What was the tender moment between Chris and his father right after Chris graduated from high school in Into the Wild?

Chris had fought with his father Walt's authority, mostly
through passive-aggressive means, all through high-school. He felt that Walt was trying
to restrict his mental growth and tie him to societal norms. Chris judged his father by
his growing idealism, and refused to compromise those
ideals.

When he graduated high-school, his sister Carine
recalls that Walt gave Chris an expensive telescope at his graduation party, and Chris
became very emotional:

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"He was almost crying, fighting back the tears,
telling Dad that even though they'd had their differences over the years, he was
grateful for all the things Dad had done for him. Chris said how much he respected Dad
for starting from nothing, working his way through college, busting his ass to support
eight kids.
(Krakauer, Into the Wild,
Amazon.com)

This moment of
personal, emotional connection was rare for Chris, who tended to judge people and remain
aloof. Although he did not repeat the performance, his friendly letters and postcards to
his family (possibly sent as part of his desire to seem normal) show signs of love and
interest. It is likely that Chris simply wanted to find himself before he matured enough
to understand and accept Walt for the man he was; his reaction at the party showed that
whatever else he felt, he was an emotional human being underneath, and that his
connection to his parents was stronger than he knew or cared to
admit.