Trail terms

thru hiker: Someone doing all 2,000+ miles of the AT at once. Northbounders go GA to ME; southbounders do the opposite.

flip flopper: Someone who hikes the trail in halves, like me. It can be done in any configuration.

section hiker: Someone just doing part of the trail. These tend to be scouts, former thru hikers revisiting the experience or future hikers preparing for it.

trail magic: Free and unexpected hospitality along the trail. It can be as simple as a picnicker tossing a can of soda a hiker's way or as involved as taking a bunch home for a stay + food.

to zero: To hike 0 miles in a day while on the trail. In other words, to hang out for a day of R & R.

hiker's midnight: 9 p.m.

to slack pack: To give your pack to someone who drives it on ahead while you hike the trail unencumbered [and therefore faster].

to yellow blaze: To get a ride for a portion of the trail.