Toe stubs while hiking: Sure you get to where you recover from toe stubs but it interrupts your mojo. Also, if you do one, it means your next step placement was rushed which means you might do two in a row! AaaaaHhhh!
Day hiker gab: a quick howdy and a question or two is cool. The third time I halt my forward momentum and turn around I’m looking for a payday bar or an offer of a sandwich…or a drink…
Leaf litter: How does it get in all the places? I think it proliferates in the dark. Most likely dead leaves are actually some sort of woods sprite dumping offal into our packs to make them weigh more!
Other hiker superstitions: the guy that believes rubbing leaves on your cuts is a good idea is an idiot.
Chairs with backs: are amazing. On trail we only see stumps, rocks, logs, and sometimes picnic tables.
Finding yourself: The number of people on the trail in some sort of transition in their lives is stunning. Between school and a job or between relationships or …
Everything: will eventually smell bad. … Sweaty hiker butt bad.
Always track: your glasses, cell, and wallet. Everything else can and likely will eventually be replaced quickly in a town anyway.
3 pairs of socks isn’t abnormal: regardless of what other hikers might say.. 2 pair for hiking in case of wet, and a third pair for sleeping so you don’t make your bag smell as bad as your feet.
The cardinal rule: don’t go backward on the trail. For any reason. Ever.
Muggles: day hikers and non hikers… They just don’t know…
BO: you don’t notice yours for many days or other hikers’ funk. However, if a muggle comes by with freshly laundered clothes we can likely tell you the detergent brand (tide mountain air or gain, etc) before they are actually visible on the trail.
Hiking shape isn’t overall fit: I have low body fat. I can hike all day without much pause. Just don’t ask me to run, cycle, lift or even squat without lots of groaning and whining.
We don’t know about things not on the AT: I can’t tell you how many times a muggle has asked if they can get to the abc parking lot down this spur trail. Generally a thru hiker can describe the details of Audie Murphy’s memorial in gory details because it’s on the trail. If it’s not on trail it doesn’t exist!
Garbage: thru hikers are very good about garbage. We like it so much we will dutifully carry an empty tuna pouch for a 6 day summer carry until we get to a garbage can we can use. If you’re a day hiker and you want to make their day just offer to pack out their 5 ounces of mylar trash. Beware, they may try to kiss you on the lips.
I’m sure there are more things I haven’t mentioned that others will submit 🙂
HikingSeason 