Once upon a time there was a horse named Max.  He was born in the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains.  Like all horses, after a hard day’s work, Max would return to the stables where fresh straw lay.  In the rugged landscape there were few easy days and many of the horses relished their time in the stable, but not Max.
Whenever Max was in the barn, he immediately began to plot his escape.  Soon enough, Max figured out how to lift the latch of the gate that protected him from the world beyond. He bolted out into the surround hills and found a short, but steep, mountain nearby in the center of the valley.  Max climbed up to the top and discovered the most breathtaking scene of his life.
Excited – he ran back to the barn to share the discovery with his friends, but they were exhausted from the day’s effort.  Not discouraged, Max dreamed about returning the next night.  He could barely sleep as he imagined all the wondrous sights he would see atop this mountain.
Finally, the work day came to an end and Max patiently waited for the owners to return to the cabin.  After they left, Max slowly made his way to the gate and with one quick nudge from his snout, he shot off to his pasture.
His feet trampled the earth, kicking up dust and stirring the new life of the forest.  His legs brushed the wildflowers, sending insects into a frenzy.  His breath stained the cold crisp air.  As he rounded the top of the hill, his eyes gazed upon this most glorious sight…ridge upon ridge stretching towards the end of the earth.  Trees of all shapes and color leaving few bare patches of ground.  Peaks and valleys filled with all colors and smells.
Max watched the sun’s fiery glow fade into the royal blue haze that crept up from valley – displaying colors Max had not yet seen.  The sky was literally on fire!
Overhead he saw thousands of stars come into view  – some of them streaking across the dark blue.  He stood in awe as the world spun and the constellations danced before him.
Then at the darkest hour the sun began to peek into this incredible performance – opening a seam in the darkness.  He felt it’s warmth and saw the golden glow light up the grass beneath this feet.  He saw rainbows in the dew that gripped each blade.  He felt the frost tickle his nose.  For the first time in his life, Max felt it was a brand new day.
Not too long after daybreak, his owners spotted him high on the mountaintop.  They scurried up the beaten path, past the old growth trees, crunching leaves beneath their feet, splashing in puddles that lay on top of the sodden earth.  They huffed up the hill through the briars and weeds until they came upon the patch of land.  There in the opening they found Max.
Quickly they threw a rope around his head and led him back to the barn.  The other horses shook their head at Max as they all headed off for work.  Sure, it was a tough day for Max, but he didn’t complain.  His soul was renewed and he found himself hurrying through the day so he could return to his pasture.
After the work had ended, Max once again fled towards his newly found freedom.  Atop the mountain, he would frolic in the tall grasses and eat until his belly was full.  After play and a feast, Max would calmly trot around his kingdom like a king.
As the sun faithfully rose, Max, reluctantly headed back to the stables.  When his owners arrived to gather the horses for work, they noticed Max inside the barn, but found the latch was undone.  A smile broke across the old man’s face as he looked towards Max whose eyes reflected the beautiful dawn back into this eyes.
At the end of every long, hard day, Max would go into the stables with the others.  Then as the owners left them, he’d start towards the gate – his mountain waited!  He would always glance back at the others to see if they wanted to join, but they never came.  Each morning Max would be back in the barn ready for work by the time the old man would enter.
One day instead of being led out with the others, Max was left behind.  Instead of having the saddle thrown over his body, his back remained bare and the bit stayed hung against the wall.  The old lady came and brushed his aged mane and rubbed his sore body.  Then she opened the gate and pointed to the hill.  Surprised, Max immediately felt life rush into his aching joints.  Without wasting a moment he sped off towards his favorite spot.
His feet felt weightless and his heart beat fast as he ran the trail he’d made over the years. A short while later, the owners joined Max in his pasture and enjoyed the miraculous signs Max had seen all of these years.
This is how Max spent his final days.
After Max left the world he so dearly loved, the old couple spent their days retracing Max’s famous route.  Together they watched sunset after sunset, sunrise upon sunrise and an infinite amount of stars and galaxies in between.  With each sight, they would look at each other and smile as they enjoyed the moment and remembered Max and all the things he taught them about life.
In their final days, the old couple contacted the Forest Service.  They wanted to leave a gift. It was incredibly generous and simple: “we want to give you this land we’ve farmed our entire lives, but only until recently began to understand.  However, there are 3 conditions:
1. You must keep it under the nature’s govern with the single exception of keeping the top pasture groomed.
2.You must protect it from those who would try and destroy it.
3.  You must call that little groomed patch upon the mountaintop, Max’s Patch.”
And thus is the story of Max Patch…the horse that changed the lives of people for generations.  Since the Forest Service has managed this special place, thousands of people have journeyed across this very mountaintop to find the secret beauty of life…I hope they found it like me and Max.

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