Chris McCandless

  • May 12,1990

    May 12,1990
    Chris Graduates College
  • July 10th 1990

    July 10th 1990
    Chris Abandons his car and begins to hike around Lake Mead He then suffers a heat stroke and is picked up by two boaters.

    He learned this was a big mistake because the July temperatures were extreme.
  • August 1st, 1990

    Parents receive a letter from Chris
  • September 10 1990

    Chris meets Mr. Westerberg. Learned how to work hard in the grain fields.
  • September 26,1990

    Chris arrives in the city of Carthage
  • October 23,1990

    October 23,1990
    Chris leaves South Dakota because Westerberg gets arrested. He liked Carthage and the people who lived there. He would have stayed longer if Westerberg didn't go to jail.
  • October 28 1990

    October 28 1990
    Chris caught a ride with a trucker in Needles, California, and was happy to reach the Colorado River. He walked 12 miles and bought a canoe. Chris canoes the colorado river and other areas before getting rid of the canoe. During his journey, he realized that life was more exciting without money.
  • December 2 1990

    Chris reaches the Morelos Damn and the Mexican border. He noticed that he had gone to Mexico without an ID and without getting caught.
  • December 5 1990

    Chris thinks he's in the Wellteco Canal. Chris learns that the people are friendly and nicer than Americans.
  • January 16 1991

    Chris gets rid of the canoe. He learned that he could survive without people because he had not talked to people in 36 days.
  • January 18 1991

    Chris is going back to America but gets caught by border control.
  • February 3 1991

    Chris arrives in Los Angeles. Chris is learning that he does not feel comfortable in society and wants to continue his adventure.
  • February 9 1991

    Chris camps at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with Thomas and Karin. Chris is happy and enjoying his adventure.
  • February 27 1991

    Chris goes to Las Vegas with no money and no ID.
    He worked for an Italian restaurant but lived on the streets. Chris learned how to live on the streets with bums and other poor people but enjoyed his experience.
  • May 10 1991

    Chris leaves Vegas and is on the road again. He has found the real meaning of life and is glad to be alive.
  • End of July

    End of July
    Chris accepted a ride from Crazy Ernie and he offered Chris a job at his ranch.
  • November 1991-December 1991

    November 1991-December 1991
    Chris lives in Arizona and gets a job at McDonald's. He doesn't work at McDonald's for the money because it pays less than the casinos around him. Money is not important to him.
  • January 1992

    Chris meets Ron Franz and lives with him for a little while. Chris learned how to make leather and made a belt. Chris knows Ron is worrying about him but wants him to know that he is living this way because he wants to experience life.
  • February 28 1992

    Chris mailed a postcard to Jan Burres. In it, Chris states that he is having a hard time living on the streets of San Diego. Ron dropped him off earlier that month. He needs to find a job to help him get to Alaska.
  • March 5 1992

    Chris sends a postcard to Ron and Burres. Chris is embracing his life as a "hobo".
  • March 12 1992

    Chris calls Ron and asks if he will pick him up. He spends the night with Ron and then asks him to drop him off so he can head North.
  • March 14 1992

    Chris works with Westerberg in South Dakota again.
  • April 15 1992

    Chris leaves south Dakota and heads to Alaska.
  • April 1992

    April 1992
    Chris hitchhiked and walked through Alaska.
  • April 25,1992

    Chris arrives in Fairbanks.
  • April 27 1992

    Chris sends a postcard to Wayne Westerberg. He knows heading into the wild might kill him but he is excited for his new adventure.
  • April 28 1992

    April 28 1992
    He descended on his trip into the wilderness. The last day anyone saw him. He was happy and ready to start his journey.
  • May 1 1992

    Chris finds an old bus and decides to stay there for a while. This is where he lives in the wilderness and eats plants, berries, and small rodents.
  • August 5 1992

    Chris writes in his journal that he has made it 100 days but he is in bad condition and knows he will probably die.
  • September 6th 1992

    September 6th 1992
    Chris’s body was found by the hunters on the bus.