Over the years, the book garnered cult status, rivaling the likes of other influential literature that have explored the trappings of modern society like Catcher in the Rye and On the Road. He would eventually publish the entirety of his findings in his 1996 book titled Into the Wild.
How The Into The Wild Bus Sparked A PhenomenonĪ replica of the bus used in the movie Into the Wild.Īfter Chris McCandless’s tragic death, journalist John Krakauer covered the story of the stranded 24-year-old in the midst of the Alaskan woods. On September 6, 1992, a pair of hunters stumbled upon his rotting corpse along with his journal and what was left of his meager belongings inside the abandoned bus.Īlthough an investigation into his death was launched after, the true cause of McCandless’ death remains largely debated. As his body began to deteriorate from malnourishment, McCandless would ultimately spend 132 days alone without help in the wilderness. Unfortunately, the summer months had melted away a significant amount of snow, causing the Teklanika river that separated him from the path back out of the park to become perilously high. He packed up and began the trek back to civilization. For protein, he made use of his gun and hunted small game like ptarmigan, squirrels, and geese while foraging for edible plants and wild berries.Īfter three months of hunting animals, picking plants, and living inside a decrepit bus with no human contact, McCandless had had enough. McCandless began living off the land as he envisioned and chronicling his days in a journal he kept inside the bus.Īccording to his journal notes, McCandless survived off of a nine-pound bag of rice he had brought along with him. However, instead of following his route, he decided to set up camp inside of a robin-blue abandoned bus abandoned in the middle of the woods. Regardless, McCandless made his way to the trail. The New Yorker Chris McCandless’ death in the Alaskan wilderness was made popular by the book and subsequent film Into the Wild. What’s more, the young man appeared to have little experience navigating the outdoors. During their encounter, he noted that McCandless seemed ill-prepared for the treacherous journey into the Alaskan wild, having only packed meager rations in a light backpack along with a pair of Wellington boots that Gallien had given him. A local electrician named Jim Gallien agreed to drop him off at the head of Stampede Trail on April 28 so that he could begin the trek through Denali National Park.īut by Gallien’s own account, he had “deep doubts” that McCandless would be successful in his mission to live off the land. He donated his entire $24,000 savings to charity, packed a small bag of provisions, and embarked on what was supposed to be a two-year adventure across the United States.Ĭhris McCandless successfully hitchhiked his way from Carthage, South Dakota to Fairbanks, Alaska. In April 1992, growing increasingly detached from his suburban life in Virginia, Chris McCandless finally decided to take the plunge. The ominous attraction was finally removed by the state government in 2020 in a costly endeavor dubbed Operation Yutan - but not before the deaths of two hikers and the near-deaths of countless others. Wikimedia Commons Chris McCandless took many self-portraits, including this one in front of the abandoned bus - popularly known as the Into The Wild bus - that was his shelter.
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