into the wild bus removed

[reuben_j_cogburn]

I don't have TV, so I didn't hear about this until just now. It appears they have finally removed the bus from the stampede trail.
I'm not sure how many tax payer dollars it cost to rescue people and recover bodies.. But I bet removing it was a lot cheaper.
A number of years ago a young kid from Korea, went out there 3 times and called for rescue each time...
On the third pick up he was told that they would not pick him up again... That evidentially put a stop to that.
Then there was a woman who died out there last year...

I wonder if travelling to the spot the bus used to be.... will become a thing...
Personally I think sean penn should be charged for all the flight time....

 

[bogus bill]

My tv is on all day usually on fox news. I dont have a clue to what you are writing about.

 

[Dave P.]

My tv is on all day usually on fox news. I dont have a clue to what you are writing about.

Look up the book Into The Wild written by Jon Krakauer.
It'll explain the bus deal.
Dave

 

[Robb Barnes]

Looked like a Chinook had it slung under its belly carrying it out.

 

[wolfsong]

Chris Mccandless aka Alex Supertramp. He was an idealistic college graduate who lacked the life skills to to actually realize and live those ideals. Many people consider him to be a subculture hero. Many others see him for the naive and ignorant fool that he was.

The Sean Penn film romanticized and glorified him to almost martyr status. Krakauer's book was a bit more objective, but not by much.

Tragic story, to be sure.

 

[Valmet]

Always found McCandless’ story fascinating. Hopefully the bus will end up on display somewhere where ppl can access it.

 

[InjunBro]

I suppose removing the bus might remove some of the attraction but stupid people will still do stupid things.

 

[Heliman]

Looked like a Chinook had it slung under its belly carrying it out.

Our civilian Chinooks would carry 25K lbs external with a low fuel load. Bus might be 12-14K lbs. Easy shmeazy for the $#!thook.......

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Many others see him for the naive and ignorant fool that he was.
Tragic story, to be sure.

That's the group I'm in.

 

[wheelgun1958]

You're either on the bus or you're off the bus.

 

[blume357]

Seems to me like the guy actually committed suicide.... he left civilization behind and died of starvation.... one of the voices in my head applauds him for that even though others say he was an idiot and and a coward to run from what ever he was running from.

 

[coach]

From the little I’ve read it seems he essentially poisoned himself by eating a native plant.

 

[eveled]

Going by memory. He ate seeds from an edible plant, but the seeds were poison.

Definitely not suicide, but he didn’t have an escape plan either. I always respected him for going for it. He lived his dream. I hope he found peace.

I bet that bus saved a lot of lives too. They aren’t saying anything about that. No there is no shelter around there.

I’m glad they removed it, I hope it ends up on display somewhere. It belongs in the smithsonian

 

[contender]

I, like others here,, have no clue about any of this or the story, or whoever this "Alex Supertramp was. But from what little I've seen here,, it appears a guy who wanted to live a "romantic" lifestyle of homesteading in Ak, failed miserably, & died trying to do so. And, apparently he did not have the skills to do so,,,or he would not have survived.

I have the upmost respect for the people who do live the Alaska dream of homesteading & being independent & living off the land as much as they can. (reuben_j_cogburn here appears to be one of those people.)
But I have little respect, or admiration for anybody who attempts any kind of life altering or potentially deadly activity without first learning skills to do so. Or even if they fail to secure the necessary items they may need to do such activities to survive or be safe.

Mistakes? ALL of us,, including myself make them. Sometimes, these mistakes can cost us dearly. And yes, even the mistakes can cost us our lives. But to purposely go into the wilderness, and NOT be prepared for true survival, in my opinion is stupid.
Mother Nature can & will weed out the weak, stupid, or otherwise unfit.

 

[Johnnu2]

Saw the movie several years ago..... enjoyed it although a very sad ending.

My thoughts on survival (which has been modified each decade that has passed): If I can't get to a fast food restaurant within a half-hour walk, I don't live there.

True Believer in Darwin's Law (it just seems to take too long)......

IMHO of course,
J.

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

My thinking is that Chris was just a young idealist who went out on adventures, ill prepared and with no training. If you read the book, he was rescued and helped out several times when he got into trouble.
Unfortunately he seemed to have mistaken "luck", for skill..... And luck ran out..
Before the movie came out the people who went to visit the bus and got into trouble seemed rather rare. But after the movie, the number of people that had to be rescued seemed to really escalate, and there where even deaths....
Even if you are in a cell phone area...(and there is quite a good rural cell system here). If you get hurt.. help is a long way, or a long time away...
The number of Alaskans that need to be rescued just going out on day hikes might surprise people. There was a hiker from the keni, who went missing up near Chena Hot Springs last year (I think it was there.. or near Fairbanks). I don't know if he was ever found... And there was guy camping down on the Keni this spring. They found his camper, gear and his dog.... But no word if they found him...

 

[CoolLogic]

I’m familiar with the story but one thing I could never figure out...
How did the bus get there in the first place???
If the bus could drive there why couldn’t it have just been dragged out with a tractor/dozer?

 

[eveled]

They left it there on purpose as a shelter for hikers and trappers.

It was already a derelict when they brought it there to use as a shelter for workers on a construction project. It was equipped with a wood stove and bunks. Then left as a public service.

 

[wolfsong]

My thinking is that Chris was just a young idealist who went out on adventures, ill prepared and with no training. If you read the book, he was rescued and helped out several times when he got into trouble.
Unfortunately he seemed to have mistaken "luck", for skill..... And luck ran out..
Before the movie came out the people who went to visit the bus and got into trouble seemed rather rare. But after the movie, the number of people that had to be rescued seemed to really escalate, and there where even deaths....
Even if you are in a cell phone area...(and there is quite a good rural cell system here). If you get hurt.. help is a long way, or a long time away...
The number of Alaskans that need to be rescued just going out on day hikes might surprise people. There was a hiker from the keni, who went missing up near Chena Hot Springs last year (I think it was there.. or near Fairbanks). I don't know if he was ever found... And there was guy camping down on the Keni this spring. They found his camper, gear and his dog.... But no word if they found him...

Compare him to another young, idealistic college graduate Peter Jenkins, who embarked on a journey in search of his identity much the same as Mccandless. There are many parallels, with one huge difference. Jenkins prepared, planned and outfitted himself for his adventure. And he survived. In fact, it would seem that he actually found what he was searching for. His book is titled "A Walk Across America ". Great read, in my opinion.

 

[eveled]

Peters book was a great read. For sure. I wonder where he is now?

 

[Thumbcocker]

"Unfortunately he seemed to have mistaken "luck", for skill..... And luck ran out.."

Bingo. Hal Holbrook had a small but very well done part in the movie.

 

[bobski]

heck...wanna live in a bus like that? I know some places in w.va you can go. lot closer than AK!

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

I think to many young people look at nature as some sort of city park. And that nature exists for them, rather than in spite of them.....

I would have liked to make the hike myself.... More from an Alaska historical aspect than the incident with Chris.... But I am glad it was moved because it was a growing problem....

Konichiwa y'all....

reuben....

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Way too many folks view the great outdoors through Walt Disney's eyes. :roll:

 

[coach]

I guess if kids read a little more Jack London instead of watching so much Disney that they might have a little respect for the wilderness.

 

[sfhogman]

I was just thinking the same thing, Coach. Specifically "To Build a Fire".

Jeff

 

[Cholo]

I'd never heard about this incident until this thread. Here's a :40 video of it being removed:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N619-YkVALc

 

[Rick Courtright]

Compare him to another young, idealistic college graduate Peter Jenkins, who embarked on a journey in search of his identity much the same as Mccandless. There are many parallels, with one huge difference. Jenkins prepared, planned and outfitted himself for his adventure. And he survived. In fact, it would seem that he actually found what he was searching for. His book is titled "A Walk Across America ". Great read, in my opinion.

Hi,

I found that book in a used book store 2-3 yrs ago. It was a great read, and I'm sure every reader takes something different from Peter's adventure. To me, it seemed he really learned his greatest lesson about who people are, as well as who he himself was, when he encountered the commune and his dog was killed by the truck. Physically, he'd been getting along ok, but now he had to deal with his head and how it handled the loss...

Not so easy to do, sometimes.

Rick C

 

[eveled]

I don’t think anyone is as ready as they think they are. He followed a dream and it didn’t work out. The real problem were the people who just had to go and see the bus. To what end? Pretty morbid.

Anybody know if the windows were broken out to move it, or if it was no longer a viable shelter.

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm surprised no one has done a movie about the guy that lived with the bears and got himself and girlfriend eaten. What the heck was his name?