-
Chris McCandless is Born
Chris McCandless is born in El Segundo, California -
Chris moves to a new house
Chris and his family moved to Annandale, Virginia close to where his father worked in Washington, D.C. -
Period: to
High school for Chris
He tried many sports and was an outstanding athlete. He lacked patience to improve his skills. He decided to take up running and was coach of the cross country team. Chris graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia. -
Period: to
Chris goes to college at Emory University
Chris attends college at Emory University. During this time span, Chris ends his relationship with his parents after finding out about his father's past marriage and divorce. He graduates college in 1990 with a GPA of 3.72. At his graduation, he seems very happy and reconnects with his parents. Chris tells his family that he is going to disappear for awhile. -
Last time Chris's family hears from him
In June of 1990, Chris's family hears from him for the last time. -
Chris starts his journey
Chris jumped in his old Datsun and drove West. When he hit Arizona he had no choice but to abandon his car and most of his possessions because of the flash flood. It fried the engine and it would not turn over and start up . He left a little note on the car for whoever found it and got it out could have it. -
Alexander Supertramp
Chris created a new name for himself, Alexander Supertramp. He started keeping a journal with all of his travels and adventures. He worked for Crazy Ernie on a farm who eventually never paid him. -
Hitches a ride from Jan Burres
Alex met a women named Jan Burres in Nothern California, who was livin the same life as him, except that she had a car. Alex hitched a ride from her. In the short period they were together they grew very close and Alex would send her postcards as often as he could. -
Chris Meets Wayne Westerberg
Chris, now Alex, gets a ride from Wayne Westerberg, who owns a grain elevator in South Dakota. Alex is offered a job at Wayne's grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota. He gratefully accepts the job because he doesn't have any money. Alex becomes very close with Wayne. Wayne gets arrested, so Alex quits working at the grain elevator. -
Alex Sneaks into Mexico
Alex bought a cheap kayak to sneak across the border into Mexico. He tried to paddle to the Gulf Coast but the route is covered in swamps. He met some Mexicans that gave him a ride to the coast in the back of of their truck. Alex decided to spend some time there adventuring. After awhile he abandons his kayak and decides to try and go back to America. -
Alex gets caught crossing back into the U.S.
After traveling down to Mexico and spending some time there, Alex now attempts to cross the border from Mexico back into Texas. He is caught by immigration police at the border and has to spend the night in jail. The police let him back into the U.S. after hearing his situation, but they took away his handgun. -
Arizona and McDonald's
Alex goes to Bullhead City, Arizona, where he works as a fry cook at McDonald's. He uses his real name, Chris, and opens a savings account with his social security number. After remaining in Bullhead City for a few months, Alex sends a postcard to Jan, who is excited to hear from him. She makes plans to go and see him right away, but Alex leaves Bullhead City and meets her along the way. -
The Burres's and The Slabs
After meeting up with Jan and Bob, the three of them head to the Slabs, an old navy air base that is a home to hundreds of drifters, misfits, tramps, and other people who don't fit into society. The base also serves as a market for these people. Alex helps out with Jan's stand, where they sell books. Alex cannot stop talking about his "Great Alaskan Odyssey" while he spends his time at the Slabs. Getting impatient and tired of sitting around, Alex makes a stop in Carthage before going to Alaska. -
Period: to
Salton City and Ronald Franz
On the way to Carthage before heading to Alaska, Alex sets up camp just outside of Salton City, California. Ronald Franz, an eighty year old man, picked up Alex who was hitchhiking into town for supplies. They became very close, and Alex postponed his trip to Alaska. Franz had no relatives, so he viewed Alex as a grandson. Franz taught Alex some skills he knew, which included making a leather belt with designs of his journey. Alex left Ronald Franz later that February and headed for San Diego. -
Carthage, South Dakota
Alex is now a hobo and has to hop trains to get around. He gets close to Franz's house and calls him to get a ride. Chris tells Franz he wants to go to Carthage, and Franz drives him as far as Grand Junction, Colorado. Arriving three days later in Carthage, Alex begins working for Wayne again, who recently had been released from prison. -
Off To Alaska
Alex makes final preparations for his journey to Alaska. Hitchhiking was very difficult for Alex. Sometimes he would go almost a week without getting a ride. After spending a long time hitchhiking, Alex finally arrives in Fairbanks, Alaska. -
Jim Gallien
Alex meets Jim Gallien, who gives him a ride to the Stampede Trail. Jim thinks he is not very prepared for a stay in the wilderness and offers Alex his boots and some food. Jim drops him off a couple miles down the trail and Alex heads out into the wilderness. -
Bus 142, the "Magic Bus"
After hiking the Stampede Trail for quite awhile, Alex crosses the Teklanika River. This wasn't very difficult, the water was only about knee deep at the time. Shortly after, Alex arrived at the abandoned bus, which he recorded as "Magic Bus Day" in his journal. -
Period: to
Everything is well
Alex was not able to continue down the Stampede Trail. He ended up using the bus for shelter. He had great hunting for the next 6 weeks and he was living well. -
Alex shot a moose
Alex shot a moose weighing only 600 pounds, which is small for a moose. It was still a big deal to him no matter how big it was. Alex tried to preserve it by smoking it, but after 3 days passed, it was rotten and full of maggots. -
Period: to
Life is becoming difficult
Hunting became harder for Alex and was living off of small animals and wild plants and vegetables. Wild game was becoming scarce in the area, and everything just kept going down hill from there. -
Alex's lifestyle is shattered
Alex was shooting animals and eating wild plants for awhile and was able to survive day to day. Until this day, Alex had been eating wild potatoes since he got the Alaskan bush. Later in the month of July the roots got bitter and were not edible anymore, so he started eating the seeds that were coated in alkaloid which caused him to starve. -
The note
As Alex was starving from the potato seeds he became very weak. He left a note on the door of the bus for help hoping someone would come by and see it and take care of Alex. -
Alex passes away
On his 112th day Alex dies leaving one final note, it reads: " I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!" 19 days later 6 people ended up at the bus at the same time. As they looked inside the bus, Chris lied there dead.
