JACKSON, Wyo. — The winter that never came has ended, and with it Jacksonites are swapping out their skis for mountain bikes and kayaks. Not only are folks swapping their gear, but they’re also swapping out lingo.
“Cowboy pow” becomes “loam” and “death cookie” gets swapped out for “re-circ.”
The lexicon morphs with the season, and so Buckrail has decided to compile a new glossary with the help of its readers to illuminate some of the phrases you might hear while rafting the whitewater, riding your mountain bike or drinking beers on your patio this summer. Don’t worry, they’ve been split into categories for ease of reference.
Kayaking and whitewater rafting
Bootie beer: Punishment for swimming. See swimming. Typically this consists of pouring a bubbly drink of choice into your river shoe and chugging it.
Carnage: General term for mishap or chaotic incident on the water, such as flipping a raft or swimming.
Eddy: Similar to a re-circ. Refers to a section of water that flows horizontally upstream to fill the void below an obstacle, like a rock. Often a place where boats can stop, acting as river “parking lots.”
Hardboat: Refers to a whitewater kayak. The hull is hard, as opposed to an inflatable.
Re-circ [ree–surk]: Refers to a hydraulic feature, also known as a “hole” where water flowing over an obstacle falls vertically into a pool and travels back upstream, creating a circular, churning motion. Boats or people may become trapped in re-circs. You might hear: “Yo, Jim’s been getting window shaded in that re-circ for like two minutes. Should we give him a push?”
Softboat: Refers to anything that is not a hardboat, and is typically made of Hypalon or PVC. Rafts, inflatable kayaks and packrafts all fall into this category.
Swim/Swimming: Not to be confused with recreational swimming, swimming in the context of whitewater suggests you have unintentionally left the watercraft. See bootie beer. There are those that say we are all in between metaphorical “swims.”
Taco to Sheep: Refers to a stretch of whitewater in the Snake River Canyon. Example: “Want to run Taco to Sheep after work today?”
Window shade: The act of capsizing in turbulent water and flipping over continuously. Identified by the current grabbing a kayak and rolling over, much like being tangled in an over-wound window shade.
Mountain biking
Brown pow: See loam.
Four-pack: Refers to a set of four consecutive jumps on a downhill trail that parallels the highway on Teton Pass.
Full-squish: A full-suspension mountain bike, defined by having shock absorption systems on both the front wheel and the rear frame.
Hero dirt: See loam.
Loam: The equivalent of pow for mountain bikers. It is typically soft, somewhat moist soil found on bike trails. Also known as “brown pow” or “hero dirt,” it offers a perfect blend of grip-to-skid ratio for bike tires.
Moon booter: A jump that sends you really high in the air.
Moon dust: Extremely dry, fine and loose dirt that resembles dust. It dramatically decreases tire traction and can make maneuvering a bike more difficult.
Everywhere else
90-day wonder: A summer resident of Jackson that typically stays for the summer months (hence, 90 days). Typically these are college kids working for the summer either at a restaurant, rafting company or guest ranch.
Fluffy cows: Bison.
Hard-o: A person who tries excessively hard, often to the point of being unnatural. Also can be known as “try-hard.” Jacksonites will often self-identify with these terms. Can be derogatory in certain contexts.
Hobosexual: A van-lifer or other unhoused person who uses dating apps to find a place to sleep, shower and shag.
Sloshie: Relevant in the winter as well, but much more common in the summer months. An alcoholic slushy. Also can be referred to as “slosh.”
The Picnic: An actually insane, non-picnic kind of event that encapsulates the mindset of many hard-o Jacksonites. Those who attempt it begin at midnight with a shot of whiskey at the Cowboy Bar (this is optional), road bike to Jenny Lake, swim across Jenny Lake, summit the Grand Teton, and then do the entire thing in reverse, typically within 24 hours.
Touron: Tourists who exhibit behavior patterns of 8-year-olds or morons. For example: “That touron tried to pet a bison and was gored.”
Turbo: Defined as something or someone moving at maximum intensity. Can also refer to a mindset around mountain sports or activities. See hard-o. For example: “Bob is so turbo, when I told him I was training for the Picnic he told me he was training to do it twice in one day.”
