The Magic Bus
The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa
The Magic Bus was a place I had dreamed of visiting since I first saw the movie and read the Jon Krakauer book, “Into The Wild”. I think of it as a pilgrimage made by those who have felt some kind of connection with Chris McCandless and his story. Most people don’t realize the bus lies on the well known “Stampede Trail”, not all that far from civilization and can be reached in a solid day of hiking.
The Stampede Trail is fifty miles of rough, overgrown mining road that was abandoned in 1963. No bridges were ever constructed over the several rivers it crosses so it is primarily used by backcountry travelers on foot, bicycle, snow machine and motorcycle. The now infamous Fairbanks City Transit bus #142 was left behind by the Yutan Construction Company during the road building to serve as a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers and ranger patrols.
Typical conditions on the Stampede Trail
I met two cool Austrian characters, Thomas and (roll the ‘R’) Roland on the Dalton Highway and it took all of 10 seconds to convince them to join me on a trip to ‘The Bus’. We were able to drive about 12.5 miles down Stampede Road before we had to leave the vehicles behind and continue on foot. The first hour and a half of hiking the next morning saw us travel on a really good quad trail, through some small swaps, through a couple of shin-deep river crossings and spat us out at the edge of the Teklinika River.
Ultimately, the ‘Tek’ was Chris’ downfall when he was unable to cross it and return to civilization, forcing him back to the bus. Although it was not the raging torrent Emile Hirsch faced in the movie, it was obvious we would be swept off our feet and downstream if we did not keep our heads about us.
We ummmed and arrred for quite a while and wandered upstream, where we had been told the river was wider and shallower. Once we got sick of our aimless wandering, Thomas picked a spot and after throwing in rocks and using sticks to measure the depth we all agreed it was our best chance. We tentatively forded one at a time, with our packs un-buckled so we could ditch them if we were to get swept in. It’s a shame you can’t see my face in any of the photos – I was more than a bit scared when it reached mid-thigh in depth and began to really push hard. Slow and steady won through and I was relieved to be on the other side. Roland came powering across like he was on a mission and in a voice that was too much Arnie to be true beamed “Bah, dat was easy”.
Crossing the mighty Teklinika River
Thomas and Roland are fitness machines and once we were back on the trail I was quickly left in their dust, alone with my thoughts. Chris must have felt such a sense of isolation and awe to be all the way out here, alone, not knowing if there was anything or anyone ahead. At times I yelled into the alder and clapped my hands, trying to avoid startling any neighborhood bears. At times I sang aloud and at times I was silently reflecting – I was actually going to the bus, the bus that Chris had spent four months living in, was essentially trapped in and finally died in. Wow.
When bus 142 appeared on the side of the trail, seemingly out of thin air I was quite startled. I’d been hiking on my own for 10 miles but somehow wasn’t ready to be there yet. I paused on the edge of the clearing for a moment, then again in the doorway, trying to take everything in. Even though I’d never been there before, it was very familiar – from the description in the book, the movie and also from the pictures I’ve seen online.
The front of The Magic Bus
I thought The Magic Bus would be a quiet, sad place to spend time – I was quite surprised to find the opposite was the case.
The stove and bed of The Magic Bus
It’s customary for visitors to inscribe their name on the wall of the bus and write a message in the “Guest Book” – a book placed in the bus by Chris’ sister Carine. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of exhilarating messages from people all over the world who had made the trek out to the bus. People wrote about how upon hearing Chris’ story they changed their lives so they could live their dreams, people wrote of hitching thousands of miles to be there, people wrote about how beautiful of a place Chris had found. Graffiti like ‘Solo trek to honor Chris’ and ‘Swept downstream by Tek, it was worth it’ made me grin from ear to ear – Chris has inspired thousands of people and and I was thrilled to be a part of that.
Jon Krakauer’s message in the book
My message in the Guest Book captures my feelings:
You have inspired more people than you will ever know, not least of all me.
Your passion, courage and determination gave me the strength to believe I really can make my dreams come true.
And here I am, in Alaska, having been to the Arctic Ocean, on my way to South America.
Thankyou Chris.
Christopher McCandless Plaque
I spent many quiet hours in the bus, reading the walls and the many guest books.
Although I hunted high and low I could not find any writing from Chris himself – it seems they have all faded away over the years.
A quote by Thoreau on The Magic Bus
It was truly and amazing experience and all three of us couldn’t stop grinning and talking of adventures to come the entire hike back.
Roland Dan & Thomas at The Magic Bus
My hair is all wrong and my beard is not nearly long enough, but you get the idea:
Dan at The Magic Bus
-Dan
If you’ve just stumbled onto my site, I encourage you to have a look around and read more about my 2 year expedition from Alaska to Argentina and my 3 year expedition all the way around Africa.
hey Dan…….
It`s me again….. here I`ve got a passage from Henry David Thoreau, Walden or life in the woods ( it is also in the book from Krakauer)
“If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scentered herbs, is more elastic, more sharry, more immortal,- that is YOUR success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are highest reality….The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.“
Have you read novels from Thoreau or Tolstoi??
Amelie – I picked up Walden a couple of weeks back, but I have not yet dived into it.
Everything I’ve heard says it’s going to be quite the book and require all of my attention.
richard proenneke. one mans wilderness. check it out people. great story.
Dave – Fantastic suggestion – I’ve seen the movie “Alone in the Wilderness”, a documentary of Richard Proenneke building his cabin in the wilderness of Alaska and I was throughly entertained. Even the fourth time I saw it
I look forward to reading the book immensely.
yes great read! also saw doc 3 times myself. want to do more hiking soon but building a car right now so time is short for the hikes. live in a small town in the moutains of P.A. so it is right out my door. i wanted to see bus #142 but have changed my mind as of late. seems to crowded for me.
Dave – it certainly is becoming more and more popular, although I don’t think that detracts from the magic of the bus at all.
When we visited, we had it all to ourselves.
oh yeah i also wanted to say that Proenneke was in Alaska when Mccandless was there. i think about 200 miles southeast. Proenneke left in 1998. his cabin is still there and can be visited. maybe my new destination.
Dave – I think the only way to visit the cabin is by float plane.. do you know if that’s correct?
dan yes that is correct. air taxi, float plane, and a few miles of packing. not sure how far the hike is.
Spending time at that cabin would be amazing, no doubt.
Hi Dan,
The search for personal truth and one’s place in this universe can take you on a path that is not only challenging but dangerous. God bless Chris and the power of his committment to be the best that he could be. God bless the adventurous spirit of Chris to imitate Thoreau in some powerful way.
He sought life’s meaning and used his Emory University well searching for his way. He was his best at Emory.
Chris could have been a little more careful in his preparation for his adventures and a little more considerate of his parents who loved him deeply, wished the best for him and gave him a position of privledge. He needed the advice of a Jesuit or two to understand the responsibility that comes with privlege. Giving $20,000.oo to Oxfam was not enough. A few Popes ago, the church sought to understand the challenge of privledge and set up a ministry to address that particular christian challenge.
There is a balance of responsibile searching and not abandoning the foundation people of your life. Maybe, a few letters home from the road could have addressed in part that responsibility.
I suspect from this visit of yours Dan. From reading of your visit and pictures of the “Magic Bus”, that there is a wonder of love and pride in the Mom, Dad and Sister that Chris left behind.
Robert – Searching for my place in the universe is something that occupies more and more of my time every single day. I have yet to find my ‘place in space’ as my mum loves to say.
I personally can’t imagine what it was but maybe Chris had good reasons for not contacting his family…… something we can never be aware of?
Just finished the book, I think Chris was all of those things mentioned, inspiring, naive, etc. Who knows what went through his mind, if anything? I also think one’s perspective changes with age/experience. What might be considered admirable and inspiring at one point in life may change as that life is lived and more experience/perspective gained. I would like to think had he lived or made the journey a little later in life, some of his decisions might have been different while the ultimate outcome desired may have been the same. We will never know. Let’s just hope that his story inspires in a way that also lends itself to learning from his mistakes. The best of both worlds.
Well said, I agree completely.
Wow! right on the money Mike.Dan your right on spot too. It is good to hear people that see the other side of the coin.
Hey, my name is Kristin Barkved Olsen. I live in Norway, but I really want to go to to Alaska and visit the bus.
I hope you´re willing to help me out. 
I have some questions, and I really hope that you can answer them! It would be great if you could give me your e- mail adress so that I could send all my questions for you
Hey Kristin,
I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have about visiting the bus. Fire away and I’ll do my best to help out any way I can.
Visiting the bus was an amazing experience for me & I’d love to do everything I can to help others reach it.
What time a year did you visit the bus? Did you bring a rifle with you? How did you get out to the stampede trail(transportation)? Where is the nearest town? Thank you for helping me. Kristin.
Hey Kristin, we were there on the 5th of July, which was a good time to visit. Any earlier and the river would have been higher and more dangerous to cross. Any later and the nights would start getting really cold. Myself and my friends have 4×4 vehicles, so we drove out the trail as far as possible before we started hiking. I’m certain you could get locals to give you a lift if you asked around the small town of Healy, the closest town to the trail. Read all of the comments posted here, I’ve answered some of these questions before.
-Dan
Unlikely the locals will help. Along with the park rangers, the locals view the Alex Supertramp wannabes’ as a financial burdens and time wasters. Having to search for idiots with no outdoor skills occurs too often now thanks to the movie. I can appreciate a person’s interest in the outdoors but some people are better off living their ideas of adventure vicariously through others.
Outdoors skills are not developed overnight and reading a book about it from Barnes and Noble won’t cut it neither. Baby steps people, get some skills before trying to take on Alaska. The grizzlies are starting to like the taste of human flesh and power bars.
I couldn’t agree more – After 2 years in the Canadian Rockies I still found Alaska to be much harsher.
Thanks for all the answers 😉
Kristin.
Hey Dan, really awesome website and life style you have here. I read the book and when the movie came out saw that too (naturally) and, like yourself, was inspired by Chris’ message and devotion to life.
I’m an experienced woodsman and survivalist from Northern Ontario, so I know how difficult it is to live off of even the most tamest of lands. For the roughly four months that Chris survived — with virtually no survival skills or what most would consider essential equipment — in Alaska is a sheer triumph to human determination and shows that anyone can indeed accomplish their dreams if they just believe in them, and most important themselves.
I hope to make a trip there one day myself when my health and life permit. Keep pushing the boundaries of life and going that extra mile, Dan. Live the life you want to live and you’ll always be at peace.
Ernie – Chris was certainly a dedicated individual who didn’t do anything by halves.
I highly recommend a trip to the bus, it truly is an amazing place & experience.
Thanks for the words of encouragement on my trip – I most certainly am having the time of my life.
What I can learn from Chris is to not be fueled into action by what you stand against before you clearly know what you stand for.
His story is tough b/c the feelings it brings are mixed. I’d give a nod to his story for any increased caution you take when heading into the unknown, but credit your own heart for the inspiration – that’s all you.
I totally agree with you Seth, while being passionate and determined is a great thing, caution and preparation are good too. I plan on doing all of the above, in various quantities
how many miles does it take to get to the magic bus from healy? you said it takes about a day to hike up there so how many miles was it for you?
when is the best time to go up there?
i was planning in going sometime in june is that a bad time?
Hey Karla,
My memory is getting a little old on this, so I went back through my old comments here are found what I told someone else:
“Hmm, I don’t know for sure, but I’d say Stampede road is about 10 or 20 miles from Healy (OK, that was a guess, but google maps will know)
We drove 12.5 miles down Stampede road before we started hiking, because our vehicles could not go any further. We hiked something like 6-8 miles before crossing the Tek and a solid 10 miles after we crossed.”
As for the time of year, I’m no expert, but I think the river will be high in June. In 2009 the river was very low according to locals and I still found it more than challenging in early July. If I ever go back, I’ll wait until late July or even August if possible. The nights will be cold, but there will be less bugs and the river should be easy to cross.
As with all wilderness trips there really is no way to know for sure, you just have to try it out and be prepared to turn around if the going is too dangerous.
I’d love to hear if you make it to the bus & let me know if you have any more questions.
-Dan
DAN me and my best friend are leather tramping from California to the stampede trail Magic bus 142
there’s no knowing how long until we come back (hopefully within a year)
but are there any precautions you can advise us to take before we live on the bus for a while
(like bears, river crossing, anything to look out for).
-jimmy
Wow Jimmy, just wow!
Living in the bus will be an amazing adventure – something I’d love to do for a while. As for specifics, I really don’t think winter is feasible unless you are extremely well prepared and experienced in that kind of weather. Crossing the Tek will be a challenge depending on the time of year, and there most certainly are bears in the area. Bear protection seems to be a very individual matter, so I’ll leave it up to you. Now that I’ve had more than a few bear encounters I fell comfortable in my own precautions, but it’s different for everybody.
Good Luck and take care, I’d love to read about your adventure someday.
Thank you very much dan your website and from what ive also read your experience
inspires me to pursuit it even more just as soon as my last years of college is over my adventure will begin. One great adventure to last me the rest of my life
thank you very much for the heads up on bears, weather, and the river crossing, i think ill do fine with the conditions, survival, med training, and timing. But bears seem to give the jitters i will have to take some seminars for it to be well prepared, WOW DAN that is very BRAVE! i hope when it comes to encounter i can make it through. I bet those encounters you faced come with their own story it would be fantastic to hear.
Dan its a promise i will keep
take care God bless
Hey Jim, I really happy you are enjoying reading about my adventures, I’m certainly enjoying having them!
Once you’ve seen a few of them you get kinda used to them.
I’m not sure anyone is ever brave when it comes to bear encounters, just shades of stupid
It is very inspirational finding this site as I intend to attempt a six month adventure from Gin Gin to the tip of Cape York Queensland (2000klms).
I am currently planning and training for the walk. I would like to live off the bush on the way and would prefer not to use navigational aids, however I will go prepared for the worst I have lived in the Australian bush all my life and been on numerous walks with my brother into the local mountains near Mount Perry Queensland Australia. I have instinctive navigation skills that sometimes surprises even me.
It is so AWSOME to come across people who are likeminded.
Probably the most dangerous animals in Australia are snakes, Brown snakes and Death Adders and perhaps crocodiles. Dingoes are not a problem, I have seen heaps of them, they’re basicly a wild dog. Has anyone here been to Australia if not, come and explore. It is beautiful. I myself am addicted to Aussie bushland.
Andrew – I don’t usually make a big deal of it, but I am actually an Auzzie. I grew up in Mildura, Vic then moved to Melbourne for university. The longer I stay away, the more certain I am I will do a trip around the entire country to re-acquaint myself with it.
What an awesome adventure you are going to have ! good luck & have fun !
I must admit I am very patriotic, I have heard it said;
“Patriotism is the belief that your country is better than others because you were born in it.” I do not agree with this view of patriotism, to me patriotism is believing in your country, Sort of like believing in my family, believing in myself, or in a team.
It is awesome to hear that you are also Australian, I am amazed too that you have the time to respond to all these people, quite an achievement!
I appreciate the fact that you inspire people, and love the motto/code “What you can dream, you can achieve.” thank you Dan. Do come back to Australia it is an awesome place:) I will be sure to travel to other countries too.
Andrew – I’ve always thought of Patriotism as a very strange thing. Simply because a person is born in a given country they are supposed to believe passionately that is the best place in the world?
Even if it is, who’s definition of ‘best’ are we talking about. Surely each individual needs to have their own definition and go with that.
I’ve only been to a handful of countries, and really ‘lived’ for an extended period of time in only 3 of those, so how could I possibly say Australia is the best place in the world for me? To be honest, I have no idea what else is out there, so I’m horribly unqualified to make a statement like that.
I’m going to keep looking for a while to find out for myself which country is ‘best’ for me and therefore where I should spend my life.
Thank you so much for the tips!!! I appreciate it! I will let you know if i get to the bus. July is sort of far from now but it will take a bit planning before i go.
Good Luck & safe travels
I dunno if this idiot was really worth a book and a movie.
I’ve gone off on adventures that were movie material.
I guess I’d have to be dumb and die for that to happen.
Oh well. At least I’m smart enough to still be alive.
There’s nothing at all wrong with creature comforts and money.
And besides. What goes around comes around. Murder animals in their home and you could end up like this guy.
Timothy – I know many people share your opinion of Chris.
The story divides people like nothing else I’ve ever come across. Some people think he’s truly inspirational and others just a dumb kid.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate seeing the other side of the coin.
That’s kinda messed up what the guy above said. How could you say somethin about a dead person whom you never even met and that had such a great story to tell? He is already a better person than you because you’re sitting there bragging about yourself and how your adventures are film-worthy but ya know what? I guess they’re not too special because all you’re doin is sitting online bashin on a man that is not even alive. Great website, Dan.
That’s all I have to say.
Hey Autumn, while I don’t agree with what Timothy said I’ve met many many people who share his opinion on Chris & his story.
I left the comment online because I think it’s important to hear all sides of a story whether I agree with those sides or not.
hey dan.. have ya seen The Alaska Experiment? It’s about 4 groups of people that try to live for 3 months in Alaska. Not to bad.
Hey Dave, I just saw that show on a channel listing but I have not had a chance to actually see it yet. Sounds interesting.
It did say in the book Chris did not appreciate his parents and wanted to break away from them. Maybe it was his way of “Revenge” for their oppression of his spirit.
Revenge. I don’t think so, well matbe a little, but i think Chris would have travled like this even if his parents were first rate. Can’t stop a rattle snake from striking.
I’ve never heard that expression before ‘Can’t stop a rattle snake from striking’ – I really like it!
Im from New Zealand, I’m 16 years old. Hearing of Chris’s story is simply amazing. If all people wanted to live a life of simplicity and to appreciate what god has given us. Alexander Supertramp has showed us how beautiful life can be if we make what we have of it. Thankyou Chris, Godbless
Keegan – I can’t wait to see what adventures you get up to !
it´s amazing that the bus is still out there..i really want to do this trip too..i´m so touched..and also impressed by all this..thank you dan for this page and all the pictures..
“Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ’cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”
Iris – the bus truly is an amazing place. If you have the means and wilderness skill, get out there!
Told ya. Can’t stop a rattle snake from striking! To everyone going to jounery to the bus, don’t forget to look behind you at least twice along the way. Good luck.
I must have looked behind me at least 500 times, looking for furry friends
Nice 1 dan, hope to hit the road again myself next year and really hope to visit the 142!! keep believing & happy travels!!!!!!
Thanks Skindog – I’d love to hear about it when you make it to the bus!
The book is pretty amazing soo far I just wish the author would have told us he died at the end…. I cant wait to see the movie…
It is a wonderful story that really pulls people in.
I just finished the book and watched the movie a couple months ago. I’ve decided that Chris McCandless is my hero. I’m only 15 so I haven’t made the trip to see the magic bus, but it is definitely on my to-do list. I have heard of a lot of people thinking Chris was crazy for doing the things he did, but I don’t think I believe them. I think they just don’t understand how amazing it is to be away from society because they’ve never done it. Personally, I have been backpacking in Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, and California, and I don’t think there is anything better than the feeling you get when you’re in nature away from civilization. I’ve looked at the rest of your blog and it’s amazing. I hope to visit those places too one day.
Oh, and if you haven’t been to Yosemite yet, you should really check it out. It’s a great place.
Amber – its awesome that at 15 you are thinking about the world around you so much and trying to figure out where your place will be. Youre about 10 years ahead of me in that regard. You sound like you have a lot of outdoor experience already, so when the time comes youll be able to make it to the bus safe & happy.
Keep dreaming, because Ive found things can come true if you dream them hard enough
Youth is often rash. Niave and idealistic. When we are young we seek to complicate even the simple things in life. When I read the book and saw the movie I took away that Chris was like a junky so deep was his addiction he had no way out and so full of denile and headstrong stupidity that it was a death sentence awaiting to happen.
He lucked out that he never died or was severly injured prior to the magic bus.
One has to wonder how a young man gets so believing that the world is so simple and free. The world is a harsh judge. Nature is a cruel mistress.
She loves and hates in equal measure.
I think that towards the end Chris figured all this out tragically to late.
I even suspect that he would have harsh words of admonishment for his own failings and foolishness and would advise most people not to tread his path. It was after all his and his alone.
Hi James, thanks for the thoughtful comments.
I agree that when we are young we try to complicate things – I freely admit that is what I am doing with my life now. I could have chosen to continue my 9-5 job and keep my paycheck rolling in each week, but to be honest that was so easy I got bored.
I want life to be a challenge, not a walk in the park.
I find it interesting you say he should have died or been seriously injured prior to the magic bus – what makes you say that? I know plenty of people that have done a lot more adventuring than Chris and they are perfectly safe and happy. I feel like my adventure is pretty big and going great….
Interesting point of view. Have you done much adventuring yourself? ( I am curious where you get your opinion from?)
-Dan
dan, we both know anyone who is on the road for 2+ years and says i will be living this life for sometime to come ,and in his farewell photo ,so close to death is smiling!! OH yeah! He would say do it!!
Dave I agree 100%
Even in his farewell letter Chris says he is very happy and has no regrets.
I cannot even tell you how much Chris’ story has changed me. Into The Wild was always on demand on my TV and i was like “hm that sounds interesting” but never actually watched it. Then one night it was on, and i was like Heck, why not. It was not at all what i was expecting. It terrified me, and inspired me. I was exhilerated. Then we find out we have to write a speech on someone, like a biography and I’m now in the process of reading Into The Wild.
While i can understand other’s negative opinions, I believe it’s all in how you look at life. The people who are inspired, naturally have a bit of Chris in them. I’ve always wanted to just walk away, and keep walking. Though i know i would never be able to do what he did, for as long as he did, i’ve entertained the thoughts. I wouldn’t love anything more than to visit the bus, and one day i really hope i get to.
Brittany, I glad you found Into the Wild so inspiring, I certainly know how that feels!
It’s interesting you say “I’ve always wanted to walk away, thought I would never be able to do what he did…” – I wonder what makes you say that. I truly believe you absolutely can if you want to.
Visiting the bus was very special, something I will never forget, you really should go there.
Having lived in the bush for the first half of my life or so, I can clearly see the arrogance, born out of idealism, that resulted in the young lad’s untimely demise. He’s not the first unprepared traveller to meet his (or her) end by not respecting, or preparing for, the ruthlessness of nature.
That being said, I think he began his odyssey for all the right reasons. His story has and will inspire many to break out of the mold that society has cast for them, and create their own life, on their own terms. I think he will also teach many to realize that while nature is beautiful, she is also impartial and cruel when you are not prepared.
Life is a double edged sword. Had he lived, he might be a cool university prof, outdoorsman, wanderer, parent. If he hadn’t died, no one would know who he was, and many would not be inspired to discover themselves and the world around in the way that they have… either way you look at it, his life and death is a gift.
I wonder if Chris would agree with you about nature being ruthless..?
I personally don’t think ruthless is a nice way to think of it, and I don’t think Chris was upset that he died out at the bus.
Into The Wild is on again at this moment and I am watching it again for the third or fourth time. I have read the Wiki account and the article in Outdoors magazine … and a week ago I visited this site but felt no urge to leave any comment at that time.
But a thought occurred to me just now as the movie began and showed the first scene of the Magic Bus….
and I thought for the first time: How ironic. He was going into Alaska to ‘live off the land’ and get away from society/civilization, and the first thing he did was take advantage of this artificial shelter…. it has been said that when he attempted to leave and could not cross the swollen river to find an easier crossing, that if he had explored the river’s edge further he might have come across a provisioned shelter (or an easier crossing)…. but that he probably would not have cared to use that shelter….. well, he used the Magic Bus! And he probably would not have stayed out there as long as he did without it… or last as long as he did … ironic and sad … blessings and prayers for him and his loved ones.
Hey KAT – Chris stumbled across the magic bus entirely by accident. He did not know it was there and was by no means planning to use it. Maybe you are right and he would not have stayed in the wilderness in Alaska as long without the bus, but I don’t think that’s a particularly important point. Chris’ goal was to get far away from other people and society for a while and have some solid alone time – the bus had no impact on that.
Certainly, if Chris had walked upstream a couple of miles he would have found the river gets much much wider, shallower and therefore easier to cross. I personally think it wasn’t such a big deal in his mind that he couldn’t cross at that time, and was quite happy to return to the bus and wait for the river to recede a little.
hey dan wow congrats on visiting the magic bus =] im planing on going in june, may i ask you a couple of questions? i just wanted to know if theres people there constantly going because i was planing to stay there a couple of months =]
thank you
Hey Vienna,
I don’t know for certain, but my guess is that at least a person a month visits the bus during the summer. When we were there, a group was hiking out as we started hiking in, and we came across a group on quads trying to reach the bus but they could not cross the Tek. I think it’s quite a popular place.
I have to ask the obvious question – what are you going to eat while at the bus for a couple of months?
It would also be hard to sleep in the actual bus itself – most of the windows are broken out so it’s not very weather proof and the mattress is very old and rotten. I would personally camp next to the bus myself.
I hope you have an amazing experience.
Hey Dan and Vienna! I am finally graduating from university in april, and have been longing to visit the bus ever since I heard about it. Next summer will be the first time that I actually have the freedom to travel and explore, and I plan on taking advantage of it! I really want to visit the bus next July. It would be really cool if you were still there if I make it. Let us know what your plans are! The thing that scares me the most is the river crossing, but I’m sure up for the challenge.
PS awesome website Dan! I’ve done a lot of research about getting to the bus, but this was definitely the most helpful resource!
Hey Ryan, I’m really happy you found my site useful. If you have any questions about getting to the bus, I am more than happy to help out in any way I can. Crossing the Tek was really hard for me, but if it wasn’t hard we wouldn’t be interested in it 😛
Good luck, I’d love to hear about your experience when you make it !
Happy turkey day all you interesting people,hope you all find what it is you are looking for, and be thankful for people that live outside the box, without these travelers we could all be living on one continent not knowing that anything else is out there! Be safe, look, and take it all in.
I agree. It just proves that the soul is something more than the frail body.
People who are wrapped up in society’s mindset of complete safety at all times will be overwhelmed and not able to comprehend his mindset…it’s like trying to convince a beach lifeguard to live by a free diver’s philosophy (not compatible).
Calm souls rarely understand wild ones. Just how Chris could not fathom living in the pent up civilized world, people who define themselves at the center of that world were not and are not able to understand how imminent danger could ever be preferable to near definite security, what we call prosperity. It may be that they are threatened by the fact that what excites and fulfills them bores others.
Anyway you’ll have a hard time justifying to me your hatred for a man who left the world with “God bless all.”! It’s been quite some time, and I’ve read a lot of poetry, since I’ve heard a line so perfect in context as “beautiful blueberries”. Naivete is extremely forgivable. I’m sure his parents could have been more perfect just like he could have, suggesting that he deserves our ill thoughts for having made a mistake, or several, is more hateful and deserving of condemnation than anything he did.
God bless you Chris! Next time I’m in Alaska I’m hiking to the bus!
Jacob I think that’s the best explanation I have ever heard for the difference between people that thrive on safety and people that thrive on danger. I’ll use that in the future
Holy education batman! That’s what I ment to say! I’m just not that smart. Good one Jacob!
What a great message Chris leaves this world with. I know there is some negativity out there about some of the choices he made, and some of his methods, but I’m sure if he were alive he wouldn’t care about those opinions. Chris did exactly what he wanted to do, and lived exactly how he wanted to live. People get far to caught up in material waste and social status that life all too often passes them by without ever actually living. Chris’ life may have been cut short, but at least he was enjoying what he was doing. We’re not given too many years on this planet, and we spend most of that time focused on what we don’t have. Chris at least admired the beauty around him, and probably saw and experienced more in his short time that a lot of people do when they live to 80. In an ironic twist, after watching ‘Into the Wild’, I’m going to spend less time watching movies, and more time enjoying the natural beauty around me.
Great pics Dan. I really enjoyed reading about your travels.
I agree with you 100% Mark – there is no doubt in my mind Chris was living his life exactly as he wanted to every day. What more should we want from life? Do others have any right to judge a person that is living their life exactly as they want to? (assuming they are not harming others)
Chris certainly inspired me to push my fears aside and get out and live my dreams because he was no afraid to live his.
loved the movie. i have wanted to do what chris did most of my life,i think its great you went,awesome! there are ways of living in society w/out living off society.i would run off now,but i found a life i could stand & sustain.too bad he didnt find what i found,someone who shares that same spirit!i have a few luxuries now & i am not ashamed.just stuff gathered along the way.i lived through this movie a little,& im glad to see there are people who go out & do things like this,but dont learn the lesson like chris ” happiness only real when shared”
J.T. – I’m happy to hear the movie rekindled some of the spirit within you, as it seems to do for a lot of people.
We all need to find our place in this world, and it’s cool to hear you have found yours.
I am still searching for mine, and having a great time while doing that
sometimes its the journey,have the time of your life,i’ll check in from time to time to see how you’re doin’
O yeah, it’s the journey for sure!
I am a new Emory grad student, and I was walking around the campus in early September when a very strange feeling came over me, I thought “why am I thinking about Into the Wild” (since it had been a good nine months since seeing the movie)? The I realized it was early September. Seventeen years since Chris’s body was found, and here I am at our soon-to-be mutual alma matter. (When I saw the movie I was also the exact age that Chris was when he died.) I also eerily noticed that I was standing not too far from the department anthropology. Now, Emory has undergone several dramatic physical renovations since Chris’s graduation; but a few of his teachers are still there, and probably in that very department office.
I have mixed feelings about what he did. Nonetheless, it’s really hard for me to be harsh since I didn’t know him personally. What I really don’t like is how some people immediately try to pin him down with some psychiatric disorder. Most of those people (if not all) are hardly qualified to make psychiatric diagnoses, and none have claimed to know him personally. No competent/compassionate mental health professional would make a set diagnosis by reading a biography or watching a movie (since those media tend to be very biased). They can speculate, but that’s about it. However, many people on the internet have basically said “duuurrrr, I took Psych 101, and this guy had schizophrenia.” Please. You know, you just can’t win. If Chris had lived, people would have chewed him out for not contacting his parents and scaring them, and they chew him out in death as well. No wonder Chris wanted to leave civilization. That may not have been his exact reason, but I can understand the sentiment.
As much of a jackass as he may have been to his family, it seemed like he changed near the end, which makes neat little psychiatric diagnoses all the more unreasonable, as psychiatric disorders don’t typically clear up that quickly.
Like the author above, I am leery of people who spit seething hatred at a person who died thanking God for a happy life in what must have been a physically excruciating time. Maybe some people are just jealous that they can’t find a way to be thankful for how their life turned out…….
Hey Andrea, thanks for the very thoughtful comments. That’s really cool you graduated from Emory and are so conscious of that fact that Chris once walked the same path.
As for people putting Chris down, I personally find it a very interesting phenomenon in this world, that no matter what a person does (or doesn’t do) they will be criticized for it – and usually criticized loudly and with ugly personal insults.
I gave up listening to random others a long, long time ago and trust my family and friends to help guide me through life.
There will always be an endless line of people waiting to cut us down, that’s just how it is.
Just tune them out
Heck yeah, a friend of mine wrote a song a couple of years ago, this wild honky-tonk style piano bit called “damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” it has at least two dozen short verses of all the things college students get criticized for, some of them very silly but all true. It has become an anthem among some of my friends, including me. Helps keeps your priorities straight.
That sounds awesome – I’d love to see a rendition on YouTube or something!
Thanks for sharing your trip Dan. Nice job. Would love to get there someday. Thanks for helping me imagine it a little more vividly.
~ANT
ANT – If you really want to get there, you will.
It’s that kind of place.
Dan, any way I can get your e-mail address?
I’d love to talk to you more about getting to the bus.
Hey David, just go ahead and ask any questions you have here. I’m happy to answer any and all of them.
My freind and i are 17 living in AZ, we are ready to make our pilgimage to the bus this summer 2009. I’ve read all jon krakauer books to every Jack London book multiple times, -“Jack London is king”. Alaska is my Dream and The Bus like my Mecca. I got chills from just reading your article and imagining being there, your information was useful as i’m already planning the trip. thank you.
Eric – I look forward to hearing about your experience when you get to the bus, it’s an amazing place!
If you read the Krakauer book, you should remember that he displayed Jack London as a fraud once he entered his retirement age. Jack London had a very limited experience in Alaska. His later years were spent as basically a couch potato. His writing is not held up by the literary community as stellar, it is simply a style of romanticism known only to a singular subject of Alaskan fiction. Chris McCandless was a gifted young man who wasted his life on a romantic ideal that proved fatal. I have read the book and seen the movie. I have poured over these websites and made one final conclusion: he was a self indulgent conservative who believed the world of adults who claimed to love him were imbeciles who he could not depend upon. He was wrong. The person he could not depend upon for the long term was himself. He was a brilliant young man with enamored gifts of genius which could have been a source of great change in our world for something much more transcendent than “wanderlust”. He wrote computer programs from scratch. He was a decent writer and was a generous person. His life as an adult in full maturity would have changed the world in a more anonymous way. In the end, he chose to change the world in an infamous way. An early death from the “call of the wild” which was too harsh, too strict, and too demanding for his own good. It angers me to see his carelessness lionized by others who wish to follow his selfish dreams. He would have been more suited to ride around in a Chevy Camaro as a hapless teenager without wearing his seat-belt. I thought perhaps the book or movie would change my viewpoint. It did not, it polarized my beliefs that young people need role models who not only profess idealism, but also caution. Without both of these viewpoints working congruently, it is inevitable that tragedy will one day intersect and lead one to an early demise. It is sad and tragic. He stole himself away from a long life and a better way of living that could have allowed him to give most of his talents back to a world in need.
Wow Ken, thanks for sharing.
I know your views are shared by many, although not me.
It’s interesting that you think dying is such a waste – remember we are absolutely all going to die – some make it to life expectancy of 77 or so, some more, and some less. Such is life.
I think of the quote from “The World’s Fastest Indian” – –
“Son, I live more in 10 minutes on that motorbike than most people live in their entire lives”
So for me, a life well lived has very little to do with length, more about quality. I think Chris felt the same way.
I’m never sure what to think about Chris’ story. On one hand, it encourages such great exploration of life and nature-something that’s so often overlooked. But on the other hand, I feel like he learned a great mistake in the end. “Happiness is only real when shared.” Those words have been echoing in my head for so long. I think the best thing I can take out of his story is that freedom, not isolation, is key in living life. Figuring out who you are and what you want out of life is so very important but you can’t get so wrapped up in it that you forget how much you affect other people, and how important relationships can be.
Dan, your story, although it’s not quite as epic as Chris’ (obviously) is inspiring as well. I now want to make that trek. I’ll have to make it a life goal. And why shouldn’t I be able to achieve it? Chris achieved so much more. Thanks Dan. Great, moving stuff.
Hey Jamie, I find it so interesting that everybody takes away a different message as the definitive lesson from Chris’ story. There are so many aspects to look and and consider from such and amazing story.
Absolutely if you want to trek to The Magic Bus you can do it. Get some experience in multi-day hikes, river crossings & bears for a while, then head up North and go for it. If you want it bad enough, you’ll get there.
Dan,
For my final thesis paper for my Philosophy of the Wilderness course I have taken this semester my professor told us to write ten pages on either our own wilderness philosophy or arguing someone else’s. While other classmates struggled I immediately knew what I was going to write about, Chris McCandless. I showed both views, and summed it up with the fact that you either get him or you don’t. It kind of goes along the lines of a “Born to be wild” kind of thing. One person can stand in the middle of the woods , away from civilization and have an overwhelming feeling, almost an outer body experience. And another person can be standing in the same spot thinking “how much longer until we get back to civilization.” Its just a matter of mind. The main people who argue that he was ignorant are the Alaskans that this life of trekking about the wilderness is an every day thing, of course they are going to think he is silly. Just as if someone from Alaska went to visit New York City and got mugged in a certain area, a New Yorker would most likely say, “well it was silly of you to be in that spot in the first place, don’t you know the danger?” It can also be looked at like most of what we consider today the prominent artists, musicians, and most of all philosophers were never really accepted until sometimes hundreds of years after they died. Galileo was thought to be ignorant and crazy, yet today the thought has completely changed. These people all had there small group of supporters while they were around, the people that just got them. I believe Chris is the same kind of thing. Not to mention if he hadn’t died, he would never have affected so many people in a positive way that he did because his story would never have been as big. I would rather die like he did, doing something that I felt was right, in a place where I felt I could be myself then in a comfortable hospital bed wondering if my life had any significance on others the way he did. I’m so glad you got to experience what Chris did. And honestly, the people that look at him as ignorant, and haven’t had that life changing effect after hearing his story are the ones missing out. good luck!
Thanks for the great comment Madeline.
There is only one point you make that I disagree with slightly – that’s the Alaskans ‘this life of trekking being an everyday thing’. From what I saw, and the people I talked to, and the evidence left behind, I don’t think the majority of Alaskan’s are actually very hardcore outdoors men & women. A lot of the time a ‘trek’ means blasting around on a snow mobile, quad or 4×4 truck with at least a chain saw, rifle, tinned food, gas to light a fire, some kind of solid shelter etc etc. I understand the wilderness is very harsh up there, but from what I saw, the majority of people I met and saw take as many modern convinces into the wild as possible and then act like they are hardcore adventurers.
I think it’s pretty clear Chris did not want to do this, and that is the reason most Alaskan’s think he was ‘under prepared’ .
I don’t really know why I am so intrigued with responding to these blog posts, but for some reason I am. I teach school, and in my role as an educator, I try to help students understand the value of their own lives. Chris McCandless was a gifted young man, and he did not have to die to prove his Alaskan Odyssey a success. Thoreau did not die at Walden Pond, he lived and wrote about his feelings and became a well published source of inspirational knowledge for nature enthusiasts across America and for that matter the world. I agree with the comments about Chris being inspirational, but to inspire at the risk of a careless death is not necessary. We need to have room in this discussion of his life for dissent, and I include myself among those who do so. He DID waste his life at the VERY end by being unprepared and careless with himself. McCandless alive and published in a bookstore window and still able to live to the fullest of his life expectancy with his sister and parents is a better outcome. Admiring him is noble and idealistic to say the least. I would just recommend doing so with a grain of salt called caution. Seek your youthful dreams and embrace the possibilities of life. That is all very fine and good. But to do so without any sort of self preservative attitude is no more noble than seeking the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Chris could have just as easily lost his life as a drug dealer or criminal, it is just that HIS addiction was solitude and isolation in the wild, as opposed to something else detrimental. For all of you who have made the pilgrimage to the magic bus and returned, I wonder if you could TRULY and definitively ask yourself if it would have been worth losing your life for? And as far as roughing it, Dan then why not park your Jeep on the road and abandon it like Chris did. Why not leave your comfy prefab tent in the back and go on foot and sleep in places where you are considered a squatter like Chris was in the Arizona desert mobile home he used? See, even from within the confines of your brave ideology, you too have certain comforts you’re unwilling to depart from. I appreciate your candor and nobility. I do not appreciate a certain amount of hypocrisy. And in many respects, you are hypocritical of those who want the same thing you want, happiness, but unless they are willing to risk it ALL for their happiness, you see certain people as mundane. Your own values are only for you. Not everyone. I have never logged onto this site and said you or anyone else was WRONG. I said Chris was careless, and he was. Alaskans with decades of experience have said he was unprepared, and he was. A 12 year old Boy Scout could have anticipated his lack of preparation. If you travel to NY, you should take care to know how to avoid a pickpocket or a mugger, because NYC is INFAMOUS
for those kinds of people laying in wait to rob you blind. Some of your noble stature has blinded you to the fact that neither NY City or the Stampede Trail need a warning sign to those who adventure there as to the dangers. It is common sense. You follow this risk it all or nothing attitude to the bitter end, and what will you come up with next? Climbing Everest barefoot and shirtless? The most sensible adventure is one in which the explorer returns to tell the tales of the journey. Death is not a pre-requisite for notoriety. The preservation of life is the most important thing, and YES Dan a LONG Life is more impressive than a ten minute motorcycle ride. You know how many motorcyclists advocate no helmet laws and breach the public trust by getting injured in the name of FUN? This is pointless to argue with one so idealistic. Even in your posts, you are more heartily ready to be complimentary to those who agree with you than those such as myself who disagree. Rush Limbaugh accomplishes that from the comfort of a radio booth. Coming from someone who espouses such a free bent on living as YOU do, I expect more. Do you all HONESTLY hope to convince me or anyone else, or Walt or Billie or Carine that this world has to be one in which Chris is DEAD to be better? Could you convince your OWN families. This site is a strange blog commentary of an unsettling view: “FUN is worth death”. It is not. Recreation should not be life threatening. There is NO GLORY in seeking out any reward for leisure that can in the end put you in an early grave. it is not wonder the Park Ranger from Denali called what Chris did suicidal. It is no wonder these pages reek of spell-bounding tales of accomplished adventures or plans for them. Sometimes, children, the most exciting life is the one lived in careful consideration. Thoreau lived. His philosophy was sound. Your generation has embraced Chris McCandless as your own John Muir, but you lack the perspective to see that what 300, 3000, or 30,000 young people benefit from knowing the story of his life could have been at the expense of what 3 people (the McCandless family) have lost. You are equally idealistic, noble, and sadly, selfish.
And I resent reading that some people “just don’t get Chris”. We get it alright. We just have the sense enough to see that “finding yourself” is not worth it if you end up finding yourself in a coffin in your early twenties. Longevity DOES matter. And sadly, you will only realize that until you have either lived a long and rewarding life, or lost yours in a youthful endeavor of daring do. And then your life will end up being one in which silent tears fall on the faces of those who loved you dearly, and miss you in their reality. Meter your adventure with care of yourselves. This is not cowardice, this is wisdom.
Ken – First of all, you are right, I did delete your other comment. I don’t think it’s appropriate to attack other people personally the way you did. If you want to have an adult conversation about the topic (as you have above) that is great. If you want to call people ‘long haired Australian hippies’ for the sake of furthering your argument, I will continue to delete your comments.
On to the topic at hand: I find it very interesting to hear your perspective on risking ones life for the pursuit of happiness or adventure. Just today I finished reading “The Worst Adventure In The World”, an account of Scott’s last (and fatal) journey to the South Pole. In his letter to the public written as he was dying he attempts to explain his death… basically he says they knew they were taking certain risks, which they thought unlikely and would have been fine 9 times in 10. This was the 10th time, and the known risks jumped up and bit them.
Everyone has their own level of acceptable risk in this world, depending on the individual. Hypothetically if I had been eaten by a bear at the magic bus some people would say I was unprepared because I only had bear spray. If someone with a rifle was eaten, still more people would say they were unprepared because their rifle was not the appropriate caliber.
Every single day of our lives we take risks – we weigh up the consequences with the probably likelihood of each risk and then decide if anything needs to be done about it. I think it’s an individuals choice and I don’t like to pass judgment on how others manage risk in their lives (ie a skydiving instructor).
I have never said that people need to risk ALL for their happiness – that is not my message at all. My message is for people to follow their dreams, whatever those my be. Of course I know that very few people want to do what I am doing, because this is my dream, not theirs. Everyone needs to follow their own dreams.
Finally about creature comforts and being brave – in my very first post I acknowledge I am ‘car camping’ and therefore not really roughing it at all. You are dead right that I could dump the Jeep like Chris and all my possessions like Chris – but that is not my dream, so why would I do that? I’ve never said I’m ‘hardcore’ or roughing it as much as possible.
I’m just a guy, doing what I want to do with my life.
-Dan
I just have a big problem with a guy in brand new Jeep, bankrollong his dreams with a blog that takes charity, hypoctritical of anonymity that is achieved as a result of preserving one’s own life. You are autononmous in this blog. You have the power to delete whatever comment I make. And since you are here in America where we have a Constitution that preserves my freedom and the freedom of others to speak without censorship, maybe you should take time to reconsider deletion and doublespeak. You may be exactly the kind of naturlaist that you perceive yourtself to be, but deleting my comment is Orwellian. You are not half as erudite and rounded from your travels as you espouse to be. You lack perspective. McCandless was upset on the bus when he died. ANY person would be upset from starvation. They would be in the throes of agony. And with your cozy lifestyle bankrolled by donations from this blog, I doubt you will ever comprehend the depth of agony that any person would encounter. You are shallow. You are narcissuss with a Jeep. You are not what you claim to be. A human being died all alone in the wliderness in agony from starvation and you surmise that he was “not upset”? He was groaning outloud and wailing in pain. Only at the very END of that experience would he slip into a coma and stop breathing after several hours of delusions. It would have been a nightmarish struggle against death itself. He was at the end of the one life he was afforded. You project and open mind and a broad view. Your comment in and of itself rejects any legitimacy that your travels have earned for your soul. Death is horrible. And no matter the depth of my contempt for you, I would never wish such a fate on anyone. If McCandless had lived he could have published the journal and spoken on college campus tours and changed far more lives than he has. He did exactly what the park ranger claims: he basically committed suicide. It is heart wrenching and tragic. And you romanticise……..
Ken, you are absolutely right, yours is the first comment I have ever deleted and I didn’t like doing it. It’s something I hope I don’t have to do again.
My blog is hosted in the US for now, but it would be a simple matter for me to move it anywhere else I want in the world, and seeings I’m not a US citizen and the US doesn’t own the internet (yet) any law you talk of is not applicable.
It’s obvious we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
I will agree to disagree when the civilized world no longer has our Constitution as an example of hope to a world enslaved in rhetoric. I never claimed US ownership of the internet. I claimed that your censorship of my comment is a perfect example of your own fear of dissent, which is a founding principle of freedom.
He could have definitely affected the lives of people if he had lived, and he would have done so in a positive way that was memorable and long lasting. The fact that your generation needs to have a “tragic hero” instead of just a hero is in and of itself a tragedy. You don’t have to spill blood to be a hero, your own or others. The best hero is the one who leaves a legacy that can be felt through the ages, yes, but requiring death from our heroes is ludicrous and mired in melodramatic romanticism. You annoy me with your lack of wisdom, it is infuriating.
I agree that a hero by no means has to die, I just think he would be unknown if he had walked out of the Alaskan wilderness alive.
Dan I also – to some extent – agree that if he had lived he would not have had as great an impact on all the thousands of people that he has had thus far.
Hello Dan,
Thank you so much for writing this essay, visiting the bus, and honoring someone whom we feel close to although most of us never have or will meet. Your story and blog here are just as inspiring as Chris’ story. Thanks again for this piece and safe travels!
Dream Big,
JENNIFER, FL
Hey Jennifer – thanks for the positive feedback! It really helps to motivate me on the road.
hey Dan, i bet it was an awesome time when you visited the famed bus 142. I just recently started reading “Into The Wild”. so far it is a great story and comign form a hiker myself it is even more amazing.
Keep on Treking,
Karl
Karl – It was a wonderful experience, one of the most moving hikes I have ever done, although not the most scenic by any stretch
As per the book, Chris died of starvation. But the actual mechanism of starvation seems unclear, the biographer has his theories, and so do many others. But I wondered about something I’ve never heard anyone mention: the affect of food (this includes water) poisoning on an already calorie-depleted body. The CDC thinks that 75% (as per 2001) of food poisonings are caused by organisms that haven’t been identified yet, so you can’t look for them at autopsy. Some animals are also “reservoirs” for dangerous microbes (they can eat them without getting sick, but when you eat the animal, well…..). To add insult to injury, the organisms are hard to identify without a known stool sample because they create such massive vomiting and diarrhea that everything comes out, blood, excrement, and the organism itself. Surely that could happen to anyone, you can’t totally prevent infection by something that even scientists and doctors don’t know about….
Interesting theory for sure. Anything is possible I guess.
There is an old saying here in the NYPD:” A hero is nothing but a sandwhich.”
Chris was neither naive nor irresponsible. He was not an “adventurer,” he was a religious ascetic. To talk about him owing something to his parents is like talking about Jesus being disobedient to Joseph and Mary for going out in the wilderness for 40 days. Dying of starvation after living alone for 4 months is so profoundly religious and emotional and so vastlyelevated from normal methods of living and dying that anybody who criticizes this man doesn’t really understand religion. Thankfully, his sister always understood it.
Paul, that is a very interesting take that I have never heard or thought about before. I’m sure it will provide some food for thought….
Thanks for sharing.
Hey Dan, i recently saw the movie and i was fascineted by this men. I don’t think i could have the guts to do something like that! However, i am going to present (for school) an oral presentation about Chris and “Into the wild”, i would like to know if you have any advice? What do you think it would be interesting to say? I need a good mark and it is so important to me!
thank you
I think he wanted to test himself, to see if we (people) could survive like animals, because it is what we are. He basicly runnaway from the modern world, the real world. But if we see, in the other hand, Chris basicly committed suicide! He arrived at Alaska without even a map of the area! It was inconsiderate and tragic… Anyway, i hope you respond and help me! Sorry but my English is not perfect
Hey, I’m more than happy to help out in any way I can. First of all, your English is about a hundred times better than my Spanish, so don’t worry about that.
If you have no read the book of Into The Wild, I highly suggest you do so, it’s really good and has some details the film does not.
I think the amazing thing about Chris’ story is how everybody sees it from a different perspective and everybody takes something different away as the main lesson. Also, so people see Chris as a bit stupid and think he deserved to die, while others are hugely inspired by his courage and determination… I’ve never come across a story that divides people so quickly.
I think the most important thing for your presentation is that you present your thoughts & ideas about Chris and the lessons we can learn from him.
Good Luck! -Dan
Thank you for being so helpful. My own prespective is that there is a slight difference between madness and brightness we can see it in the movie. He was a brilliant student who just walked away from the modern world to the cold desert of Alaska, without a map or any food. He burned his credit card, etc…
I believe i should show some other perspectives of the movie. As you saied, each person has its own. Can you give me yours? Which would be much deeper any I should think about? I would be gratefull if you could tell me your personol analyzes.
By the way, I am in 10th grande and i am from Portugal. Also, i really love English and it is a language i would love to continue speaking for the rest of my life, that is why i am counting so much in this presentation. I am so gratefull Dan 😀
It’s great you are so interested in learning another language – I’m trying as hard as I can with Spanish and it’s really coming along.
My personal thoughts about Chris? I’m happy to share, but please keep in mind I’m not trying to convince you or anyone else, these are just my thoughts.
I think Chris was an extremely intelligent young man who believed very strongly in his dreams. He didn’t want to live ‘that’ life and so did what it took to live another life. With regards to going to Alaska with no map & not much food etc., I think Chris was intelligent enough to understand what he was doing. As an Engineer I constantly fall back to a ‘risk analysis’ where I think up possible problems/dangers, think of their likelihood, the severity if they occur and then think of how best to avoid/mitigate/repair the damage of each risk. There is no doubt that going into the wilderness alone is dangerous, probably more dangerous than walking to work, probably less dangerous than bull fighting.
I think Chris knew this, accepted there was a danger involved in what he was doing, and was OK with that level of risk (otherwise he would not have gone ahead with it). That is a personal decision that each person must make and I feel that passing judgment on anthers decision makes no sense at all. Some people accept the level of risk associated with skydiving, some people with strapping themselves to ludicrously fast jet cars while others think it’s too dangerous to ride a skateboard.
All of those things are ‘dangerous’ and people have died and been seriously injured doing them – that doesn’t mean those people made bad decisions about the level of risk and it most certainly does not mean those people are ‘stupid’, ‘naive’ or ‘ignorant’ as many people label Chris – it just means the activity is dangerous and there is a chance (maybe big or small) that something will go wrong and there is a chance there will be fatal consequences.
Obviously experience and homework will help a person to make better estimates about risks, but they are always just estimates.
I hope that gives you some more to think over.
-Dan
That analyses is very interesting and i didn’t think about that before because the first impression i had was imprudence. I think you are right, but it kind of leaves us wondering if it was a brilliant idea or a deadlock of irresponsibility. Certainly that was brave, but he should knew that what he was about to do would kill him anyway. There was no way he could survive in the wilderness, especially alone, he would end up by dieing.
You are right because there are so many people that do stupid/crazy things, for example, swim an icy river over or test themselves in islands. So why critisise a man who wasn’t trying to prove immortality or puting his life in dangereus with no cause, he was just challenging himself and the nature. Also, I do think he was religious. Could he possible think in God? I mean, when he was in Alaska, firstly he had to believe/ask for someone to help him, and secondly, he could try to prove if in that cicumstances God was really there to help him, give him any signal of his existence.
Am I right?
Hmm, actually I think he was a very religious person. I don’t remember the exact wording of his final letter, but it was very thankful to God. There are so many topics to cover it’s crazy to think about them all.
Yes, i do remeber. He saied “I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!”
There are so many things i could say that it is a mess to think of them all :p
Comparing the guy to Jesus, wow. To each his own. My cousin, Father …, does not share the view, but also says that dying in any manner is a religious experience. He does not think the events leading up to his death should be taken in any religious context other than “free will”. He hopes that Chris was a religious person, for his souls’ sake, but doesn’t think what he did was too different than trying to sail around the world in a sunfish, his quote, not mine.
Who can really say what was truly going through his mind, if anything?
I agree Mike, we can never know with 100% certainty what was going through Chris’ mind. It’s nice to think about for sure.
well said by your cousin or father!