#Christopher McCandless

[morbidology]

Born in El Segundo, California, Christopher McCandless was described as his teachers as “marching to the beat of a different drummer.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology, he donated the majority of his belongings and savings to charity and decided to live a nomadic lifestyle.

By 1992, he had travelled all the way to Alaska. Once there, he lived off the land, or at least attempted to. He discovered an abandoned bust approximately 28 miles west of Healy - this is where he set up camp.

He documented his experience in a journal and through self-portrait photography. He foraged for edible plants and hunted animals, including squirrels, birds, and geese. His journal detailed 133 days out in the wilderness. Becoming weak, he decided he would return to civilization. However, the trail was blocked by an overflowing river.

He returned to the bus where he wrote an S.O.S. note which read:

“Attention Possible Visitors. S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?”

On 6 September, 1992, a hunter discovered McCandless’ decomposing body, wrapped up tight in his sleeping bag on the abandoned bus. He had died of starvation the prior month. His final journal entry that included words read: “Day 107. Beautiful Berries.” Entries 108 through to 113 were marked only with a singular slash.

The abandoned bus where he took refuge, known as the "Magic Bus" or the "Into the Wild" bus, became a pilgrimage site for adventurers seeking to follow in his footsteps. However, the remote location of the bus and the dangers posed by the harsh wilderness environment led to several rescue missions and fatalities over the years.

In June 2020, following a series of high-profile rescues and the increasing number of visitors to the site, Alaska's Department of Natural Resources made the decision to remove the bus from its remote location near the Teklanika River.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Christopher McCandless, The Man who Hiked to Death

Born February 12th 1968, in Inglewood, California, Christopher McCandless was immediately plunged into a chaotic family. His sister, Carine McCandless, documented in her book ‘The Wild Truth’ that they shared their home with six half-siblings. Carine also alleged that her parents were abusive, both physically and verbally, toward the McCandless children. She documented how her father was an alcoholic, and their mother often fed off his evil energy, inflicting her own abuse upon them.

The McCandless never stayed in one place for long as Walt McCandless worked for NASA as a rocket scientist, taking him across the U.S. Eventually, the family settled in Virginia long enough for Christopher and Carine to graduate.

Following his graduation from university, Christopher knew he needed to travel. He had spent much of his childhood moving from town to town, state to state, and this had a profound impact on his outlook on life.

He only stayed in one place for a short time, seeing the beauty in exploring the world. In mid-1990, Christopher left Virginia for new pastures and began driving West. He stopped in towns and cities along the way, picking up odd jobs to make ends meet.  By April of 1992, Christopher was itching for another adventure, and that is when he decided to make his way to Alaska, the final frontier of the U.S. 

Incredibly, Christopher managed to hitchhike from Carthage, South Dakota, to Fairbanks, Alaska, a whopping 3,000+ miles through Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. Eventually, he arrived, and he began planning his largest expedition yet. He wanted to hike through the Denali National Park. The park covers over 6,000,000 acres in the middle of Alaska. Communities are few and far between, with many Alaskans congregating near large towns and cities.

Despite the harsh weather conditions of Alaska, Christopher McCandless seemed ill-prepared. Fellow hikers and locals recalled seeing Christopher arrive in Fairbanks carrying only a backpack. He also stood out for his ‘Hippie-like’ appearance, choosing to remain unkempt and dirty. April 28th 1992, would mark the last day that Christopher McCandless would ever see the seeds of civilisation. 

That day, Jim Gallien was flagged down by Christopher, who was looking for a ride to the Stampede Trail in the Denali National Park. Gallien later told author Jon Krakauer that he had doubts about the 24-year-old’s survival from the start. When he got into his car, Christopher had minimal clothing and a backpack. Christopher explained that he was carrying a 10 lb bag of rice, a Remmington semi-automatic rifle and a pair of Wellington boots inside his bag.  Gallien was, in fact, so concerned that he offered to drive Christopher to Anchorage so that he could purchase the necessary equipment for him. He knew how harsh and unforgiving the Alaskan landscape could be, and per population, it has an alarmingly high missing persons rate. Throughout their drive, Christopher assured Gallien that he would be fine and had hiked many times before. 

It wasn’t until months later that Gallien learned Christopher’s real name, as when he had picked him up, he had simply given the name ‘Alexander Supertramp’. The only item that Christopher accepted from Gallien was a map. Before leaving, Christopher asked Gallien to snap a picture of him at the Stampede Trail, making this one of the last photographs ever taken of Christopher McCandless.

For two days, Christopher hiked the Alaskan wilderness, soaking in the beauty of the Denali National Park. After a gruelling march, Christopher made it to an abandoned blue and white bus. Whilst the exterior was rusted and hadn’t been loved for some time, Christopher recognised it was the perfect shelter and base camp. He wasted no time setting up his gear and prepping his new home.

The blue and white bus that would become a notorious tourist hotspot was not Christopher’s intended finish line. According to his diary, which was later discovered with his body, Christopher had planned to hike through the park and to the Bering Sea. Christopher remained at the blue and white bus for two months, eagerly journaling every step. Christopher wrote in his diary that he had begun consuming the roots of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant.  Christopher also detailed in his diary how he had trapped and hunted small game and wildlife. He had successfully hunted a moose/caribou with his rifle. However, the meat was rotten by the time he came to consume it. With just 10 lbs of rice and foraged plants, Christopher rapidly began losing weight. 

The lack of food and people was beginning to get to Christopher, who heavily documented his trip via his journal and camera. On July 3rd 1992, Christopher packed up his things, leaving the blue and white bus behind.

With a map in hand, Christopher hoped to reach civilisation once more, but the landscape had changed and he became distressed and returned to the blue and white bus to wait out the days until the river froze over once more. 

On July 14th, he also began to incorporate the seeds of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant into his diet, as was documented in his diary. The meagre diet of plant material and small animals was nowhere near enough to sustain Christopher, who continued to waste away. As he continued to weaken, he lost his energy and ability to forage further afield for plants and fruits. 

Christopher McCandless made his final diary entry on what he noted as ‘Day 107’. The entry simply reads, “Beautiful blue berries.” Author Krakauer noted that days 108 through 112 had / (slashes) but no words, and after Day 113, no more entries were made. Sometime around these final diary entries, Christopher wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye, and may God bless all.” It is clear Christopher knew his end was coming, and he had made his final preparations and peace with his fate. 

 It wasn’t until September 6th 1992 that the grizzly truth would be revealed.

That day, hikers in the Denali National Park came across the blue and white rusted van that Christopher had once called home. 

These hikers had the same idea as Christopher and were eager to use the bus as shelter.

When they approached the bus, they found a note taped to the door which read “Attention possible visitors. S.O.S. I need your help; I am injured, near death and too weak to hike out. I am all alone; this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless, August.” 

As they moved through the bus, they saw the familiar outline of a human in a sleeping bag. After reading the note, they hoped that Chris had managed to survive, but all hopes were dashed when the stench of decay overcame them. The hikers took a closer look, and their worst suspicions were confirmed. Christopher McCandless was deceased, his body decaying in a sleeping bag in the back of a rusted-out bus. 

Alaska State Troopers and Denali Park staff were summoned to the bus where Christopher’s body was recovered. His family were notified of the terrible news, and preparations for his body to be returned to Virginia were made.

Christopher’s passing marked a turning point in the culture surrounding hiking and travelling. He had wilted away in the wilderness when a bridge and cabin were within a few miles of his location. 

[cerebrodigital]

Los restos de Christopher McCandless fueron descubiertos el 6 de septiembre de 1992, cerca del límite norte del Parque Nacional Denali en Alaska, por cazadores de alces. Había fallecido dentro de un autobús abandonado que le sirvió de refugio durante los 110 días anteriores, proporcionándole un respiro de la implacable naturaleza salvaje de Alaska. Junto a sus escasas provisiones se encontraron un rifle calibre 22, una colección de libros viejos, una cámara que contenía cinco rollos de película expuestos y un diario que documentaba plantas comestibles en los márgenes del libro. Se determinó que la causa de su fallecimiento fue una combinación de inanición y envenenamiento, probablemente como resultado de la identificación errónea y el consumo de plantas tóxicas.

Para conocer la vida de Chris y como llegó a tan fatídico desenlace, te dejamos su historia. 👇

Te contamos su historia aquí:

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

Christopher McCandless's remains were discovered on September 6, 1992, by moose hunters near the northern end of Denali National Park in Alaska. He had passed away inside an abandoned bus that served as his shelter for the preceding 110 days, providing respite from the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Found alongside his scant provisions were a .22-caliber rifle, a collection of aged books, a camera containing five exposed film rolls, and a diary documenting edible plants in the book's margins. The cause of his demise was determined to be a combination of starvation and poisoning, likely resulting from misidentifying and consuming toxic plants. For a comprehensive insight into Chris's life, Jon Krakauer's book 'Into the Wild' offers an engrossing, highly recommended narrative. Additionally, a film adaptation of the same name, 'Into the Wild,' faithfully captures the essence of the story and is equally worthy of exploration.

Les restes de Christopher McCandless ont été découverts le 6 septembre 1992 par des chasseurs d'orignaux près de l'extrémité nord du parc national Denali en Alaska. Il était décédé dans un bus abandonné qui lui avait servi d'abri pendant les 110 jours précédents, lui offrant un répit dans la nature impitoyable de l'Alaska. À côté de ses maigres provisions se trouvaient un fusil de calibre .22, une collection de livres anciens, un appareil photo contenant cinq rouleaux de film exposés et un journal documentant les plantes comestibles dans les marges du livre. Il a été déterminé que la cause de son décès était une combinaison de famine et d'empoisonnement, probablement résultant d'une mauvaise identification et de la consommation de plantes toxiques. Pour un aperçu complet de la vie de Chris, le livre de Jon Krakauer « Into the Wild » propose un récit captivant et hautement recommandé. De plus, une adaptation cinématographique du même nom, « Into the Wild », capture fidèlement l’essence de l’histoire et mérite également d’être explorée.

[thepersonalwords]

Just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did.

Christopher McCandless

[itsmyfriendisaac]

Into The Wild: a recent college graduate wanders off the grid & begins his climactic battle to kill the false being within. Emile Hirsch perfectly illustrates the innermost thoughts of Christopher Johnson McCandless, known to many on his Alaskan adventure as “Alexander Supertramp!”

[sombreflamme]

"I've decided I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and simple beauty is just too good to pass up."

Christopher McCandless

[you1h]

on strength

//Into the Wild, Ásgeir, Unbroken//

[filmcourage]

Theme: What 99% Of Writers Get Wrong - Alan Watt [Founder of L.A. Writers' Lab]

Watch the video interview on Youtube here.

[contandocosas]

Sociedad

Hay quienes buscan alejarse de la sociedad como Chris McCandless otros buscan desesperados volver a ella cuanto antes.

Como Nando Parrado y Roberto Canessa para no perderse en el medio de la nada en la nieve congelada.

Ambos buscan entender por qué estamos en el mundo aún sin rumbo de la vida, aferrados.

[illsadboy]

Non mi servono i soldi, rendono le persone prudenti. Parafrasando quello che dice Thoreau: non l'amore, non i soldi, non la fede, non la fama, non la giustizia, datemi la verità!

~Into The Wild~

[amouramaryllis]

thinking about doing an 'Into The Wild'

[thepersonalwords]

Happiness is only real when shared.

Christopher McCandless

[becauseitsfree]