In 1979, when I was preparing to move south after living in East Millinocket, I knew that I might not get back to Katahdin for a while, so I hiked Katahdin every weekend.

One weekend I met up with a hiker from Portland on the trail. After some small talk, I hung back and allowed the hiker to go ahead. In a few minutes, I heard him yelling and he came back up the trail.

The hiker asked how you knew if a moose had mad cow disease because the moose wouldn’t get out of the trail. I suggested that he would “know” if the moose was “mad” and suggested he just allow the moose the time it needed to cross the trail.

When we caught up with the moose, I was eye level with his hind quarters and we watched as he peacefully meandered away.

By the way, it was 18 years before I hiked Katahdin again, but I have hiked other parts of the AT in Oxford County over the years.

Sherry Poland lives in Lewiston. Her trail name is “Scout.”