers follow Leave No Trace principles, stay on the trail, and stay safe.
Rime Ice
Also known as “frozen fog,” rime ice forms when water droplets in clouds freeze to cold surfaces.
Section Hike
Hiking a portion of a long trail such as the Appalachian Trail.
Slackpacking
Hiking a portion of the trail without a backpack.
SoBo
Southbound thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail.
Stealth Camp
Camping out in a non-designated spot.
Tarn
A mountain lake or pool, typically formed in a cirque by glacial melt.
Thru or Through Hike
Completing a long hike, such as the Appalachian Trail or Long Trail, in one continuous journey.
Trail Angels
People who provide hikers with assistance along the trail.
Trail Legs
The point where hikers’ bodies adjust to the daily grind of thru-hiking, and their legs gain strength and stamina for high-mileage days.
Trail Magic
Assistance received along the trail, often in the form of food and drink left trailside by trail angels.
Trail Name
The name assumed by frequent hikers or thru-hikers when on the trail.
Triple Crowner
Someone who has completed the Appalachian Trail (AT), Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
Yellow Blazing
Similar to “blue blazing,” yellow blazing is when Appalachian Trail hikers “cheat” by getting driven further up the trail.
Zero Day
Taking a rest day on long hikes where zero miles are covered.
