Since the release of Sean Penn’s movie “Into the Wild,” there have been many more inquiries about the infamous bus on the Stampede Trail. In the past, there have been perhaps a dozen or so visitors to our area every year that attempt to visit the final resting place of Mr. McCandless. While it is not our place or purpose to tell folks what they can or cannot do, the Chamber would like to caution potential visitors who may attempt to visit the Stampede Bus via the Stampede Trail:
Please use caution if you are planning to travel to the the bus and dress appropriately. Some of the windows in the bus are broken and there is no way to use the bus to stay warm. Remember, you will be in a backcountry situation. If you do not know what kind of gear you need or have this equipment to travel safely into the Bush, then you probably have no business trying to do so. For example: If you had decided to carry 10 pounds of food with you, a 10 pound bag of rice is probably the wrong choice.
The Alaska bush IS NOT the Cascades or Rockies.
Death is always a possibility.
For more information on backpacking Denali National Park visit their website.
I can’t figure out why people are glorifying this idiot. The movie was bad too…think about it people!
Good movie, bad idea.
This video is a project I did for a college class.
Obviously, I have hiked to the bus myself. I don’t want to say ‘led’ but I definitely organized a group of eight that made the trek June 26-28 of 2009.
I’d have to disagree with the rich’s comment that the movie was bad. I think the movie was well done, for what it is. I think Krakauer and Penn are largely responsible for over romanticizing the story, nudging some pertinent details around, and skewing or omitting details for the sake of telling a better story.
The reality of the situation may never be known in it’s entirety. I don’t believe Chris to be a hero, or his story an exceptionally glorious one. I think what makes it so compelling is just the struggle he went through to find meaning in life and how badly he intentionally and unintentionally hurt a lot of people.
What I take away from it is a certain sense of the fleetingness of earthly relationships; the importance of forgiveness and mercy. I never want to do anything that leaves my family with the pain that he left his family with. Even if it was an accident (which I believe it was) that he didn’t make it back out alive, we can learn from it that we need to be more mindful of the risks we take.
That said, the video isn’t about Christopher McCandless, it’s about hiking the Stampede Trail. Obviously the main reason people hike it is to get to the bus (as the trail really peters out after that in the summer anyway) but I would argue with anyone who says it’s not a fun hike of and on it’s own. The river crossing adds a challenge that I found to be exciting. Had the water been much higher than it was when I got there, I would probably have turned around, and if I ever do the trip again, I think I would like to do it in April.
My hope is that by watching the video certain people who are totally under prepared and under experienced will choose to either forget it, or put it off till they get more experience. For those people qualified, I hope to address the specific challenges they will face so they know what to do/pack to be prepared and avoid ending up dead as well.
That hike was a lot of fun!
I recently posted a page with a lot of helpful resources people hiking to the bus may be interested in:
http://www.pathfinderalaska.com/stampedetrail
I recently posted a page with a lot of helpful resources people hiking to the bus may be interested in: http://www.pathfinderalaska.com/stampedetrail
Hey, that’s my line.