Glossary

A volunteer working with our trail maintaining group for the first time this past year suggested that a glossary of terms would be helpful for newer people, something they could look at before they got out on the trail or someplace they could check words/terms they heard while out on a crew (hat tip to 'SY' for a great idea!). This is an informal glossary ..... I'm sure there are more exact, official definitions around somewhere for a lot of these terms. It also includes words/terms that I refer to as 'maintainer slang' ... sometimes this slang terminology is used throughout the AT maintainer community and some of it is particular just to our group. If you see anything obviously missing or have other terms you think should be explained, or have a better definition (a small warning - writing a reasonably concise explanation of some of these things isn't as easy as you might think!) please use the 'Contact' tab link and let me know! ~ Merlot



Approach trail
The side trail to an overlook or some other feature that is off the main trail.  There are approach trails to Glass Hollow Overlook and Little Raven's Roost Overlook.
(Photo: Merlot ) The sign at the approach trail to Glass Hollow Overlook, note blue blaze.

Blaze
The markings painted on trees/rocks/posts to mark the trail. Blazes are 2" x 6". White designates the AT, blue marks side trails, and if you are in the SNP, yellow blazes mark trails where horses are allowed. To see how blazes are painted, step by step, visit One Beautiful Blaze At A Time

Blowdown
A tree or trees that have come down on or across the trail. This can be caused by a storm with strong winds, the weight of snow and ice, or because the tree is dead and the roots are rotten. Often, when a live tree uproots, it is clear that the roots are shallow because they are growing in a thin layer of soil on rock and this lack of a root system makes the trees more prone to going over in a storm (especially if leafed out which provides wind resistance). (Photos left & middle: Christina W.; right: Merlot) Left to right: a huge dead tree blown down right in the trail, a live tree downed by a storm, and the rootball of a large live tree that uprooted in a storm.

 

Chaps
The protective gear worn by sawyers that look somewhat like cowboy chaps. These sawyer chainsaw chaps protect the sawyer by slowing and stopping the chain. Fibers of woven and felted Kevlar are pulled into the saw's drive sprocket, jamming the saw. The outer covering of the chaps is nylon and there are 5 alternating layers of woven Kevlar and felted Kevlar. Chaps come in different lengths and should be at least 2 inches longer than boot tops. (Photo: Christina W.) Sawyer in chaps and other PPE.

Check dams
These are small barriers built across the trail on slopes, especially where there is no way to put in a water runout ditch for a waterbar. These small 'dams' slow the velocity of water flowing down the trail and allow sediment to settle behind the dam, thus reducing erosion. Check dams were used extensively on the old AT (now blue blaze) where it is on old road bed between the Humpback Parking Lot and the second Jack Albright sign. Over 30* check dams were put in (late 90's) using locust logs because this stretch of trail was gullying out so badly. The AT has been rerouted; however the old road bed section continues to get hiker traffic as part of the Jack Albright Loop. The check dams are beginning to rot out and some significant erosion is taking place and gullying has begun again - a future project for ...... ??   (* A little maintainer history: the number is either 31 or 32 .... something I never thought I'd forget since we spent many, many work trips putting these things in, to the point where we were begging for mercy ..... please, no more check dams!! We were very happy to relo the AT around this road bed. ☺) (Photo: Merlot) A section of check dams going up the slope.

 

Chocolate Pecan Pie (& Cookies)
For certain work trips (Presquile NWR being one that comes to mind) and special occasions, Fran L. makes her Famous Chocolate Pecan Pie(s). The best cookies in the world seem to be the ones set out on a convenient car hood in the Visitor's Center parking lot as the crews are coming in from the woods - everyone is tired and hungry and the cookies tide us over until we can get the tools put away, the sawyers get the chainsaws cleaned up, and we head out for dinner.  (Photos: Cookies, Merlot; CP Pies, Lori A.) Cookies on the hood & notice the care with which the chocolate pecan pies in the brown bag are being handed out of the boat!

 

Cribbing
This is a retaining structure to keep rocks and soil in place. For our purposes, cribbing is generally used to 'crib up' a spot on the trail to provide a wide enough tread for hikers or to shore up a section of trail that wants to slide down the mountain. Wood and rock cribs can be used, but we have only rock cribs on the Rockfish to Reeds AT. Good cribbing is a definite skill ..... rock placement and shape/size are critical on the foundation tier which also has to be insloped to make a solid base for the crib and then rock has to be put into the crib in such a way as to be stable .... this means the rocks have to fit together and that requires an "eye" for rock shapes and how they will fit with what you already have in place.  Most cribbing is unnoticed by hikers as they are walking on the tread and the cribbing is below the edge of the trail. To see some really spectacular examples of older cribbing, the Howardsville Turnpike has some sections that are really high with big/giant rocks - hard to imagine how they got it done (and it is all 'dry laid' - no mortar to hold it together). (Top Photos: Dave W.) Left picture is of the top of tread that has been cribbed up; right picture is the actual cribbing to support the tread, showing quite a bit of elevation. (Bottom Photos: Merlot) Cribbing on switchbacks - 2nd picture shows cribbing used in combination with a large natural rock to the right.

 

Dirt bag
Large canvas bags used for hauling dirt on a project site.  Since the projects generally require hiking in to the site, the canvas bags are relatively easy to fold up and carry. The alternative would be something like a 5 gallon bucket which is awkward at best for carrying any distance.

Domestic vs. wild rocks
This is RtoR maintainer slang for describing rocks in an area where there are man-made structures built from rock, in particular, walls. There are lots of walls along our section of trail and when looking for rocks to complete a project .... well, all the 'good' rocks are in the walls and are therefore 'domestic' rocks. Rocks that have fallen out of the wall are also considered 'domestic' rocks. Domestic rocks are left where they are. Wild rocks are those that have escaped the original wall builders, usually because they are too small, weird shapes (the infamous 'torpedo' shape - not good for much), or they are the 'tip of an iceberg' sort of rock and too large to be dug up. Rock projects are a real challenge when working areas near those beautiful stone walls. (Photo: Merlot) This is an interesting example of domestic rocks to the left and wild rocks to the right where the wall builder has incorporated these large rocks in their natural setting as part of the wall.

FAB
A First Aid Bag.  Read about our FABS and how we ended up with bags instead of hard-sided 'kits':  A FABulous Solution  By the way, our FAB solution has been tested during an actual emergency - we had what we needed and it was easy to access.

Fire Rake
Our fire rakes have a wooden handle with a rake head consisting of four very sharp, serrated, triangular steel blades. They are used in wildland firefighting; however, they are also an excellent tool for trail maintenance and construction. This is probably the one tool I wish I had with me more often than any other when I get lazy and don't carry one along on a crew. The long handle makes it awkward to carry, but it's such a good tool for raking leaves and debris out of water bars, raking leaves, duff, and vegetation off of trail when you are going to do rehab work (got to get down to that mineral soil!), and it is indispensable when raking off the site of new trail construction. I wish someone would come up with a design for a collapsible handle that would make carrying a fire rake easier, but would still hold up to hard use when extended. Any ideas out there? (Photo: Richard B.) Fire rake & cleaned out waterbar.

Hand/pruning saw
A lot of section maintainers will carry a small saw of their personal preference. These small saws either fit in a pack or can be tied to it and are handy if you come across something that is too big for loppers to handle. A pruning saw (some folks will also carry a bow saw) can often handle a small blowdown that is safe to cut, thus saving the chain saw crew from having to hike in, perhaps miles, with all their gear to get a relatively small tree. (Photos: Merlot) Top: A pruning saw that can do some serious cutting, but still small enough to fit in a day pack. Bottom: An even smaller pruning saw, but it can do the job to clear small obstructions like this tree hanging over into the trail.

 

 

Junking up
"Let's junk it up" usually signals the end of a project on the trail. Whether putting in rock steps, waterbars, or some other sort of feature, there are usually some places where you don't want hikers to go. A good example is going around steps instead of using the steps, or going around the end of a waterbar, going too close to the edge of the tread, etc. To keep this from happening, unfriendly looking rocks (see 'ugly' rocks) are used to fill in areas to discourage hikers from taking shortcuts and to keep them on the trail and where you want them to walk. (Photo: Merlot) A good example of a step with 'ugly' rocks junking up the sides.

Konnarock
What is a "Konnarock?"  Actually, it's not a type of rock on the trail, but a volunteer trail crew that ATC fields to help out the maintaining clubs between Springer Mountain, GA and Rockfish Gap, VA.  ATC has a great explanation/information for the 'Konnarock (Crew)' so here's a link to ATC. There is also a link to the Konnarock Crew blog on the 'Links & Info' tab. If you'd like to see pictures of Konnarock last summer, working on R to R's section of AT, visit the 'label cloud' in the left sidebar on the blog and click on the 'Konnarock' label there to bring up the posts.

ATC - Konnarock Trail Crew

Loppers
The tool most often used for "snipping and clipping" branches, bushes, limbs, young trees, etc that are encroaching into the trail corridor. By far, a favorite lopper is the small Fiskar lopper. It is lightweight and ratcheted and can cut some pretty big branches. Loppers with longer handles are heavier and more awkward to carry, but the longer handles add leverage and small saplings can be cut with a heavy-duty set of long-handled loppers. (Photo: Merlot) Short handled, lightweight Fiskar loppers, with 'ratchet' that allows them to cut some pretty large branches.

McLeod
This tool has a large hoe-like blade on one side and tines on the other. The McLeod was designed to rake fire lines with the teeth and cut branches and sod with the sharpened hoe edge; however, it can be useful during trail construction. We have a couple of them in the tool shed, but usually for the work we do, most folks prefer a fire rake. (Photo: Merlot) The one McLeod in the toolshed.

Mineral Soil
Soil that has no vegetative matter in it ... leaves, duff (mats of roots, decomposing vegetation), roots, etc. The clay particles in mineral soil hold it together and it makes for a stable tread, but the particles cannot do this when 'contaminated' with decomposing vegetation. Whenever you are building new tread, rehabbing tread, repairing tread .... you should always remove any vegetative matter and get down to the mineral soil before starting your work (a fire rake is invaluable in this situation). Not removing leaves, etc. and getting down to the mineral soil is poor construction technique and will negatively impact the quality of your work. If you are putting dirt back (filling holes, etc.), try to keep any vegetative matter out of it.

Mt. Katahdin (Maine)
The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail in Baxter State Park. Most thru-hikers we meet on the trail while doing maintenance are "northbounders", heading for Katahdin.

Overlook
A place on the trail with a view, usually from some elevated spot. We have two official overlooks (with signs) - Glass Hollow and Little Raven's Roost. Humpback Rocks, while no longer on the AT, is the primary tourist destination overlook in the area.  There is also a nice overlook with a view just off the trail higher on Humpback Mountain (well above 'The Rocks') that is a favorite spot for lunch. The AT also goes across Cedar Cliffs which has a great view of the Shenandoah Valley. (Photos: David W. ) From left to right:  Glass Hollow Overlook, Cedar Cliffs, Little Ravens Roost Overlook.





PPE
This is the acronym for Personal Protection Equipment. Depending on the work being done, PPE required might be any of the following or a combination of: gloves (leather), hard hat, shin guards, goggles for eye protection, hearing protection, long sleeves, long pants, boots, sawyer chaps, and steel-toed boots. (See picture @ 'Chaps')

Pick mattox or pickaxe or pick
A tool with a long handle at right angles to a curved iron or steel bar with a point at one end and a chisel at the other (can be another point - we have the pointed end and  chisel end tools), used for breaking up hard ground or rock. In the tool shed, we have smaller, lighter ones that while easier to carry, are not good for prying up big rocks - the heavier pick mattox is better; however, for heavy duty rock work, a rock bar is best. The pick mattox is heavier to carry than some tools, but the weight makes it very effective in breaking up ground and digging. We do have a pick mattox with a fiberglass handle, but that tends to flex under strain - the wooden handled ones are favored by the  maintainers. (Photo: Dave W.)

Pulaski
The pulaski was developed to be used in wildland firefighting and combines an axe and adze in one head with a rigid handle (ours are all wooden handles). It can be used to both dig soil and chop wood so it is very versatile and works well for trail construction. Next to loppers, the pulaski is probably the most popular tool to carry along when out on trail maintenance. It's lighter than a pick mattox, but can still dig out water bars, side hill, and has the ability to cut roots, small saplings, etc. (Photo: Christina W.) Pulaski in foreground.

Rock bar
A rock pry bar is a 5' to 5-1/2' long tool made of steel and is used for loosening or levering rocks or other heavy objects. These are not to be confused with 'tamping bars', that have a flattened 2' to 2-1/2' end for tamping down the soil (typically around fence posts) and a pointed, chiseled end for loosening dirt or rocks.  The biggest problem with rock bars is their weight - they are not easy to carry for miles, but when you need a rock bar, there is just no substitute for what it can do. Also, typically, if you need one bar, you really need two to be most effective so any project where rock bars are a necessity requires some planning and enough crew members to carry all the (heavy) tools. (Photo: Merlot) Note: Paint stripes on rock bars and other tools keeps them from getting lost in the leaves if they are put down for some reason; also, distinguishes our tools from Konnarock when we are working with them.

Rock Whisperer
R to R maintainer slang for someone who is very skilled with a rock bar in moving very big rocks. One prerequisite is to be able to "walk" a rock some distance using only a rock bar - no 'Bobcats' allowed on the trail. Yes, we do have at least one 'Rock Whisperer' in our maintainer group. (See picture above!)

Sawyer
A maintainer who has gone through the Forest Service certification program and been issued a 'card'. The initial certification process is two days of classroom and field instruction. Sawyers are required to re-certify every three years. A prerequisite to the certification class is to have a current First Aid/CPR card.  ONLY certified sawyers are allowed to operate a chainsaw on Forest Service/NP lands. Obviously, being a certified sawyer requires a significant commitment of time and effort to go through the certification class(es), the First Aid/CPR class/training and to follow through with re-certification on schedule. Additionally, sawyers carry their saws for miles up and down the mountains along with all of their PPE and fuel (bar oil/gas) for their saws.  Sawyers operate with a crew of at least one other person, more preferably two for safety purposes and to help carry gear and clear the blowdown debris once it has been sawed into manageable, movable pieces. When out on a sawyer crew, paying attention to all sawyer instructions/directions is critical because of the safety issues involved in running a chainsaw and dealing with sometimes tricky blowdown situations. We are fortunate to have very dedicated, experienced, and safety-conscious sawyers who take care of the Rockfish to Reeds AT. (See picture of sawyer in PPE @ 'Chaps')

Scrench
This is the specific tool that sawyers carry for the field maintenance of their chainsaws. It is a combination screwdriver and wrench.

Section hike
Hiking the Appalachian Trail in sections rather than all at one time. We meet a lot of section hikers while out doing maintenance work. They are quite likely to stop and chat a while and tell you where they've been and where they're going. They could be out for a week, maybe two ... if they're lucky, maybe a month. They might take a couple of years to hike the entire AT, but they eventually get it done and have a grand time while doing it. Section hikers are generally very appreciative of trail maintainers and will let you know it!

Section Maintainer (sometimes called 'Overseer')
The Rockfish to Reeds 19.1 miles of trail is divided into 12 sections. Each section has a dedicated maintainer, or overseer. This person (or persons .... some sections have co-maintainers) is responsible for making periodic trips to the section to check on the condition of the trail and to do routine work such as digging out water bars, keeping weeds cut back, snipping/clipping branches, brush, etc., cleaning off rock steps, closing off illegal shortcuts (from hikers cutting switchbacks), picking up and packing out litter, etc. The minimum number of trips is four per year, but maintainers often go more frequently, especially during 'weed season'. Any work that cannot be done or that is out of the comfort zone of the maintainer, or unsafe for the maintainer to do without more expertise, is reported to the Trail Maintenance Supervisor who will make arrangements to get the work on the monthly work trip schedule or get the additional assistance that is needed. (A note: we need section maintainers! If you have an interest, please contact the Trail Supervisor - see 'Contact' tab for info).

Shin guards
Think baseball catcher's leg guards and that is what shin guards are. Actually, a lot of the shin guards are exactly that ..... baseball catcher equipment that can be bought at a second-hand sports store and re-purposed for use on the trail.  If you are working with rocks, crushing rocks for gravel, or using any sharp tools for cutting brush or digging side hill, shin guards are recommended or required. (Photo: Lori A.)

Side hill(ing)
At its most simple, side hilling is digging a trail into the side of a hill/mountain. While it sounds simple, the devil is in the details. It takes practice and some skill to become a good side hill digger. The best way to learn is to have a very experienced person show you how to do it (more than once is generally required) and then have that person supervise or work next to you while you dig your first section of side hill "bench" (which can be 'full' or 'partial'). The bench must be dug in 'mineral soil' which means all leaves, duff, roots, vegetative matter must first be removed. Rocks and small trees might need to be dug out as well. The cut bank (inside of the trail) should have a maximum angle of 45 degrees (the 'angle of repose'), the tread should be 18-24 inches wide and outslope slightly, about 5 degrees. The outside edge of the tread should be clear of all the duff and debris you previously cleared so it doesn't trap water that is running off the trail because of that nice outslope you built into your bench. Of course, your small side hill bench section should blend seamlessly into the sections on either side of you .... that other people are digging.  Repairing side hill after it deteriorates over the years is yet another skill set and often harder than digging the original side hill trail! Of course, when you look over a completed section of new side hill or a nicely rehabbed section of old side hill, it tends to give you the most wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. (Photo: Christina W.) Rehabbed sidehill with leaves being added so the fresh dirt doesn't look quite so 'raw'.

Springer Mountain (Georgia)
The southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.  Later in the season (fall) we will run into the "southbounders" who are heading for Springer.

Step over
A tree that has come down across the trail; however, it is small enough for a hiker to step over it while staying on the trail tread. A 'messy' blowdown, with lots of limbs and perhaps saplings that have been carried down with the tree, can often be cleaned up with loppers and/or a small hand saw until it becomes a step over or perhaps something a little higher, requiring a 'leg over'. This is a temporary solution until a sawyer crew can get in and clear the tree totally off the trail. A lot of trail damage can be avoided by 'cleaning up' a blowdown and making it more passable for hikers - the goal is to keep them on the trail if safe and if possible. Some maintainers (you know who you are!) always carry a small pair of (Fiskar) loppers in their pack and a pair of gloves even when out on a non-maintenance recreational hike to do minor blowdown cleanup if they come across one. (Photos: Merlot) A blowdown hikers were having trouble getting over & around - blowdown after cleanup - hikers getting over blowdown & staying mostly in the trail ... success!




Swamper(s)
This has nothing to do with 'Gator Boys'! Swampers are the volunteers who, along with a certified sawyer, make up a crew to clear blowdowns. Swampers help carry gear and clear the blowdown debris off the trail after the sawyer has done his work.


Swing blade
A weed cutting tool with a double edge. You swing the blade back and forth through weeds to cut them off, thus the name. This is the most common way to cut weeds on the trail. We do have a couple of motorized 'weed eaters', but they are most effective in primarily grassy areas such as at Rockfish Gap or the trailhead at Three Ridges. Also, you have to carry fuel for them and they get right heavy as the day wears on. One thing about swing blades, you should either make sure the original nuts holding the blade on are 'locking' nuts or replace them with locking nuts. It is extremely frustrating to be swinging away and end up with losing your washer and nut, perhaps even the bolt in the weeds (sometimes you can find them, most times you can't) which means one side of the blade is dangling loose and your weed whipping is over for the day! (Photos: Toolshed, Lori A.; Trail, Merlot) Swingblades hanging in the toolshed ready to go and the result of a day's work - left: before; right: after.



Thru-hiker
Someone who is hiking the entire Appalachian Trail (2,000+ miles) in one hike. Thru-hikers generally come through our area around May-June-July. Thru-hikers usually can be spotted because they have "The Look": lean, fit, hiking fast, trail-worn clothes and gear, might be pretty dirty, and have a gleam in their eye because they are headed for the all-you-can-eats in Waynesboro where they can also get a shower at the Y, do their laundry, and get mail drops at the post office. Most thru-hikers are quick to thank maintainers for their trail work. We have several maintainers who have thru-hiked, some multiple times.

Trail Sections
The 19.1 miles of AT from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap has been divided into 12 sections. Each section is assigned an overseer/maintainer. Each section has a specific start and end point. This helps identify where issues may be (For example: "we have two blowdowns on section 8, between the Humpback Picnic Trail and Battery Cliffs") and also in assessing and managing the actual maintenance because each section has its own characteristics and terrain/trail issues can vary widely between sections. To see the trail sections (start/end points, mileage, features/landmarks, wildflowers, wildlife, etc.), visit the Trail Sections Page .

Trail Styling (or Stylist)
Maintainer slang for those of us that are on the picky side about how our projects (especially rock projects) look when they are finished. It's all about the details ... the moss side of the rock should be showing, leaves are sprinkled on fresh dirt so it doesn't look so 'raw', thought is given to how rocks are placed and if they don't look quite right, they are re-positioned until they do. The thinking is ... if you are going to expend a lot of energy and work doing things like digging, moving rocks, fixing tread, rehabbing side hill, etc., and doing it with good construction techniques, then it is worth it to take that extra 5 or 10 minutes to make it "look good" too. Actually, those little 'trail styling' things end up making the project blend into the scenery and one of the best compliments for any maintainer is to have hikers going on by without noticing the actual underlying construction that makes the tread durable and hiker-friendly. We laugh and joke about the 'styling/stylist' thing, but it's this attention to detail that makes for really excellent trail. (See picture @ 'Side hill(ing) )

Ugly rocks
Maintainer slang for rocks that are uneven, weird shapes, have sharp edges or points and are just plain 'unfriendly' looking. These are the rocks we look for when we need to 'junk up' portions of a rock project to keep hikers on the trail. For example, you would want to put 'ugly' rocks on both sides of rock steps to keep hikers on the steps, in the 'V' part of a narrow switchback to keep hikers from shortcutting across, etc. Even 'ugly' rocks, if some care is given to how they are placed, can blend in and 'look good' once a project is finished. (See picture @ 'Junking Up')

Waterbar
We talk about 'waterbars' all the time. Some maintainers probably dream about them (I wouldn't be surprised!). Basically, they are ditch-like structures built across the trail to divert water off the trail before it can build up speed and volume and cause serious erosion issues. Often, one waterbar is not enough and multiple waterbars are needed on steep slopes. Water bars are reinforced on the downhill side by logs (peeled locust is best - takes years to rot out) or rocks. The rocks should be fairly thin, flat, and big so they don't easily dislodge over time and with hiker wear and tear - usually about 2/3 of the rock is buried. One of the most frequent mistakes made is to build a waterbar with rocks that are too small - they just don't hold up. The waterbar should be at an angle across the trail with the upper end high enough and anchored so that water cannot get around it and a runout ditch on the lower end to carry the water well off the trail. Dirt, gravel, leaves and other debris wash into the waterbars and if they fill in with enough of this stuff, the water will be able to run over the bar instead of running off in the runout. Waterbars have to be put in the proper location to be effective, built correctly to do the job and hold up to use, and they have to be maintained several times a year (i.e. dug out) to remain functional. (Photos: left, Lori A.; right, Merlot)
Left: Example of a log-backed waterbar,  water runout to right; Right: Rock-backed bar, water runout to right.

 

Weed whipping
The same thing as swing blading, but I get more personal satisfaction thinking about "whipping" those weeds back or maybe into submission (hah!).  On a really hot and humid day, while working on nettles and poison ivy, it's sometimes hard to tell if it is the who or the what that is actually getting whipped! (See pictures @ 'Swing Blade')

Widowmaker
This is a very dangerous situation when the top of a tree or a very large branch, breaks off, but not completely. It is left hanging, sometimes by nothing more than shreds of bark, sometimes by more substantial, but splintered tree trunk. Every time the wind blows, it might start moving or swinging slightly which makes it very unstable and likely to come down at any time. There have been widowmakers hanging directly over the trail that were so dangerous for both hikers and sawyers, that the Forest Service had to be called in to take them down. Often, due to the situation being very unsafe for the sawyers, a widowmaker that is not directly over the trail has to be left to come down of its own accord over time. Every situation has to be carefully assessed ..... they're called 'widowmakers' for a reason. (Photo: Merlot) A good example of a top broken out of a tree during a storm - this one is hanging from splintered trunk shreds.