How I define the common trail terms

Today is my last day home. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning. No set time yet, whenever we wake up we will get ready and leave. My hiking partner will text when he is up and we will decide a time then. We all are ready and excited to start this adventure.

On February 16 I posted some general trail terms and their definitions. In this post I would like to give you my definition of those trail terms.

A Mother’s Definition of A.T. Trail Terms

Bald – result of late nights worrying about new teenage drivers

AYCE – All you can endure of bad behavior

Bounce Box – The healthy snack in the lunch box that keeps coming back home

Mail Drop – Detention notice from office that never made it home

Cairn – Items shed at home from student leaving a trail from car, through house, to bedroom

Cat Hole – Secret hiding place to hide items from parents

Bushwack – What a parent must do to enter child’s room

LNT – Leave no trace – A parents wish after child’s friends are over

SOBO – The long commute to private school

NOBO – The long commute home from private school

Thru-hiker – Friends of teenagers who pass through house and empty all food in sight

PUDS – pointless up and down steps to deliver folded laundry that gets thrown on floor

Nero Day  – A light day when after school activities have been cancelled

Zero Day – A snow day, school has been cancelled

Slackpacking – What a student does when he forgets his backpack or other important stuff for the day and the parent must NOBO, Then SOBO then NOBO again to return home

Trail Angel – Another parent that has a sleep over and invites your kid for the weekend

Trail Magic – A parent who sends snacks to your kids sleepover

Trailname – Names yelled at parents by kids when they don’t get their way

White Blazing – Filling out all the school paperwork as fast as you can

Blue Blazing – Only signing your name to the paperwork and having your child fill in the rest. Hoping it is accurate

Yellow Blazing – Forgetting to fill out the paperwork

Yogiing – Getting someone to do your ride-share day without asking directly

Yo-Yoing – What student does when he procrastinates in doing his homework

Flip-Flopper – Child that changes his story each time he explains why he is late or didn’t do the chores

White Mountains – Old piles of food found in child’s room

Green Mountains – New piles of food left on table at the end of supper no one thought to help clean up

Terminus – The point where parents feel like there is no hope

Hostel – The place kids go when visiting a trail angel

Shelter – The place parents go when child is visiting a trail angel

Privy – The place a parent goes to dump their frustrations

Springer Fever  – What mom gets every April when the days are longer and the end of school is near and summer starts so she can spend time with her angels without all the fuss and hassle of everything else.

Hope you enjoyed this. My next stop will be Winchester, VA, tomorrow’s destination

Happy Hiking

Emily M. Leonard

About Emily M. Leonard

I am a 50 year old Maine native and lover of the outdoors. Former Physical Education teacher and soccer coach. I am Married to the best husband ever and gave up teaching and coaching to raise our two wonderful sons. I have always enjoyed being outside and on the go.