The Cairns on the Mountain Path

In 2019, a hiker named Marcus set out alone on the Kungsleden trail in northern Sweden, a 270-mile route through Arctic wilderness marked by carefully stacked stone cairns. These ancient piles of rock, some placed centuries ago by Sami reindeer herders, guided travelers across stretches where the path disappeared into fog and snowfield. Marcus, an experienced trekker, grew frustrated with what he considered the trail's conservative route.…