trail gods see allOriginally Posted by yaduck9
So many names, so little time [to hike].
Model T gave me my first T N.
A neighbor called me "Packman" when he saw me out hiking.
A young lady hiker called me "Fairy God Mother"because I brought several food bags into the shelter on 2 diferent mornings [in the rain] and all of the other hikers voted on that one. think I like Packman.
...all my family calls me leeki.... them and my trail buddies...even the switchboard operator at work knows if somebody asks for leeki where to transfer the call, so yep, it sticks....
I had a trail name in 2000. I no longer use it. Only one person calls me by that name.
BTW, Mowgli isn't a trail name - and never has been. It's a USERID I use for all kinds of different systems. (Used to be Mowgli16) I've used it so long that people think it's a trail name, and call me that at Gatherings and such. I prefer my real name.
In 2003 and 2004 I was "Oldkathy". But when I joined the Red Hat Society I didn't want to be "old" anything. In 2005 I became "Red Hat" and have been ever since. Of course, I only hiked a little over 100 miles in 03, and 40 in 04, so not that many people knew me by my trailname. Those who did haven't seemed to have a problem with the change.
Likely when large groups of hikers started to head out at the same time. In a group of 20, there are bound to be several Mikes, Johns, etc. Rathier than using everyones last name like it the millitary, people started using trail names to keep the confusion down.
Of course, some hikers are so unique they don't need a trail name. Several come to mind...
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I always thought a trail name should to be given and accepted by your peers to be genuine. I've also always thought that a trail name kind of said something about your identity. I don't normally care about what name I pick up or get tagged with. In the late 70's and early 80's I hiked with a dog (sometimes 2). My partner was often off the leash, a braided black leather 18" job that I carried snapped to a belt loop. I guess it looked like a Bullwhip hanging at my side because that is the name I got stuck with for a little while. When I stopped carrying the leash that way, I lost the name.
Hike incognito, it works till you get liquored up. Lol Or meet someone who knew you from past hikes. In my section hikes in 05' 06' and most of 07' I used a different name. I shared shelters with many people that I knew exactly who they were from the internet, however they had know clue who I was, I played dumb like I had never been on the internet or heard of the sites they would mention. Was kinda fun to tell you the truth. Then I blew it all in 2007 going on a 4 day binge near the end of my hike. Infact do we really hike to let everyone know who we are in the first place?
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