Into The Wild Bus - poof - gone!

[aigel]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wild-bus-removed-alaska-backcountry-public-safety-n1231591

Borrowing from Vash's signature line ...

What do you guys think?

On one hand I think it is lame. This may have inspired many to go venture into the wild that didn't otherwise.

OTOH there are people hiking 25 miles into the outback who have zero wilderness experience just for the picture opportunity. So elminating the bus will make them go kill themselves over some other photo opportunity elsewhere and they are no longer requiring rescue in the Denali National Park ...

They should put the bus somewhere where people can go look at it driving up in flip flops.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by aigel

They should put the bus somewhere where people can go look at it driving up in flip flops.

+1 Put it in some park in Anchorage/Fairbanks with a plaque.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCandless

[aigel]

The Krakauer book is excellent, by the way. Read it if you haven't.

G

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by aigel

The Krakauer book is excellent, by the way. Read it if you haven't.

Found Into the Wild. Going to watch it shortly. Looking forward to it.

I left Anchorage in early 1992. A couple months before McCandless arrived. Audit secretary then, a Facebook friend, posted about the bus today. I dug into the WIKI link a little. Intriguing as the guy was not a putz.

Mind you, I know nothing except the dude died (starved) and he was unprepared for the harsh environment.

[Dantilla]

Yes, excellent book.

If the bus is causing problems, get rid of it. I'm surprised it has become an attraction.
Denali is a fantastic place. With all the natural beauty of the area, I can't imagine having that on the "must do" list.
I love the outdoors, but the last thing I want to see is a rusty, old bus.

Great story, now go create your own adventure.

[varmint]

Darwin bus.

Everyone not a moody dropout was sick of the thing. And sick of having to pay to rescue idiots.

[Heel n Toe]

It would've been much funner if they had dropped it from 20,000 feet and filmed it for posterity.

[Dansvan]

They will still make the trek. They will build a shrine. Of rice. Total waste. Cant fix stupid

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

It would've been much funner if they had dropped it from 20,000 feet and filmed it for posterity.

Unfortunately, Jeremy Clarkson was not in charge. Nor were the Myth Busters people.

[livi]

Was the bus racist?

[Otter74]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

It would've been much funner if they had dropped it from 20,000 feet and filmed it for posterity.

But will it fare as well as a Toyota pickup?

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

It would've been much funner if they had dropped it from 20,000 feet

Not for the Chinook (racist name for a helicopter) crew.

Originally Posted by livi

Was the bus racist?

Of course: the bus has a white top and a bus is a symbol of, uh, busing and Ms. Parks; buses ride on black tires, a symbol of oppression.

You need to educate yourself.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Not for the Chinook (racist name for a helicopter) crew.

I can picture the meeting at Boeing when they named it. This guy....

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

Yes, excellent book.

Only made it half way through the movie. I'll try to finish tonight. Was not as gripping as I though it would be but maybe a sleeper and the back end makes up for front end?

Suspect a good author would craft it differently. I want to better understand McCandlesses idiosyncrasies.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Only made it half way through the movie. I'll try to finish tonight. Was not as gripping as I though it would be but maybe a sleeper and the back end makes up for front end?

Suspect a good author would craft it differently. I want to better understand McCandlesses idiosyncrasies.

Spoiler.... he dies.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by tcar

Spoiler.... he dies.

Damn you!

Yep. That he did.

[aigel]

I said the book was good. The movie, who knows. I don't care for movies based on good books. Usually always are a let down.

G

[biosurfer1]

I watched a quick retelling of McCandless and what happened. Made him out to be sort of a lost, trying to find himself drifter who had no business being out there. The movie made it seem more like he was at least moderatly versed in wilderness living...who knows.

I do know the last person who saw him alive, guy in Alaska who gave him a ride to the trail entrance, made him take an extra sandwich because McCandless had no food at all (planned to live 100% off the land?)

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by aigel

I said the book was good. The movie, who knows. I don't care for movies based on good books. Usually always are a let down.

I know you did. I just went with what I had last night.

I'll bet the book is in the library in town here.

[aigel]

Guy definitely was a drifter. IIRC he did a very successful trip down the Colorado River previously living off a bag of rice and whatever he could catch. VERY different environment, but that got him the idea that he could just live off the land.

He also shot a moose with a .22 in AK and tried to smoke it to preserve it. Apparently he had asked some guys how to preserve meat. Of course that is not how it works. You need to salt, dry and smoke.

My take home was that he was willing to go to the edge - take a big risk. No map, no proper clothing and supplies. The river / weather did him in. This bus was not remote at all, he just got cut off and had zero local knowledge on how to get across swelling rivers. Wouldn't call it suicide but definitely self-manslaughter.

I have had some light Kerouac style hitch hike adventures and have done some bare bones outdoors stuff when I was McCandless age, so this book and story was a great read for me.

I have never been to AK but it is on my bucket list big time.

G