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pg. 0-14
In the late 1960s road builders left a bus in the middle of nowhere after a road project was deamed impossible. The bus was used as shelter for hunters and hikers but often didnt see company for months. But one afternoon september 6, 1992, 6 people from seperate groups were at the bus they noticed a foul smell and an S.O.S note when one looked inside they found a body. -
pg. 14-30
Chris mcCandeless was an educated man he did well in school and came from a good family one year chris decided he wanted to dissapear he changed his name to Alex took his Datsun and went off on the road one of the places he went was cartridge SD, wher he met and worked for Wayne Westerberg. Who two months after chris' death still pondered the strange way he died. -
30-46
After leaving his car in the mojave desert Chris found work with a man named crazy earnie. He worked many places being a hitchhiker/gypsie. He traveled through the Dakotas, colorado, California and nevada grtting himself into trouble everywhere he went. Chris' parents were extremely worried and sent a private investigator to find him but there were no leads. chris was way ahead of them. -
pgb 46-60
still traveling around as a gypsie Chris makes many friends along the way inclding one who was always especially kind to him even offering to adopt him his name was franz. Franz always listened to Chris before his deat Chris wrote 80 yr. old franz a letter telling him to be more nomadic remarkably franz listened and stays at a nomad camp for 8 months until another gypsie told hm of chris' fate. -
pg. 60-85
Chris worked in one of his friends farms in South Dakota in order to raise money for his trip to Alaska ( he wasnt vey good at his job). While in S.D. chris admits how much he dislikes his parents. He confided thi in his sister in a letter before he left. On april 16, Chris left for Alaska.The book also talks about the original article on chris in outside magazine, 4 others that had tried to live off the land and how they failed. -
pg. 85-98
The book tells how the news covered Chris' story starting with Fairbanks Alaska local newspaper. The book also talks about how Chris' brother was the first to be informed and had to be the one to tell his father. Looking at one of the last photos chris took of himself his brother realized that he was almost a different man. -
pg. 98-126
The author interviews Chris' father and talks about how the relationship and bond between there family could have changed so drastically and how the bond was broken. Chris' father also questions how someone with so much empathy could put his family in so much pain. His father also described what a smart child he was,Chris' was also very charitable and athletic. Other parts of Chris' life were also analyzed and it turned out Chris had done this before. -
pg.126-144
The author interviews Chris' sister who is completely crushed by her brothers death, they were extremely close even after there family seemed to break apart. His sister and her husband were notified shortly after his body was found, they brought Chris' cremated remains home for a funeral. Also the author tells of some of his experiences in rock climbing and of his adventures in Alaska, climbing one of the exact same rocks chris did Devils thumb. -
pg 144-173
A few weeks before his death Chris tried his hand at an ascent up devil thumb a hellishly hard climb especiallly for an unexerienced climber like Chris, after digging himself out of four Avalnches Chris still refused to admit defeat and after his last try Chris finally summited. The book also tells of how he found the bus killed a moose and on his way homefound himself trapped by once frozen beaver ponds that turned into a torrent Chris was stuck. -
pg. 173-203
The author tells about how he explored the bus and the river Chris could not cross finding that there was an easy crossing point just down stream he questioned why Chris didnt try harder and why he let himself starve. The book tells of the last couple of months in chis life and how there was no indication of starvation before about one monthe before death.The author came to the conclusion that Chris died after eating a toxic plant.