-
Graduation
On May 12th of 1990, McCandless graduated from Emory University. During the four years he was there he worked as a columnist and editor of "The Emory Wheel" (the student newspaper). He majored in Anthropology and History and graduated with a 3.72 GPA.
During the previous two years, he attended off of a scholarship that a family friend had left him, and by gradation he had $24,000 left. His parents and sister Carine had flown down to Atlanta for his graduation. -
Period: to
Where it all Began
-
Final Report Card and Letter
In the end of June, McCandless mailed his parents his final report card (all A's!) with a letter attached thanking his parents for a shaving kit and a postcard from a family trip. His family had no idea that it would be the last that they would ever hear from him. -
Yellow Datsun and Detrital Wash
By early July, Chris had found himself in the desert of Arizona, 50 miles away from Lake Mead, in an area called Detrital Wash. He pitched his tent and was camping out. With a turn of events, 2 days into his stay there was major flooding and with the car engine all wet, Chris used up all the battery in anger. To avoid the authorities, he abandoned his car, burned his money and headed out with his new found since of freedom. -
Brush with The Law
Prior to meeting Bob and Jan Burres, Chris was ticketed for hitchhiking close to a gold-mining town near Eureka. Oddly enough, he gave the police officer his parents address in Virginia. In the end of August, sure enough the ticket arrived in their mailbox. Chris's father Walt then talked to their neighbor connected to the US DIA. From there he hired a private investigator who later alerted the family that Chris donated his college fund to a charity for ending world hunger, which worried them. -
Meeting Jan Burres and Bob
In the end of July, Jan Burres and her boyfriend Bob pulled over looking for directions, when they spotted Chris collecting what he said were edible berries in the bushes. Jan offered him a ride and he ended up sticking with them for about a week. Jan felt a motherly connection to him because of her estranged son was about the same age. After Chris left, he sent them postcards every 1 or 2 months, surprising Jan because she thought she would never hear from him again. -
Thomas, Karin and The Grand Canyon
6 Days after getting an I.D in L.A, Chris met a German couple, named Thomas and Karin. He camped with them for a few days, before abandoning his canoe and getting on the road to go back to Detrital Wash. -
Goodbye Desert, Hello Las Vegas
February 24th, Chris arrived back at Detrital Wash and retrieved some of the belongings he buried, and his old Virginia License plates. After a few days, he re-buried his belongings, this time with his backpack, and caught a ride into Las Vegas. He then worked at an Italian restaurant for the next 3 months. -
Wayne Westerberg and Cut Bank
Near Cut Bank, Montana Chris caught a ride with a guy named Wayne Westerberg who was the head of a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota. During the ride Wayne and Chris got to talking, and Wayne ended up offering him a job to come work on his grain elevator in South Dakota. At the end of September, Chris showed up for work. Wayne ended up getting jailed for black boxing cable and Chris soon hit the road looking for warmer climate with the approaching winter. -
Jan, Bob, and The Slabs
At the end of November, Chris had sent a post card to Bob and Jan Burres in Niland, CA which he wasn't too far away from himself. Jan replied and they made plans to drive down to meet him, when one day she came back to their campsite to find Chris leaning against their van. They were staying in "The Slabs" in the desert of CA, with a bunch of rubbertramps taking part in one massive swap meet and flea market. He stayed there for a while before leaving for his paycheck and planned to hit the road. -
Ron Franz
After leaving Jan from the post office, Chris took a trek into the nearby Desert. When he needed food or water, he would hike or ride into town. On one Thursday a man named Ron Franz offered him a ride. For the next few weeks they spent much time together. Ron taught Chris leather making, and he ended up making a belt. Franz lost his family to a car crash, and felt a paternal instinct towards him, and ended up offering to adopt him, which Chris kindly declined. Chris departed in early February. -
Return to Carthage
In March, Chris had found his way back to Carthage to work at the grain elevator one last time before leaving to Alaska mid April. He wanted to get new gear before his trip, but before his departure agreed to come back in time to help with the fall harvest. During the four weeks he stayed there, he meet Wayne's girlfriend and Mother and became a family of sorts with all of them, and the crew at the elevator. -
Stuckey and Liard Hot Springs
6 days after Chris left the grain elevator in SD, he got to Liard Hot Springs, British Columbia.Chris was having trouble finding a ride to Fairbanks, until finally he met Stuckey. At first he declined to drive Chris, his company was against hitchhikers, but after talking a while, he agreed to drive him half the distance. When they finally reached that distance, he enjoyed him so much that he drove him the rest of the way, to University of Alaska, in Fairbanks. -
Jim Gallien and The Stampede Trail
After spending 3 nights near University of Alaska, Chris left the area with a gun and ammo for his trip. Like so many times he had before, he stuck out his thumb from the side of the road. The first car that came, gave him a lift. The mans name was Jim Gallien and they talked on the way out to the trail. Jim convinced Chris to take some sandwich's and chips along with his cheap rain boots, even though Chris tried to turn them down. Chris soon headed onto the trail. -
Magic Bus Day
As Chris walked further on the trail, he had only his gun and backpack to keep him company. The heaviest thing in his backpack were his 10 books. It took him three days to reach the bus, and only after the second he reached the Teklanika River, which was low enough for him to cross. A day later on May 1st, he finally reached the "Magic Bus". In the first week, Chris had trouble hunting. All he got that first week, was a small squirrel. But by mid May, he was having much more success. -
Home Sweet Bus
May 5th, Chris headed back out and further into the forest. After 15 days, he headed back to the bus. In the end of May, he put all of his things into the bus and started a few long term projects, like covering the bus's missing windows, get more firewood and clean ash off of the stove. Late May to early June, he was having successful hunts. -
The Bad Omen
On June 9th, Chris shot and killed a moose. As excited as he was, he had a hard time butchering. Soon maggots and flies started appearing, and he thought it was "One of the greatest tragedies in his life. From then on he decided it was time to leave the wild after his 2 months into it. -
The River Runs Deep
After the moose incident, Chris spent the next few weeks getting ready to leave. On July 3rd, he hiked down to the teklanika river, where he found it gushing and deep. He was scared of swimming. He simply turned around and walked back to the bus. -
The End
After returning to the bus, during the next few weeks Chris got very sick from eating wild potato plants, that caused him vomiting, sickness, and starvation. He was so sick that he couldn't keep his food down. He meet his end by starving to death. He died sometime between the end of July, early August.
