Trail Names and Trickle Down Effects

One (really, just one?) quirky thing about these hikers is the use of trail names amongst themselves. It's a bonding thing for them. Sometimes, fun and funny. Sometimes more serious, but always appropriate. Most of you know by now that Jamie was "bestowed" with the trail name "Pork Rind" when he hiked the AT. It might not have been my first choice but it kind of fit at the time.

As the story goes, he was a little too lax with the sunscreen in the early days of the AT hike, and the back of his neck got terribly sunburned - so much so that it resembled a pork rind. Add to that the fact that one of his staple hiking snacks was (and still is) pork rinds.

You know they pass the test.

Oh, and he's from Iowa! Land of corn and pork... in many senses! So, Pork Rind it was.

Now, there are A LOT of opinions about trail names, usually strongly held, often passed down and shared between hikers like an oral history. A common refrain you might hear:

"You don't choose the trail name, the trail name chooses you."

Some people have a trail name in mind right from the get-go and run with it. That doesn't necessarily guarantee that you will be keeping that trail name (see above), but it's a strategy.

Some people believe that once you have a trail name, that's it. That's your trail name for all time. Others think each trail deserves its own stab at naming you. I mean, if the trail name supposedly chooses you, why is the AT choosing the CDT name? Ah, these are the existential questions that keeps hikers awake at night after hiking 22 miles. Just kidding... not much can keep them awake!

Now, as you may know, Pork Rind is a friendly guy and along the trail he met a lot of great people, many of whom we (his family) have met over the years and with whom we still keep in touch. And apparently the penchant for trail names trickles down to family, at least once in a while, so we were dubbed Mrs. Rind, Little Rind, and Baby Rind by extension.

The girls were (maybe?) a little more receptive to the idea than I was.

I must admit. It's just not what I aspire to be thought of - a pork rind.

But I sense the genuine affection behind it, so I can abide. It's not often an issue outside "hiker world" anyway so, fine.

But imagine my surprise (and delight?) when I hear that there's been a little momentum building since New Mexico behind Pork Rind's name morphing into one that stays true to his roots, but also acknowledges the CDT!

That's right! Chicharrone!

It's quite apt, don't you think? And the family name derivatives are just MUCH more palatable: Chicha, Senona Chicha, Chickie, Baby Chick... It's nearly endless!

It's not a democracy, by any stretch of the imagination, and truth be told, the trail is a ruthless dictator, but I am curious...

What would you choose?

• 0%Stick with Pork Rind
• 0%Embrace Chicharrone

And for all the non-hikers who might wish THEY TOO could have a fun and quirky trail name, Baby Chick (?) created this awesome Trail Name Generator! Have fun with it and let us know your name in the Comments!