Full Answer
How long was Chris McCandless's journey?
According to his journal, for 114 days, Chris lived in what he called his "magic bus." By the end, he had written that "death looms" and he was "too weak to walk out." He wrote that he had "literally become trapped in the wild." McCandless has been criticized for being selfish and unprepared for his trip.
Where did Chris McCandless travel to?
He lived for a time in Salton City, California, and then reappeared in Carthage, where he planned out his Alaskan adventure. McCandless hitchhiked through Canada and reached Fairbanks via the Alaska Highway on April 25, 1992. Three days later he hitched another ride southwest to the Stampede Trail.
How long did it take Chris McCandless to get to Alaska?
Christopher McCandless chronicled his 113-day journey in the back pages of a book on plants.
How far was the magic bus from the highway?
The 1940s-era bus, sometimes called “Bus 142” or “The Magic Bus,” was used to house employees by the Yutan Construction Co. when it built an access road about 25 miles west of the Parks Highway, the main thoroughfare between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
What were Chris McCandless last words?
It was discovered that he died of starvation due to his inability to cross back over an overflowing river. His last known words were written on the back of a page from a book: “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” The man's name was Christopher McCandless.
How old was Christopher McCandless?
24 years (1968–1992)Chris McCandless / Age at death
Was a real moose killed in Into the Wild?
It was not a moose but a caribou, Krakauer learned from Samel, according to his book “Into the Wild.”
Why did Chris regret killing the moose?
Chris regretted killing the moose because the only way to make it's death morally defensible was to eat every single piece of meat on it's bones and he knew how difficult it would be to preserve all of that meat. His speculation came true when maggots infested the meat and so it had spoiled.
Why was a bus left in the Alaskan wilderness?
When workers finished in 1961, Yutan Construction left the bus behind. In the years that followed, the bus remained tucked away in its wooded location, sitting just outside of Denali National Park for the next 60 years, becoming a refuge and shelter for hunters and backcountry explorers.
How long was Chris McCandless dead before found?
It is theorized that he died from starvation approximately two weeks before his body was found.
How long did it take to find Christopher McCandless?
As his body began to deteriorate from malnourishment, McCandless would ultimately spend 132 days alone without help in the wilderness. 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.
Was the real bus used in Into the Wild?
In the summer of 2020 the original bus from Into the Wild was airlifted to Fairbanks after another death of a hiker attempted to reach the bus. I actually received a call from the BBC and Dutch National radio to talk about this and found out while on vacation.
When did Chris McCandless go Into the Wild?
1992Chris McCandless Went Into The Alaskan Wilderness In 1992 And Never Came Out.
Who is the first to enter the bus Into the Wild?
BillieBillie is the first to enter the bus. Walt finds her sitting on the mattress inside, in the same spot where Chris died. Chris's parents look around the space where Chris lived and died and at the things that he left behind.
Is the bus still there from Into the Wild?
People Kept Dying Trying To Reach The 'Into The Wild' Bus — So Alaska Authorities Had To Remove It.
Where did Into the Wild take place?
AlaskaIn April 1992, Christopher McCandless arrives in a remote area called Healy, just north of Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Noting his unpreparedness, his driver gives him gumboots. McCandless sets up camp in an abandoned city bus that he calls "The Magic Bus".
Who is Christopher McCandless?
Emory University. Christopher Johnson McCandless ( / məˈkændlɪs /; February 12, 1968 – c. August 1992), also known by his nickname Alexander Supertramp, was an American adventurer, who sought an increasingly nomadic lifestyle as he grew up. McCandless is the subject of Into the Wild, a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer that was later made ...
Where was Christopher McCandless's bus 142?
Born. Christopher Johnson McCandless. ( 1968-02-12) February 12, 1968. El Segundo, California, U.S. Died. c. August 1992 (aged 24) Stampede Trail, Alaska, U.S.
What is the poison in McCandless?
Krakauer also speculated that McCandless might have been poisoned by a toxic alkaloid called swainsonine, by ingesting seeds (from Hedysarum alpinum or Hedysarum mackenzii) containing the toxin, or possibly by a mold that grows on them ( Rhizoctonia leguminicola) when he put them damp into a plastic bag. Swainsonine inhibits metabolism of glycoproteins, which causes starvation despite ample caloric intake.
How long did McCandless live in the Teklanika River?
McCandless's journal documents 113 days in the area. In July, after living in the bus for a little over two months, he decided to head back to civilization, but the trail was blocked by the impassable Teklanika River swollen with late-summer runoff from the Cantwell Glacier; the watercourse by that stage was considerably higher and swifter than when he had crossed in April. McCandless did not have a detailed topographical map of the region, and was unaware of the existence of an abandoned, hand-operated cable car that crossed the river 1⁄2 mile (800 m) downstream from where he had previously crossed. At this point, McCandless headed back to the bus and re-established his camp. He posted an S.O.S. note on the bus stating:
What is the poisonous substance in McCandless?
Krakauer also speculated that McCandless might have been poisoned by a toxic alkaloid called swainsonine, by ingesting seeds (from Hedysarum alpinum or Hedysarum mackenzii) containing the toxin, or possibly by a mold that grows on them ( Rhizoctonia leguminicola) when he put them damp into a plastic bag. Swainsonine inhibits metabolism of glycoproteins, which causes starvation despite ample caloric intake.
When did Krakauer publish his book into the Wild?
In January 1993 , Krakauer published an article about McCandless in that month's issue of Outside magazine. He had been assigned the story and had written it under a tight deadline. Inspired by the details of McCandless's story, Krakauer wrote the biographical book Into the Wild.
How much did McCandless weigh when he died?
In September, his decomposing body, weighing only 67 pounds (30 kg), was found inside the bus by a hunter. McCandless's cause of death was officially ruled to be starvation, although the exact circumstances relating to his death remain the subject of some debate.
Overview
Christopher Johnson McCandless , also known by his pseudonym "Alexander Supertramp", was an American adventurer who sought an increasingly nomadic lifestyle as he grew up. McCandless is the subject of Into the Wild, a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer that was later made into a full-length feature film.
After graduating from Emory University in Georgia in 1990, McCandless travele…
Early life
Christopher Johnson McCandless was born in Inglewood, California and spent his early childhood in El Segundo, California. He was the eldest child of Wilhelmina Marie "Billie" McCandless (née Johnson) and Walter "Walt" McCandless, and had a younger sister named Carine. McCandless also had six half-siblings from Walt's first marriage, who lived with their mother in California and later in Denver, Colorado. In 1976, the family relocated to Annandale, Virginia, where McCandless'…
Personal life
McCandless held a particular interest in classic literature. According to Krakauer, some of his favorite writers were Jack London, Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy and H. G. Wells. He was also heavily influenced by 19th-century American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau and was engrossed by his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. McCandless highlighted a section on chastity in Thoreau's Walden, which has raised questions regarding his sexuality. There is no indication of …
Travels
McCandless left Virginia in the summer of 1990, driving a Datsun west in an apparent cross country trip to California. His car was not in good condition and suffered numerous breakdowns as he made his way out of the eastern United States. He also carried no car insurance on the vehicle and was driving with expired license plates. By the end of the summer, McCandless had reached the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where a flash flood disabled his car. Fearful of f…
Death
McCandless's final written journal entry, noted as "Day 107", simply read, "BEAUTIFUL BLUE BERRIES." Days 108 through 112 contained no words and were marked only with slashes, and on Day 113 there was no entry. The exact date and time of his death are unknown. Near the time of his death, McCandless took a picture of himself waving while holding a written note, which read:
I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!
Legacy
The converted green and white bus where McCandless lived and died became a well-known destination for hikers. Known as "The Magic Bus", the 1946 International Harvester was abandoned by road workers in 1961 on the Stampede Trail. A plaque in McCandless's memory was affixed to the interior by his father, Walt McCandless. McCandless's life became the subject of a number of articles, books, films, and documentaries, which helped elevate his life to the status of modern m…
Assessments
McCandless has been a polarizing figure since his story came to widespread public attention with the publication of Krakauer's January 1993 Outside article. While the author and many others have a sympathetic view of the young traveler, others, particularly Alaskans, have expressed negative views about McCandless and those who romanticize his fate.
Alaskan Park Ranger Peter Christian wrote:
In popular culture
Krakauer's approximately 9,000-word article "Death of an Innocent" (January 1993) was published in Outside. Chip Brown's full-length article on McCandless, "I Now Walk Into the Wild" (February 8, 1993), was published in The New Yorker. Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book Into the Wild (1996) expands upon his 1993 Outside article and retraces McCandless's travels leading up to the hiker's eventual death.