Today’s story begins hundreds of miles away, on a hidden path in the deep forest of the Northeast.
I walked through Maine in autumn of 2023; The air was fresh, the leaves became technical and the stars shone on the night walks. I was finishing my journey on the path of the Apalaches.
I woke up with showers outside my store many mornings, fresh through mud. I would listen to their calls, cursing my inability to wake up early enough to catch them. I interacted with many alces hunters, who described their greatness, detailing what to do when I saw one.
However, I never saw one. Through the years that I have joked, they could not be real, that all are part of some conspiracy in which I was not there. I would believe in Moose when I saw one with my own eyes.
Today I walked through the south of Montana and, honestly, I hated almost every minute! Although today it was better than the last one (probably just because it had reached a break point), the insects still seem similar to cease, the burning areas that we walked were steep and exposed through the hottest points of the day, and the flies of the horses drew blood that soaked my only game of hiking clothing.
We arrived at Surprise Lake, where I muttered a surprised «Oh». The thing is rightly called, hidden and hidden in the forest under the mountains. We try to stop, but we flooded with mosquitoes, forced to run despite the limbs that asked for a break.
We had a total of 38 miles from the path that would take us to the city. I had no idea how far we would get it, but I wanted to get as much as possible to guarantee more task time in the city tomorrow.
20 miles in our day, my left foot shouted me to stop. The beaker and I wrinkled to the side of the dirt road on which we walk, kicking our shoes and rummaging our miserable feet.
«You should eat a granola bar, you would have more fun if you eat more,» said Beaker.
«I am not having fun and a cliff will not change that,» I said, looking at the burned forest extended to us. I pressed the mosquitoes.
«Stop smoking is not an option, but I’m really asking why I’m here,» I said. «I am climbing on fallen trees so that the mosquitoes eat alive by the mosquitoes and look at what used to be a forest,» I complained, reluctantly drinking the cliff’s beaker.
We take an alternative to avoid more areas of burns, walking through swampy forests. The glass stopped, jogging back and hitting me.
«Moose,» he whispered urgently, pointing to the forest. My eyes sprouted as I fixed them in the distance in what I thought it was an alce. I was caught my breath, and I thought about the valid of all this … before realizing what I was seeing was a large rot of rotten wood.
I heard collide in the distance and it seemed just in time to see the real alce trampling the trees and far from us.
«Everything I wanted from all this walk was to see an alce,» I whispered to Beaker. He hugged me and we continue.
25 miles in our day, we saw what seemed to be a person who swayed on the edge of the forests, just where we needed to walk. I grabbed my bear’s spray, making sure that security turned correctly, feeling uncomfortable the more this strange without a backpack was balanced.
We approach cautiously, greeting the man swinging with his dog. He grabbed a cup full of something so strong that he could smell the liquor on the smell of our body.
«Where are you going,» he asked.
«Oh, we are walking on the CDT,» I said, evading answering his question.
«But where are you going at night?» asked. I diverted, asking if it is from here. He points out a nearby cabin and explains that he is renting, who knows these paths well and can instructions.
«We are fine, we have maps, but thanks!» Beaker says. The man complains and continues to instructions, walking by our side.
«Why do you all do this?» He asks. Before having the opportunity to speak, he says: «I’m not trying to be rude or anything!»
I understand. I am still trying to discover the answer to that question myself.
«I’m just thinking about my answer»
I say. He returns to his cabin as if forgetting that he had even been talking to us first.
We approach at the end of our 30.8 miles day. Terrible song, only karaoke and I am running with about 2,000 calories and adrenaline.
We configure our store and think about the man’s question, again. Why do this?
I think of how many emotions I felt in the 48 -hour period. I think of my pain of pain and how proud I have been walking 30 miles. I think of the pleasant clash that comes with a breakdown and then overcome it.
The most important thing, I think of the Alce. Those lovely and evasive surprises that reveal to you when you need them most. How things are not worth so much when they are easy, immediate or broad.
I am happy to inform that the alces are real.
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