I met this hiker. He is a foreigner. There is absolutely no bigotry in the OP’s description. It is you that is letting race guide your assumptions. This foreign hiker with two backpacks was very nice to meet, but he was certainly different. Concern about his ability to survive the cold is genuine if he is really trying for Maine.
He’s of foreign descent but could be an American citizen, I didn’t ask. He graduated from an American university and several of his family members attended high school here.