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Trail talk 4:20 p.m., Oct. 27, 2006--Hikers in the know have their own language when it comes to the Appalachian Trail. Here are some examples: 2,000-miler--a hiker who covers the entire length of the 2,175-mile trail. Through-hikers--those who complete the trail in a single, continuous trip, which usually takes about six months. NOBO--a northbound hiker, who begins at Springer Mountain, Ga., usually departing in late winter in order to reach the northern end of the trail before cold weather sets in there. About two-thirds of all 2,000-milers are NOBOs. SOBO--a southbound hiker, who begins at Katahdin, Maine, in Baxter State Park, generally in late spring after the chance of snow or freezing temperatures there has diminished. Flip-flopper--a hiker who completes the trail in one season but two sections. Flip-floppers walk about half of the trail in one direction, then drive or are transported to the opposite end and hike back in the other direction until they reach the point where they previously stopped. Only about 5 percent of 2,000-milers flip-flop their trek. Section-hiker--a hiker who covers the entire length of the trail but does so in a series of shorter hikes, often over a period of many years. Zero day--a day in which hikers take a break in town or elsewhere, adding zero to their mileage tally. Trail magic--an unexpected bit of good luck that a hiker comes across, anything from a six-pack of fruit juice left for the taking to a church near the trail that offers hikers indoor bunks, showers and a hot breakfast. Trail names--the nicknames used exclusively by hikers on the trail. “Nobody who met me along the trail would know me as Blair,” Lamb says. “They only knew my trail name, Pebbles.” |
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