Thursday, November 10, 2011

Lexicologically Bemused

Who says "lexicologically bemused?" Me, I guess. I'm sort of an asshole like that.

Questions that I have:

Double track trail: Is this specifically a trail wide enough for two people to run side by side, thus enjoying their own, respective "track?" Or is it so-named because these trails are also paths for off road vehicles, which produce a distinctive double-track from their two sets of tires? If it's the latter, then why do some people use BOTH the term "double-track trail" and "jeep road" to describe a route?

Single-track: Ok, this I get. No problem.

Fell-running: As I understand it, this is a specific sport...but what if I wanted to describe the running that I do here in Chile? There aren't any trails to speak of in a lot of areas, a runner just picks a line as he goes. Should I call this fell running? Like, "I was following a trail but then I lost it so I fell-ran the rest of the way to the bottom of the mountain." Or should I use a more general term, like "mountain running?"

What I'm getting at is... I'd really really like to call this "no-track" or "zero-track" terrain.

Ex: "After running to the summit of the Torres hill, I followed a horse trail along the ride until I descended through an area of no-track before reaching the jeep road that leads to the vineyards." ...it isn't like "trail-breaking" because that term connotes something too forceful. There isn't any need to break trail or bushwack if you're passing through no-track, it's grass/bushes/rocks/dirt whatever...entirely runnable but just without a direct path of any sort towards anything.

I'm very tired right now and this is what a language-obsessed nerd thinks about while he's waiting for his lady friend to arrive so they can go get drunk at 4:30pm.


1 comment:

Stacy M said...

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