And They're Off! (NOBOs, That Is)

As April comes to a close today, the majority of this year's "class" of northbound Appalachian Trail thru-hikers (a.k.a. "NOBOs") are on trail.

Some started in February (a few even earlier) and some will start in May, but the majority of NOBOs have touched the plaque on Springer Mountain and are en route to Katahdin.

Their journeys will last 4-7 months, depending on many factors. And that's presuming they go all the way to Katahdin, almost 2200 miles north. For many, the journey ends somewhere south of there, for any of a number of reasons.

Today, there are NOBO thru-hikers on trail from Georgia into Virginia, with a few even farther north. A section of trail that is hosting a passel of thru-hikers is said to be experiencing "thru-hiker season," a boon to businesses in small towns near the trail.

Hikers take on "trail names" as an easy way to refer to each other. This year, some of the names are: Catching Dreams, Denver Dave, Flatlander, Green T, Groove, Ketchup, N Da Wind, Phoenix Rising, Ramble~On, Yard Sale, and my favorite name so far: The Dread Pirate Ishmael Buttercup Thyme; Child of Fortune. (Surely, his trail name must have a nickname!)

Lots of hikers post journal entries at TrailJournals.com, which can be a fun diversion and quite the time sink for those of us who wish we were on trail. Trail Journals is also a way for hikers to keep up with each other while on trail--jump on a computer in town and check "TJ" to see where your trail friends are and to leave a note for them.

For folks at home, living in "street life," it seems strange, crazy, or at least abnormal for someone to spend weeks and months on trail. But for a hiker, it doesn't take long for trail life to feel totally normal--like that's what a person is supposed to be doing, and it's the people in street life who are living an illusion.

My, I can really get to missing it all!

I wish all of the '09 hikers well, thru-hikers and section-hikers and weekenders, on the A.T. and other trails. I sum up this wish in three words, the ones I use to close my trail register entries...

Happy trails, y'all!