As with the abundance of acronyms associated with the Pacific Crest Trail, an entirely new collection of words joins the vocabulary of the thru-hiker as well.
As someone new to thru-hiking, I found myself wondering what many of these things meant, and whether or not I should expose my ignorance by asking the ever-present question, “Wait, so…what exactly does that mean?”
Thankfully after months out in the wilderness I have unraveled the mysteries of thru-hiking jargon, and I will now share said knowledge with you all.
The PCT Glossary
An amazing surprise cache of beer in a river. Glorious.
Angeling verb: the act of providing unsolicited help to hikers; being a “trail angel“
Base Weight: noun: the total weight of your fully loaded backpack before the addition of consumables (food, water, fuel, etc.)
Blue Blaze: verb: the act of using watercraft and waterways to complete a section of trail (e.g. taking a boat across a lake)
Bounce Box: noun: a single box or container containing extra gear, equipment, food, or other supplies that hikers repeatedly send ahead to resupply stops in order to avoid carrying the contents in their pack
Cache: noun: a supply of food, water, or otherwise useful items left out for hikers
Cairn: noun: a manmade stack of stones indicating where the trail continues
Camel Up: verb: the act of drinking a lot of water at once to quickly hydrate and delay the need to drink water again
Cat Hole: noun: a hole dug for the express purpose of pooping in
Cowboy Camp: verb: the act of sleeping without a tent or shelter; sleeping under the stars
Day Hiker: noun: a person who is only hiking for a day (the lowest level of hiker)
Dry Camp: verb: the act of camping without a water source nearby
Flip Flop: verb: the act of skipping a section of trail with the intention of returning to the skipped section and hiking it in the opposite direction
Hiker trash dominating a campsite in Northern California.
Floaties: noun: any item found in your water after filling up (it's usually poop)
Giardia: noun (g-ARE-d-ah): a parasite that colonizes and reproduces in the small intestine causing violent diarrhea, excess gas, stomach or abdominal cramps, upset stomach, and nausea
Glissade: verb: the act of sliding down a snow or ice-covered hill (on one's feet or butt) as a means of shortcutting the trail and having an incredible time
HEET: noun: a commonly available gas-line antifreeze and water remover that hikers burn as furl for their stoves
Hiker Box: noun: a supply of food, gear, or any other item left behind by hikers for use by future hikers (usually found in post offices, motels, and trail angel houses)
Hiker Hunger: noun: a feeling of insatiable hunger brought on by repeated days of hiking and a limited food supply (see more here)
Hiker Legs: noun: the rock solid pieces of muscle mass developed by hikers following continuous weeks of nonstop hiking (see more here)
Hiker Midnight: noun: although it is hotly debated, hiker midnight is said to be 9 PM (aka when it is dark)
Hiker Trash: noun: a word used to describe thru-hikers – typically characterized by an offensive odor and a grungy beard (regardless of sex), frequently looking for beer, wi-fi, and electrical outlets
Kick Off: noun: refers to an event taking place each year in Southern California when many hikers begin their PCT thru-hike; also known as the ADZPCTKO
Near-o: noun: a day where very few miles are hiked – no definite measure exists, but it can usually be measured as 25% or less than your daily average
PCTer: noun: a name for a hiker of the Pacific Crest Trail
PCTing: verb: the act of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
Pink Blaze: verb the act of hiking more quickly than you would otherwise hike with the intention of catching up to a love interest; to hike according to the schedule of a female hiker
Puffy: noun: a name for a down jacket
Took us into their RV and gave us sandwiches, beers, and a bottle of wine and moonshine for the road – fully leveled trail angels.
Purist: noun: someone who believes that every single mile of the official trail should be hiked, unbroken for a hike to be considered a thru-hike (more on this here)
Register: noun: a logbook, piece of paper, or otherwise inscribe-able object used for documenting a hikers passing of a point on the trail
Section Hiker: noun: a person who is hiking a portion of a trail, but does not intend on thru-hiking
Shelter: noun: refers to a person's tarp, tent, or cover; a fixed structure on the trail that can be used by hikers for escaping the elements
Skipping: verb: the act of missing a section of trail (usually without the intention of flip-flopping)
Slack Pack: verb: the act of carrying less than your entire pack by way of stashing gear for an out and back detour or using a third-party to carry your gear ahead for you
Stealth Camp: verb: the act of camping with the intent of not being found by anyone else (authoritative or otherwise)
Supported Thru-hike: noun: A hike of the trail that involves the assistance of others i.e. someone meeting a hiker along the trail with supplies; Supported: adjective
Thirties: noun: describes days where more than 30 miles, but fewer than 40 miles are hiked
One of the permanently maintained water caches along the PCT.
Trail Angel: noun: a person who performs acts of trail magic and assists hikers expecting nothing in return monetary or otherwise (see more here)
Trail Days: noun: a yearly weekend-long event held in Cascade Locks, Oregon for Pacific Crest Trail hikers; usually during the first two weeks of September
Trail Magic: noun: an unexpected act of kindness on the trail – can manifest itself in the form of a cache, the appearance of a trail angel, or otherwise awesome occurrence (see more here)
Triple Crowner: noun: a person who has successfully completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the Appalachian Trail
Twenties: noun: describes days where more than 20 miles, but fewer than 30 miles are hiked
Unsupported Thru-hike: noun: A hike of the trail that does not involve the assistance of others i.e. the hiker is completely self-sufficient; Unsupported: adjective
Vitamin I: noun: another name for ibuprofen
Vortex: noun: a place, group, or thing that “sucks” hikers off the trail and contributes to diminishing mileage
Weekend Warrior: noun: a hiker escaping the 9-5 grind by taking two nights out in the wilderness (between a day and section hiker)
Yellow Blaze: verb: the act of soliciting rides as a means of skipping sections of trail
Yo-yo: verb: the act of hiking the entirety of the trail, and then turning around and hiking it again in the opposite direction
Yogi: verb: the act of cleverly soliciting food, drink, rides, or otherwise useful things from unsuspecting strangers you meet along the trail
Zero: noun: a day when no miles are hiked (see more here)
Any questions? Something to add? Leave a comment below and leave your contribution in the single greatest hiking lexicon on the internets.
