Quick PSA – Just like any community, the Appalachian Trail has its own unique culture and language. Over the years of reading up and preparing for this trip, terms like Nero, Nobo, NOC, and NPS have become 2nd nature to me, but I know that not all my family, friends, and readers are as familiar with these terms.  And for even the most avid enthusiasts like me, there may be some new terms you weren’t aware of.  For example, while recently reading Morris the Cat’s The World We Left Behind series, I used it to figure out what Pink Blazing is.  Note to future hikers, don’t Pink Blaze a stranger, that’s creepy.

Luckily, there is a great resource available to help you!  Included in the Links page of this blog is a collaborative resource from trail enthusiasts called Trail Slang.  If you get hung up on any of the acronyms or nicknames you see on this site, shoot over there for a quick alphabetical list.  It appears to be updated regularly as the world evolves.

Note: WhiteBlaze.net is a go-to source for anything AT related, searching that forum can be a huge help while learning about the trail … just don’t get sucked down the rabbit hole.  I’ve collected what I believe to be the most important pages from the site into my Links section.