Animals are like energy pills

Jennifer Pharr Davis, a speed hiker who lives in North Carolina, is engaged in a speed hike of the entire Appalachian Trail this summer, from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

In order to achieve her goal, she has to cover 48 miles on average each day, hiking 17 hours a day; her support team meets her at ponts where the trail crosses roads in order to deliver a nearly-constant supply of nutrition.

Asked about the upside of hiking all day, Pharr Davis did not hesitate. "Animals!" she cried out.

"Any time I've seen a moose or a bear, it's like taking a little energy pill," she said.

I know that thrill, though I've never seen a moose in the wild, and only a handful of bear experiences in 3 decades.

I saw my first wild fox this month, though!