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Chris's Journey Begins
Chris begins his journey by driving directly west from his home in Virginia. -
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Chris' Philosophy of Transcendentalism
Chris is a boy who embraced the wild by seeking a deeper connection with nature and rejecting normal ideas in society. His journey is a reflection of his desire to discover a more authentic way of life. With his transcendentalist ideas of individualism and habit of being self-reliant, Chris made a journey that was looked at as impossible by many. Although this journey sadly ended with the death of Chris, his true perseverance and love for the wild is something that people will never forget. -
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Chris's Journey By Brennan Urbas
Jon Krakauer talks to college students about Chris's journey.
Theme- Chris's Philosophy about transcendentalism. -
Lake Mead, Arizona
Chris made it to Arizona and hiked around Lake Mead. He had no choice but to abandon his Datsun after a flash flood. -
Crazy Ernie
Chris hitched a ride during the extreme temperatures at the end of July from a man who went by the name Crazy Ernie. -
Jan Burres
After stealing a speed bike from Crazy Ernie's ranch, Chris was picked up by Jan Burres and her boyfriend. Chris was able to learn a lot about Jan and he became very close with her over the years after sending many postcards. They camped out near Orick Beach for a week. -
McCandless Receives a Ticket
When hitchhiking near Willow Creek in California, Chris received a ticket. His parents later found out about this and started searching for his location. -
Wayne Westerberg
Chris, now going by the name Alex, meets Wayne Westerberg who gives him a job at his grain elevator in Carthage. Westerberg was arrested, causing Alex to leave Carthage. -
The Colorado River and Topock
Chris reached the Colorado River and walked South to Topock, Arizona, where he bought a canoe. -
Yuma, Arizona
Chris sent Westerberg a postcard as he paddled through Yuma, Arizona in November. He sent a postcard to Westerberg to thank him for all that he had done and he also talked about what he had been up to. -
Chris Reaches the Mexican Border
Chris reached the border of the U.S. and Mexico and Morelos Dam at the beginning of December. Chris's parents soon found out that he donated 24,000 dollars to OXFAM. -
Camping on a Bluff
Chris pulled his canoe out of the water and set up camp on a desert plateau where he stayed for 10 days. -
Chris Finds a Cave to Seek Shelter
High winds caused Chris to seek refuge in a cave on the face of the bluff, and he camped there for another 10 days. -
Chris is Caught at the Border
McCandless was caught by U.S. Immigration Officials when trying to sneak back into the United States. He spent the night in jail. -
Chris Travels from Late January to February
Chris traveled as far east as Houston and back to the Pacific coast. On February 3, he applied for an ID and job in LA but changed his mind to return to his travels once again. -
Camping at the Grand Canyon
McCandless met a young German couple and camped with them at the Grand Canyon. He also noted that he had lost 25 pounds in his journal. -
Chris Unearths his Past Possessions from Lake Mead
After returning to where he abandoned his Datsun, Chris found some items that he buried in the sand. -
Chris Hitchhikes to Las Vegas
After burying his backpack, Chris McCandless hitchhiked all the way to the city of Las Vegas. -
McCandless Spends Time in Las Vegas, then Hits the Road.
While in Las Vegas, Chris found a job and lived on the streets, but hit the road again after several weeks. Not much is known about his whereabouts after Las Vegas because he stopped keeping a journal until Alaska. -
The Oregon Coast
We do know from a letter Chris sent to Jan Burres, that he spent July and August on the Oregon coast. (This date is an educated guess). -
McCandless Roams Around Highway 101 into California
In September he went down the U.S. 101 Highway into California, then headed east to the desert after that. (The date is a guess because of the lack of knowledge from Chris's journal). -
McCandless Arrives in Bullhead City
McCandless made it to Bullhead City, Arizona by October and he worked at a Mcdonalds' there for 2 months and lived out of an RV owned by a man named Charlie. (The exact date is a guess). -
McCandless Appears at The Slabs to See Jan and Bob
McCandless arrived at the Slab, an old naval air base, to see Jan and Bob Burres. Jan recalled that Chris could not stop talking about Alaska. -
Chris Moves on to Salton City, California.
Chris decided to move on to Salton City, which was 50 miles away, and accepted Burres' offer to drive him there. He met Ronald Franz while hitchhiking near California's Salton Sea. (The date is a guess because of the lack of knowledge on specific days. -
McCandless Spends Time with Franz, but Keeps Moving in his Travels
Franz and Chris spent a lot of time together for the next few weeks. McCandless often hiked to Franz’s apartment in Salton City. McCandless wanted to go to San Diego to earn enough money for his Alaska trip and finally agreed to let Franz drive him there. (The date is in February but not exact). -
McCandless is Arrested and Hitchhikes to Coachella
After being thrown in jail by a bull and being released afterward, McCandless hitchhiked to Coachella and called Franz to pick him up. He spends the night with Franz but travels to Carthage to work for Westerberg before heading to Alaska. -
By the End of March, McCandless Left Carthage Bound for Alaska.
Chris left Carthage to continue to Alaska and stopped at Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia, Canada, where he was stuck for two days before hitching a ride with Gaylord Stuckey in the cab of his sunflower-seed-hauling truck. -
The University of Alaska in Fairbanks
Chris did some reading at the University of Alaska's Fairbanks Campus on edible plants. Chris also bought a used gun and sent postcards to friends. -
Jim Gallien
Chris was picked up by Jim Gallien on the side of the highway and Jim gave him a ride to the Stampede Trail. -
The Stampede Trail and the Old Bus
McCandless finds an old bus beside the Sushana River and decides to take comfort there for a while. -
McCandless Tries to Return Back into Civilization
Chris planned a 20-mile hike back to the road but could not cross the river due to flooding and a raging torrent. He headed back to the bus and made it there on July 8. -
McCandless Becomes Weak
Chris started to report in his journal that he felt weak and eventually wrote an SOS note. -
Chris McCandless Dies
McCandless most likely died due to starvation and on the bus along the Sushana River. -
Hunters Find McCandless' Body
Ken Thompson, the owner of Anchorage auto-body shop, Gordon Samel, his employee, and their friend Ferdie Swanson set out for the bus on September 6, 1992. They discovered Chris' body and his SOS note on the bus.