Tramily

Tramily [noun]: A close knit group of hikers on a trail, involves camaraderie and common struggle.

The trail brings all together. When I say all, I truly mean all. Despite the wide range of personalities, political affiliations, religion or race, on trail you meet and most commonly find friendship with your fellow hikers. You all have a different reason for being there, everyone a different goal, but the struggle is all the same. You and your neighbor had to hike the same trail, struggle over the same mountain, keep dry in the same rain, enjoy the same campfire.

Yes, you can definitely find competitiveness on trail. There are purists, skippers, and flip-floppers. There is a common saying on trail, “Hike your own hike.” So while judgement can exist, it’s typically shut down very quickly with that statement since we are all overcoming the same struggle, who cares how one does it.

You can also find personalities on trail that you can not mesh with, that is just reality. At the end of the day, there still exists a level of respect since they are out here too. They are trying, struggling, attempting. Maybe not in the same way, style or degree that you are, but they are here and that’s a lot more than most can say.

I’ve met far too many people to count on our hikes. I’ve met a super extrovert whose personality shone so bright you couldn’t help but smile around them especially when you’re struggling up an exposed climb just as the sun is setting and you are exhausted and you hear “What up trail fam?”

Old friends become closer friends when you rely on their presence and subtle humor to break the mental fatigue of long trail days with a cocktail and inside joke of getting the greedy marmots high.

There’s the fellow thru hiker who when you confess your struggle with the difficulty of trail, she confesses that she feels it too and you both feel such relief that it’s not just you who feels overwhelmed.

The excited newbie who will regale you with tales of getting lost on trail and turned around but is so obviously enthralled with the environment that it’s contagious and you can’t help but laugh out loud at how they sprayed themselves in the face with bear spray.

It’s the family members who join on trail and while you are navigating the waters of meshing hiking styles you commiserate over the shared disdain of influencer teens and poor trail safety of others.

The group of four who share shade, cheetos and stories during a short break after a long battle uphill.

I’ve hiked with one in the process of breaking boundaries and stereotypes, who you can’t help but feel impressed and inspired. Despite the weight, dragging a dress to wear at camp at night and showing that there’s more to someone than surface level.

The veteran hiker who tells tales of legendary trails that you lose track of time and want to embrace the cool, level-head confidence that they exude.

It’s the near naked, bring everything-including-the-kitchen-sink neighbor at camp that you are equal parts impressed by and annoyed by.

At the end of the day, you are in the same, tiny corner of this enormous planet struggling against the same mountain, the same weather, the same mental war. You find at the end of the trail you aren’t comparing notes to see who did it faster, fancier, better but rather celebrating the fact that you all completed it.

John Muir said, “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”