There is a long-standing tradition on the trail to have a trail name. I haven’t been able to find out the true history of trail names; only that it started in the late ’70’s. (Please leave a comment if you can fill in this blank for us!)
My trail name is Lucky, chosen by me because I felt lucky that my lovely wife, Norma, let me go for 6 months. My brother Steve’s name is Pac Rat. (No explanation necessary) Just about everyone on the trail had a moniker, but you don’t have to have one. I will say this: if you don’t have a trail name when you start, someone along the way will give you one, and you may not like it, so you may want to pick it yourself.
Having a trail name is part of the fun. On my second week on the trail, we stopped to have lunch with some other hikers at a trail-side picnic table. One hiker introduced himself as “Leaky Bladder.” It turns out the night before he hadn’t screwed the cap tight on his 2-liter bladder and it leaked out inside his pack. And he was christened (in more ways than one) Leaky Bladder.
After spending time with some folks, it’s easy to see how their trail name matches their personality. Others remain a mystery and they may not clue you in. For me, having a trail name was part of leaving my old self behind and exploring this new person I was to become. Your trail name is a fun and harmless new way to express yourself. Your adventure, your name. Make it meaningful to YOU!
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