Hi everyone! We thought we would do our first post of the blog on a few terms that are used frequently on the trail that some people may not be familiar with.
Thru-hike- This is completing an entire trail within one year. The exact definition of this is somewhat debated but in our case, getting from Mexico to Canada via the PCT this summer/fall is a thru hike.
Trail angel- Along the trail there are people that stock water caches, allow you to stay at their house, give you a shower, being food to the trail for all thru hikers to enjoy, or simply give you a bottle of water. These are trail angels and they are often the salvation for thru hikers.
Trail magic- Trail magic is anything amazing that happens on the trail that you weren't expecting. This could be a random stocked water cache or a gathering of trail angels offering food and shade.
Zero day- On the trail, distance becomes your measure of time. A zero day is a day where no distance is hiked at all. This can be a day spent in town or a day resting on the trail.
Nero day- This stands for "nearly zero" and is a day where only a few miles are hiked.
Glissading- A controlled slide down a snowy slope to get down a pass or hill faster.
If anyone has any other terminology questions or questions about our endeavor in general feel free to ask!
Cheers.
