The "Into The Wild" bus (Fairbanks: live in, law)

[EllaRose]

Hollywood absolutely made McCandless into a hero. It would be foolish to think that the story was not exaggerated and changed to fit the image of McCandless that Sean Penn wanted to portray. He didn't destroy his social security card or ID like he did in the movie...he DID have a map...he did have some money on him...etc etc. But that is where the problem lies, and I think that is why many Alaskans get fired up about this story. He has been turned into a hero...when his story should serve as a warning. Certain people identify with his ideals, his desire to escape from society...and that's fine...BUT no matter how good his intentions were, he was not prepared to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. Even Dick Proenneke had supplies delivered frequently by floatplane...and he was a seasoned outdoorsman with plenty of experience. McCandless went off the grid with no life-line and no experience in the Alaska wilderness. And he starved to death because of it.

And yes, anyone who ventures into the wilderness can meet an untimely end...even the most experienced of Alaskans can make a mistake...but McCandless's death was preventable. As someone said earlier, it wasn't just one mistake, but a series of mistakes that ultimately led to his demise. He shouldn't be seen as a hero whose footsteps should be followed.

[wildchild_to]

I just might have to make a trip to the bus and live for a bit an write a book and have a movie. And not be stupid and try to survive. Hmm what color curtains should I get blue or green?

[starlite9]

Well with all this hoopla, I'm heading to my cabin by snowmachine Sunday Morning, which is directly North of the magic bus by about 20 miles +- a mile or two!

Will carry a .44 Mag pistol, camera, flares, chain saw, food and a host of other gear as if I was going out for a week, but will only be going out and coming back. Once the trail is broken, will haul more gear out for a few days stay! Love the place! But even at the dark of winter, there is a lot of hazards there to encounter. So I over "prepare", I don't like suprises! Will be traveling with a couple of friends and will have a very good day!

Weather could drop, one could get stuck on the trail or even better, at the cabin! But being prepared is by far a much better option than not. A forty mile wilderness hike through waist deep snow isn't what I do anymore! If one did break down, it would be 24 hours before the snowmachine tracks set up hard enough to walk out, and having gear makes that a lot nicer hike! Haven't hauled my snowshoes for twenty years, just camp and walk out the next day!

By the way, since McClueless didn't have snowshoes, he followed the snowmachine trail up to the bus from the other people going to their cabins in the area he later broke into.

There really isn't that much mystic to this guy, it has been blown way out of reality. During the late spring, he just "followed the yellow snowmachine road!" to the "Emerald Bus"! (for the clueless, that is a jab at the "Wizard of Oz", which was far more entertaining!)

So now you newbies know a bit about winter trails, that takes the fun out of the story! Did I mention that the year he went out there we had almost 12 feet of snow, so you can figure he had no option to going into the "Wild" without following someone else's blazed trail!

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by wildchild_to

I just might have to make a trip to the bus and live for a bit an write a book and have a movie. And not be stupid and try to survive. Hmm what color curtains should I get blue or green?

If the trail is broke open, you can snowmachine out to the bus in less than an hour depending on trail conditions from the end of Stampede where they quit plowing snow.

[wildchild_to]

Originally Posted by starlite9

If the trail is broke open, you can snowmachine out to the bus in less than an hour depending on trail conditions from the end of Stampede where they quit plowing snow.

Hell maybe we should head out there for a few months camp, hunt take pictures and become famous and rich all at the same time. Just don't drink the river water and wind up with beaver fever, it'll kill ya.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by wildchild_to

Hell maybe we should head out there for a few months camp, hunt take pictures and become famous and rich all at the same time. Just don't drink the river water and wind up with beaver fever, it'll kill ya.

Well that would be great except I have Marty listing my place for me to sell for my next great adventure!

[PcolaFLGuy]

I watched the movie today and really enjoyed it. But, like most movies, it is nice to know the inaccuracies of the story. I do feel those can be discussed without all of the hatefulness, however.

Chris McCandless (aka Alexander SuperTramp) inspires many. Deal with it.

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by PcolaFLGuy

I watched the movie today and really enjoyed it. But, like most movies, it is nice to know the inaccuracies of the story. I do feel those can be discussed without all of the hatefulness, however.

Chris McCandless (aka Alexander SuperTramp) inspires many. Deal with it.

Whitney Houston inspired many too. She's also dead now. All because of their own arrogance.

[Metlakatla]

Sean Penn made a movie about based on a book--and make no mistake, he did make that movie based on a book and not his own independent research--that had quite a few untruths in it. Sean Penn also wrote the screenplay for that film; he bought the rights to the book.

By the time he made the movie, it was pretty well known that Chris did have a map, that he didn't destroy his ID and that he had a bit more than 85 cents in cash on him when he went out there.

Penn is pretty metaphorical as both an actor and director; I don't think it was his intent to make a hero out of Chris--I think his intent was to make a statement about materialism in our culture.

And while I'm not agreeing with those who think that anyone who isn't risking their lives by taking losing bets is a miserable cubicle slave who has never really lived and who never will really live, I also think that some reflection on rampant materialism is not at all a bad thing.

The movie was pretty well-viewed. Only a few percent of the people who saw it went to see "the bus" or otherwise hold Chris is any particular reverence.

[PcolaFLGuy]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

Whitney Houston inspired many too. She's also dead now. All because of their own arrogance.

RIP to both.