Trail name: A name traditionally bestowed upon a hiker by other hikers while on the trail.
Most hikers have a trail name. Some names come from a physical feature, an personality trait, or most often, something that happened on the trail.
Mine is the latter.
On day 5, while hiking to Laguna campground, Lava Goat and I stopped at Burnt Ranch campground to have lunch and rest a bit. We went and had lunch, then came back to the campsite to chat with other hikers who had showed up. Part of my rest involves putting my feet up on my pack to help reduce the swelling.
For those that don't know, I'm carrying a SPOT. It is a personal GPS device that allows me to send "I'm ok" messages to my family, request non-emergency help, or request 911 "send the helicopters".
When I went to put my feet up, I laid my pack down on the ground. After about 20 minutes, we all noted the Sheriff helicopter flying in small circles right by where we were.
Within a few minutes, I got that sinking-in-my-stomach feeling and checked my SPOT. Sure enough, when I had laid my pack down, the 911 button had been pressed.
A quick check of my phone (which had been turned off) showed calls from the local Sheriff AND my mom. D'oh!
I made the important call first. I called my mom. I assured her that I was just fine and my dad called the Sheriff to let them know it was a false alarm.
After much panic and a couple rounds of phone calls, the search was called off and I got a new trail name.
Only a Test.
The full name is: This is a test of the PCT SPOT emergency response system. This is Only a Test.
Most hikers have a trail name. Some names come from a physical feature, an personality trait, or most often, something that happened on the trail.
Mine is the latter.
On day 5, while hiking to Laguna campground, Lava Goat and I stopped at Burnt Ranch campground to have lunch and rest a bit. We went and had lunch, then came back to the campsite to chat with other hikers who had showed up. Part of my rest involves putting my feet up on my pack to help reduce the swelling.
For those that don't know, I'm carrying a SPOT. It is a personal GPS device that allows me to send "I'm ok" messages to my family, request non-emergency help, or request 911 "send the helicopters".
When I went to put my feet up, I laid my pack down on the ground. After about 20 minutes, we all noted the Sheriff helicopter flying in small circles right by where we were.
Within a few minutes, I got that sinking-in-my-stomach feeling and checked my SPOT. Sure enough, when I had laid my pack down, the 911 button had been pressed.
A quick check of my phone (which had been turned off) showed calls from the local Sheriff AND my mom. D'oh!
I made the important call first. I called my mom. I assured her that I was just fine and my dad called the Sheriff to let them know it was a false alarm.
After much panic and a couple rounds of phone calls, the search was called off and I got a new trail name.
Only a Test.
The full name is: This is a test of the PCT SPOT emergency response system. This is Only a Test.
I'm laughing out loud at this one, Kellie! At least you know the system works and you'll have a nickname that is truly memorable. =) JH Jackson
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