Transcript
Crow, the Appalachian Trail thru-hiker
Patrick
This week, to mark the two-year anniversary of the podcast, I offer a quick summary looking back and forward.
Yesterday I heard about an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker named Croatoan, or Crow for short. Crow was his trail name, which all A.T. thru-hikers carry. Importantly, you can’t give yourself a trail name. Someone else has to name you along the way. Crow’s girlfriend was named Porridge. Another hiker he encountered along the way was named Bear Wrestler…more on him in a few minutes.
Crow was a SoBo, a southbound hiker heading from Maine to Georgia. This is a far more unique route, as most thru-hikers are NoBos, hiking north. These hikers maintain a rich culture. Each wears their own trail flare and has their own trail style. They are obsessed with their gear and food. They develop their own improved walking method to cover ground efficiently. Hikers typically won’t veer far off course, no more than a tenth of a mile, for almost any reason. Crow once left a meaningful gift he had received by a river bed, realized it two-tenths of a mile later, and just kept moving. Two exceptions to this rule are to visit a brewery or find some homemade ice cream.