Picture abandoning all you know – your kin, your wealth, even your identity – to pursue a wilderness living dream. 24-year-old Christopher McCandless who got fed up with his lifestyle, gave up on everything and decided to travel across the USA. sadly, his journey was shorted to a few days as he was found dead in an abandoned bus 142 also known as the “Magic Bus”, while he was traveling through Alaskan forests. There were many speculations about his death. While some believed he passed away due to hunger, some believed he was poisoned with seeds. But when diving into the facts of the last photo he took of himself, his farewell letter, and his journal, we can say there is something more than just some simple speculation 

Abusive Childhood of Chris

Christopher McCandless was the oldest child of Wilhelmina Marie “Billie” McCandless, secretary for Hughes Aircraft, and Walter “Walt” McCandless, antenna specialist for NASA. his family was very rich and lived in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Even though he graduated with honors in history and anthropology, he wanted something more than the comfortable lifestyle he had grown up with.

In the memoir ‘Wild Truth.’, his sister Carine McCandless mentioned that both Chris and Carine grew up in verbally and physically abused household. Even the parents had conflicts with each other frequently. Most of the fights and abuse occurred due to their father’s alcoholism. To her point of view, Chris left everything behind because he wanted to escape his abusive childhood and also was inspired by Jack London’s The Call of the Wild book.

Entering the wilderness

Chris got fed up with all the societal judgments. materialism and beliefs so he decided to step into the Alaskan wilderness. He donated his $24,000 in savings to charity and decided to leave everything behind. He wasn’t running away from his responsibilities or problems, he was driven by a strong belief in something meaningful and he wanted to fulfill what he believed.

In 1990 Chris left Virginia, driving a Datsun which was in poor condition. He planned to travel across the country. Despite the fact his car was in poor condition he did not carry any insurance or license plate. After reaching Lake Mead National Recreation Area he faced a flash flood and his car was unusable afterward. Despite this setback. Chris took the essential items and continued his journey by walking.

Chris’s Refuge: The ‘Magic Bus’

After reaching Alaska he found an abandoned bus which he named “the magic bus” and used it as his shelter. He didn’t know it was going to be his final shelter. In the middle of the Taiga forest, he attempted to survive by hunting. He was falling in love with nature and wilderness, even though the challenges became more and more difficult.

Final Good-Bye: The Photo and The Note

Chris wanted to come back after 2 months in Alaska. But as he couldn’t cross the Teklanika River, due to his poor physical health conditions his adventure turned out to be not what he expected. Since he realized the journey was soon to be over and he might not make it home, he took one last picture, holding a note.“I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”  He held the message while waving to the camera. He was wrapped in a coat to protect himself from harsh cold.

He passed away, shortly after taking that picture. on September 6, 1992, his body was discovered by hunters. Many came up with speculations about his death. Some argued it was due to starvation and poor nutrition supply and some argued it was due to the poisonous wild potato seeds he ate that were mentioned in his journal as well. On day 91 of his journal, he gave hints about what he understood and some warning about these seeds.

Tragedy Repeats Again

Based on the story of Chris’s journey, Jon Krakauer wrote the book, Into the Wild in 1996. The book caught the eyes of a lot and even made it into a Hollywood movie titled “Into the Woods” in 2007. Due to the book and the movie many people were inspired to visit the magic bus. Because of that many faced the same issues that Chris faced, many got lost in the forest and 2 women were found dead near the location of Chris’s death.

Authorities sought to protect bus 142 by moving it to the University of Alaska Museum of the North to display the legacy to visitors.

Conclusion

Chris McCandless’s journey highlights how it can teach us about the balance between freedom and safety. Trying to be free sometimes can be risky. Some idolized him for living freely, while others saw his story as a warning about being unprepared. Nowadays many people are on a mission to be adventurous in order to find freedom, chris’s story tells us how to focus on reality and follow our dreams accordingly.