Beyond INTO THE WILD: The Deadly Legacy of Magic Bus 142

[@EverestMystery]

Please help support the channel by joining our FREE or paid Patreon for exclusive content and free A Course In Happiness download: www.patreon.com/everestmystery Or, please consider becoming a Channel Member for access to perks and to become part of a growing community: kzbin.info/door/Ek3e_XGyNnqwK2ZlxH7fEAjoin

[@loganfergus]

Question, do you happen to know why Ed Viesturs wasn’t on the 99 Mallory expedition or any of the following expeditions?

[@rebelbelle1388]

I honestly think that Chris was his own worst enemy. He was so sure he could survive without help, without wilderness survival knowledge, or any supplies at all. Boots and sandwiches were literally forced on him by the man who kindly dropped him at the trailhead. I do think it's remarkable that he survived for as long as he did, and I commend him on his resourcefulness and tenacity. I just wish he was humble enough to accept help and guidance.

[@EverestMystery]

Great insight....one thing I have wondered 100 times is what would have happened if he carried 20 pounds of rice and not just 10 (I didn't talk about this in the video). Thanks for all of your support!

[@franciscobizzaro]

@@rebelbelle1388 I always wondered if he didn't get the boots from the driver if he would have just walked back out when his feet got wet. Definitely rode his luck

[@andotheandal6566]

This story resonates with me in a profound way because I am the mother of a beautiful son who lost his life in similar circumstances. The behavioral similarities between Christopher and my son Daniel are uncanny and disturbing. My boy was found in a remote and inaccessible river in the Australian bush by canoeists six months after he died. Daniel was 30 years old and for the best part of the 5 yrs before his death sought solace without worldly possessions, being self-sufficient in the remote bushlands nearby where we lived. He was a creative but tortured soul who lived with the insidious affliction of Paranoid Schizophrenia. I suspect Christopher suffered a similar affliction, a sad and tragic story. RIP beautiful souls!

[@EverestMystery]

I'm really thankful that you took the time to share your painful story. Thank you very much. I truly appreciate the insight into this complex individual, told through your own eyes and similar experience. I hope you continue to share the story in ways that might bring solace to others, but especially to yourself. All the best to you, thanks for being here and for taking the time to watch the video

[@chillarypuff]

Sending you love ❤ thanks for sharing

[@krisushi1]

I read the book, yet was never impressed by the movie. I actually do agree that Chris needed physcological help instead of running away from issues in his life that he refused to confront. He was mad at his parents, yet never did he tell them how he felt. Carine never run away like Chris did, which is quite telling. The answers to his questions would only come from discussing his problems with his parents, not by any other means. Chris never made only one mistake. He started off making mistakes, which is how he lost his car in a flood zone, and kept making them up to when he died. He could have got the car to work again but didn't have the experience to know that he had simply flooded the battery. His car was used by law enforcement for many years afterwards, so there wasn't anything wrong with it that couldn't be fixed with basic know how and patience. He thought he knew everything and refused to take advice from anyone. His reasoning for going to seek solitude was completely screwed up. The answers he was looking for weren't to be found in nature, yet from his parents. He got to know several people along his travels, leaving them distraught when he would disappear without saying goodbye. I call this cowardice. He would tell them lies about his childhood and would tell them how they should be living their lives despite the fact that he hadn't the wisdom to sought his own out. The story of the old man at the end was just heartbreaking. He sold everything he owned and lived in the desert just waiting for him to return due to wishing to adopt him. The only person Chris held in high esteem was a felon that he worked for and was apparently jailed during the time that Chris was working for him, not exactly a great judge of character. He never cared about the lives of others he got involved with, which ended up with the old man dying awaiting his return, something that most likely would not have occurred if he hadn't listened to the rubbish Chris lectured him on. He never held himself accountable for his endless screw ups and they were endless. At such a young age, he had no right to go telling those much more mature than he, how to live their lives. Chris couldn't even confront his parents, so how dare he tell others how to live! He totally cut off his sister and never attempted to contact her. There was no excuse for this. If he loved be penniless so much, why did he continue to get jobs to make money? He never bothered to research any area he wished to go, most especially Alaska. If he had, he would have known that there wasn't much game around to be found and that he wasn't truly out in the wild, yet surrounded by cabins. To this day, many whom own these cabins believe it was Chris who had broken in to steal food from a number of them that had been rummaged through after being broken into. Most Alaskans think of him as reckless and so do I. You never set out on an adventure without being prepared. He never had a map, compass nor anything basic that one should have when entering an unfamiliar area. He took far too little food, (rice), and foolishly thought this would sustain him in freezing temperatures when the body requires the most warmth. He was already under-weight when he set off to Alaska. His so-called 'Magic Bus' was only a security blanket. If this bus wasn't there, he wouldn't have stayed in this one spot for so long. It gave him comfort and protection from the elements and lead to his downfall. When Chris decided to leave the bus and headed for the river, he took one look at the river and then went straight back to his security blanket. He never followed the river to find an easier way to possibly traverse. If he had, he would have found the cable car that just happened to be on his side of the river. It was his ignorance, arrogance and know it all attitude that lead to his demise. Of course, the bus had a large role to play in the end. How could he possibly think that going back to the bus was going to save him? He was incapable of sorting anything out for himself. He went into Alaska without any experience on how to prepare or dry out food, hence the moose disaster. His entire experience in Alaska was one disaster after the other. So many tried to warn him and even offered to drive him great distances to pay for items he would need, yet these offers were turned down as Chris thought he knew more. Even from the very start of his story, it was obvious Chris was unstable. I have a very hard time contemplating why anyone would hold someone as reckless as this up as some hero. I absolutely disagree with what he wrote in a book at the end of his life when he stated that 'Happiness is only real when shared'. Maybe, he felt this way, but it's definitely not the way that many others feel, including myself. After I heard that the bus had been removed, I couldn't be more happier. Too many delusional young people, without goals of their own, decided to follow in this very young man's footsteps and either died as a result or had to be rescued. As Chris had taken nothing with him to communicate with others, a flare-gun or anything at all to help his situation, he had no choice but to accept that he had screwed up big time. The time to save himself had come and gone. Never will his parents understand why their son disappeared without a word, as he was too gutless to speak to them as an adult would. He thought that running away was going to somehow change the lives of his parents and sister. What did Carine ever do to be cut off by him like this? She was his confidante. I'm afraid that this story never inspired me at all. I read it whilst on an adventure of my own, along with my beautiful German Shepherd companion when travelling for five long years by ourselves. Sure, I met many along the way and was never wanting for company. As I was prepared, we were warm when needed, fully fed and very well supplied. The majority of the time we 'free-camped', used solar panels, gas and extra batteries. I cannot look up and admire anyone so reckless and arrogant as Chris McCandless. Why should we be looking at his life, when he never cared for it either? There are many more who have sought out nature, yet in a responsible manner whom we should be looking towards for inspiration and not this foolish young man who thought that Mother Nature was tame and would somehow delusionally protect him. You need to ask yourselves, why follow in the footsteps of one so ill-preprared that it lead to his death? Don't they have dreams of their own to fulfill? This book made me so mad, that it's hard to contemplate picking it up again. Chris McCandless is not one to look up to, yet learn a very good lesson from. The only one responsible for his end was himself and I can't feel sorry for one so utterly negligent. Always have the Scouts saying within your mind at all times - Be Prepared! 🇦🇺💖👩🏼‍🎨

[@mvashton]

A 🎖for the longest ever post! When you put it like it is quite damning. Not having read the book and (I think) twice watching the film; I drew inspiration from the adventure and managed to blissfully ignore the recklessness. Thanks for your comment as it makes me re-evaluate this and a few other things.

[@_nick_d]

The part of him living off the land without permits or anything makes him a poacher. People pay massive amounts to hunt moose & other game.

[@wolfpecker5710]

As someone who went through a bunch of childhood trauma, and tried both running away and extensive therapy/work with a doctor, you are absolutely correct! Although my journey with was different than Chris’s, it was the same in a lot of respects. Running away only ever exacerbated all my problems! I didn’t tell my family or anyone else about what happened to me as a kid because i was told I would get in trouble, then when I was old enough to realize what happened, I felt so much shame and so I kept it a secret. That caused me to feel so alone my whole life and all I ever wanted to do was escape it. Then when I was 29 years old I went to my first group therapy session with other abuse victims, and for the first time in my life I didn’t feel alone and so I finally started talking about my trauma and working on it with professional’s. Im now 35 and im doing great, it’s a night/day difference! I only wish that I would have told my family and worked on it with professional’s sooner! So although I can empathize with Chris in some ways. I just don’t think that there was anything Chris could have done in “the wild” that would solve his problems, because ultimately you can’t run away from yourself!

[@shilowaters6082]

What an Awesome review! Long, but interesting and alot of great points were made

[@krisushi1]

@@mvashton Thank you and congratulations for making it through! I can go on even longer than this too! I never liked the movie and thought Sean Penn should stick to acting. I was lucky to have read the book first, so I most likely got more detail from this. Chris was reckless, in my eyes, which wasn't shown as much in the film, especially events from his earlier life.💖

[@rainbowiam]

I love the way that you put things. You have a way of sharing your thoughts succinctly and beautifully. I love how you said that worry is equivalent to negativity. I have felt this way my whole life and I have lived my life accordingly. Thank you for being you.❤

[@retriever19golden55]

Why on earth is starving to death so attractive to young hikers? Chris could have lived there a long time if he'd trained and prepared. Living off the grid takes hard work and learning.

[@RobertBrown-bc8zy]

Apparently there was a bridge a mile or two down from him that he was unaware of. Really unprepared unfortunately.

[@Heathcoatman]

I think a lot of it is that people get caught up in pop culture. They read the book or watch the movie and want to be part of it, not just witness to it. It's odd behavior, imo. It reminds me of the movie The Goonies, and the rabid fanbase that adores that movie. For decades after that movie came out fans would travel to the location of the house from the movie. It was a house people lived in, just a family living their life, no connection whatsoever to the movie. Fans would knock on their door and ask to come in, or stalk around the premises like it was some tourist attraction. They would steal thing, and break things and take it as a souvenir, just trespassing, harassment and vandalism and not just every so often, regularly (there is a documentary out there about this). Eventually they had to sell the house after decades of no peace, all because people once saw a movie they really liked. Not saying this is the same exact thing, just pointing out that pop culture can cause people to do very strange and sometimes intrusive or dangerous things.

[@DSToNe19and83]

@@RobertBrown-bc8zydumbass didn’t even think about a map… let alone a map of the area!

[@simonrowe3124]

@@retriever19golden55 I think you are mistaken in the belief that the goal is ‘starving to death’. Many individuals world wide starve themselves as a matter of course, to a greater of lesser extent, it’s called fasting or intermittent fasting, though death is not the goal, more of a physical and emotional cleansing.

[@daveuerk4030]

The romanticism of the story was very short lived for me. After thinking about it everything about his story infuriates me now. You can't live in the wild warmed and fed by romantic notions. He wasted hundreds of pounds of meat, went on hikes because he wanted to "see the view" when he was negative on calories. It's insulting that he's held in high regard when a true survivalist is logical and calculating (traits needed to experience the wild and survive).

[@sdsures]

Bus 142 exerted the same lethal pull on pilgrims that Mt Everest continues to do every year. Fortunately, Alaska had sense enough to remove the bus, and it's a shame that Mt Everest access can't be regulated similarly.

[@bigwaidave4865]

Mount Everest, special effects were spectacular, spared no expense 👍🤣🤣🤣 hilarious👍🤣🤣

[@EverestMystery]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@sigurjons]

At the same time I agree that one should not hinder or discourage people from going on an adventure (my God, I have done a few), it is still a valid point that Chris was not wise in his choices. Mistake after a mistake that led to his sad demise. So, go forth, be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. But please, please, bring a map at least and do some research, ask locals for advice etc. Thank you for this video, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@wolfpecker5710]

Also, please please please work on your mental health BEFORE you decide to go off into the wilderness alone!! There is a fine line between self discovery and escapism, and isolation is one of the worst things someone with mental health issues can do to themselves… especially if you have a firearm!! Many of people with mental health issues have walked into the wilderness alone with a firearm and not come back… because ultimately you cannot run away from yourself!

[@EverestMystery]

So true, he was really taking it to the limit by tossing his map, and another 10 pounds of rice might have made the difference. Thanks for your support and for sharing your thoughts

[@AngelaGyetvan1]

Christopher's story is interesting, but I totally agree: the insistence of similarly-badly-equipped tourists on visiting the bus and then needing rescue was a problem. I'm glad they whisked it away.

[@paulatripodi7534]

A very thoughtful perspective. The boldness to follow one's heart and create our own path is to be admired, and is just as likely to result in triumph as in tragedy. We don't know what we don't know, and I feel that Chris made peace with his mistakes in the end.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks very much for watching. I appreciate the thoughtful comment!

[@krisushi1]

It wasn't Chris's mistakes that he was looking for answers too. He was furious with his parents but never had the maturity to confront them. Instead, he ran away not looking for anything in particular. The answers he was seeking were with his parents. Chris believed he was always right, and refused to take advice from anyone. You'll need to read the book to fully understand this entire story, yet he was never anyone to be held up in high regard. Endless people told him how unprepared he was, yet he refused to listen. He would never admit to making a mistake himself, he was far too arrogant for that. If this story does interest you, please read it and discover the details for yourself and why he was not one to be admired.💖

[@paulatripodi7534]

@Krisushi1 Yes, I agree. And I have read the book more than once. Chris had the arrogance of youth, believing you can find your own way and no one can tell you anything. He was running from things as much as toward them. I just meant that in the end, I would like to think, he had many hours to reflect and realize his mistakes, those of his own ignorance, and those made because he chose not to listen to others.

[@krisushi1]

@@paulatripodi7534 When you put it like that, you're quite right. It's been awhile since I've read the book, yet in the movie, he was shown how everything should be known by its correct name after consuming the leaves from the wrong plant. Even though his exact cause of death can't be known, they went with that version in the film. He then reverted to his real name, instead of using Alexander Supertramp. They showed him having a vision of being reunited with his parents and how he wrote in one of his books that 'Happiness is only real when shared', not that I personally believe this. Yes, I do think that over that time when he knew that there was no way out of his predicament, he had quite some time to go over the reasoning for running away without confronting his parents, contacting his sister or why he chose to get away from his life, when it wasn't his fault for what his parents did. Running away from our problems never works, as they will always come along with us.💖

[@paulatripodi7534]

@@krisushi1 Yes! Very well put.

[@christinecallahan5512]

You never can stop young poeple......... They have to find out themeselfs.....

[@Evilsivle77]

Thanks Thom, I respect your opinion, and appreciate your dedication to educating our community.

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you! I appreciate your support and glad that you're here

[@alenagonzales9489]

When I hear stories like this one, I feel very sad for a waste young life. He threw his precious wonderful life away. There are literally millions of people who dream of having what he had: good family, financial support, health, looks, youth.

[@coachtim6188]

I'm so glad you are telling this story. I wish i could have made the pilgrimmage before it was removed. But what a great story to tell from Mr. Thom, one of our generation's best story tellers. :) There's something alluring to "leaving all the distractions of modern living." Absolutley. That is precisely why I left the city several years ago, am now sitting on 12 acres in the middle of nowhere looking at the Smoky Mountains on the horizon from my front porch, growing all of my own food, and daily building my self sufficient homestead. Life is much slower here. There is no better life. Sometimes I go down the mental path of regret for not doing it sooner or anxiety of wondering if I can get it all done, but I snap myself back into the now. One of my spiritual guides years ago taught me "anxiety lives in the future, regret lives in the past, but neither can exist in the now."

[@EverestMystery]

This story I worked very, very hard in putting together. I had a hunch it would leave people yawning that have previously been drawn to this channel for Everest material. My hopes are to continue broadening the realm of topics that I cover here...and not just go for the gut punch that draws likes and subscribers. Your homestead sounds absolutely amazing and incredible. I love what you are dong with your life....and honestly, would love to see it someday, whether in person or virtually. Your insight into life and the matters of personality always inspires me. Thanks, as always

[@coachtim6188]

@@EverestMystery That is what I've hoped for since the beginning. A long time ago I requested the full story of that boat you had an adventure on, but I was also thinking that it's not really part of the Everest thing. I had hoped that you would share all stories of adventure that interested you. I know it's hard when it feels like you are in a box for a specific topic, but doing this is really good for you and others because it lets you share your gift, AND it allows you to spend time researching and looking into anything that interests you. Do what you love and you'll never work a day sort of thing. If you've ever had that thought that you wish you would have named it something along the lines of a general adventure title, meh, people that belong here will stick around whether it's called Everest Mystery or The Corndog Channel. People would be like what does this story have to do with corn dogs, then subscribe because they liked the story that had nothing to do with corndogs. 😂 People don't care about a title, they only care about the content. You'll have to come down for a hike in the Smokies sometime and stop by for a country meal. Tonight was cranberry beans, crowder peas, green beans, mashed potatoes, collard greens, pork chops, and homemade biscuits. I know you don't eat much meat but there are always a massive amount of fresh veggies. The homestead has a LONG way to go after living in the city. But little by little it is happening.

[@EverestMystery]

@@coachtim6188 I would love to visit the homestead someday, I mean that truly. Thanks for the intoxicating description of your world there.....and for sharing your insight and perspective

[@sourgummiez]

Not a VPN ad from the high camps of everest 😂😂😂😂 Sir, could you be anymore badass?! They should use this as one of their ads, I love it!!!!

[@EverestMystery]

I love that you loved it, thank you so much! Hopefully they will be back for more, as my cat really wants to make another cameo!

[@Didee1701d]

I have no problem with people living on their own terms. Good for them-I admire their courage and tenacity. Chris lived more in his short life than most of us do. My only criticism with Chris is that he didn’t learn how to properly hunt and care for the meat that could have kept him alive. I fully support hunting as a means to provide for you and your family so I’m upset that the moose he bagged died in vain because of Chris’ lack of knowledge in this area. If you are going to hunt,it is your responsibility to respect the life of that animal and to use it accordingly. As for Chris, I admire him and his quest to find true meaning. Sometimes you have to travel miles and miles for that meaning and sometimes it right in your own back yard. RIP Chris. Another great video EM; thanks.

[@_nick_d]

Decided to hunt with no permit. Not cool.

[@tressssah]

yay, shout out to a deceased man probably going through some manic episode, killing animals during his alleged psychosis…so much to admire. 🥴

[@coryfice1881]

It's a good thing there were cabins for him to break into when he got hungry.

[@wpbarchitect1800]

Fascinating that the bus was finally removed, had no idea. FYI the feature film of 'Into The Wild' was the furthest thing from a blockbuster, a most unfortunate but in retrospect inevitable outcome that, having worked on it, I know all too well. Frankly was a nightmarish project on every level, from getting a shootable script, casting the lead (Emile did a fine job with a very tricky role in the end IMO) locations etc. In the end a perfect example of excellent source material that in feature film terms is virtually un-filmable. In this case essentially a first person monologue about solitude...a good read, yes, a compelling movie? Perhaps not. But Sean had a passion for it that somehow got it over the line. Which, as difficult as making feature films is, is ALWAYS a sort of miracle in and of itself (pre-steaming era that is...easier now as evidenced by the heaping piles of trash original scripted content currently fouling a 'premium streaming' platform near you!) I'd be very curious to hear the opinion of fans of the book re: the movie version...

[@karenmonks3794]

This Is Just My Favorite Channel ❤ It's My Favorite Place To Go In This Crazy World 🌎 Spend Some Time With Thom And Simba Round The Fire. Listening To Incredible Truth In Real Life Stories... Love Love Love It!!!❤🌎✌🏻🙏🏻🕊🏔♥️

[@EverestMystery]

Your words are music to my ears. I am endeavoring to make each new video better than the last one, maybe not as good as the next one. I appreciate your kindness and want to thank you for your incredible support of the channel : )

[@TerrySwitzer-r1r]

This story fascinates me . What an amazing dicumentry

[@Ianprodu]

You’ve got a new fan, been binging all your videos. I always respect your perspective and always advocating for safety!

[@EverestMystery]

Great having you here, thank you!

[@LAWandCoach]

Sad the bus had to be removed. I was a bit like McCandless after I read Waldon Pond. I just wanted to live in the wilderness not necessarily Alaska. Live Simply and Smile Daily.

[@wochee]

Thanks. You always bring good and interesting - not just wide-eyed - perspectives on these stories. Well done on this one.

[@peek-a-moose2491]

Robert Service wrote the law of the wild so clearly in his famous poem, The Law of the Yukon. I lived in Alaska for four years based in Fairbanks and spent much time in the bush. There is no admiration for McCandless and his failures. Just pity. Nature doesn't care. Even the strong die in the Alaskan wilds. May he rest in peace. Here is the poem: The Law of the Yukon by Robert Service This is the law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain: "Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and your sane - Strong for the red rage of battle; sane for I harry them sore; Send me men girt for the combat, men who are grit to the core; Swift as the panther in triumph, fierce as the bear in defeat, Sired of a bulldog parent, steeled in the furnace heat. Send me the best of your breeding, lend me your chosen ones; Them will I take to my bosom, them will I call my sons; Them will I gild with my treasure, them will I glut with my meat; But the others - the misfits, the failures - I trample under my feet. Dissolute, damned and despairful, crippled and palsied and slain, Ye would send me the spawn of your gutters - Go! take back your spawn again. "Wild and wide are my borders, stern as death is my sway; From my ruthless throne I have ruled alone for a million years and a day; Hugging my mighty treasure, waiting for man to come, Till he swept like a turbid torrent, and after him swept - the scum. The pallid pimp of the dead-line, the enervate of the pen, One by one I weeded them out, for all that I sought was - Men. One by one I dismayed them, frighting them sore with my glooms; One by one I betrayed them unto my manifold dooms. Drowned them like rats in my rivers, starved them like curs on my plains, Rotted the flesh that was left them, poisoned the blood in their veins; Burst with my winter upon them, searing forever their sight, Lashed them with fungus-white faces, whimpering wild in the night; Staggering blind through the storm-whirl, stumbling mad through the snow, Frozen stiff in the ice-pack, brittle and bent like a bow; Featureless, formless, forsaken, scented by wolves in their flight, Left for the wind to make music through ribs that are glittering white; Gnawing the black crust of failure, searching the pit of despair, Crooking the toe in the trigger, trying to patter a prayer; Going outside with an escort, raving with lips all afoam, Writing a cheque for a million, driveling feebly of home; Lost like a louse in the burning. . .or else in the tented town Seeking a drunkard's solace, sinking and sinking down; Steeped in the slime at the bottom, dead to a decent world, Lost 'mid the human flotsam, far on the frontier hurled; In the camp at the bend of the river, with its dozen saloons aglare, Its gambling dens ariot, its gramophones all ablare; Crimped with the crimes of a city, sin-ridden and bridled with lies, In the hush of my mountained vastness, in the flush of my midnight skies. Plague-spots, yet tools of my purpose, so natheless I suffer them thrive, Crushing my Weak in their clutches, that only my Strong may survive. "But the others, the men of my mettle, the men who would 'stablish my fame Unto its ultimate issue, winning me honor, not shame; Searching my uttermost valleys, fighting each step as they go, Shooting the wrath of my rapids, scaling my ramparts of snow; Ripping the guts of my mountains, looting the beds of my creeks, Them will I take to my bosom, and speak as a mother speaks. I am the land that listens, I am the land that broods; Steeped in eternal beauty, crystalline waters and woods. Long have I waited lonely, shunned as a thing accurst, Monstrous, moody, pathetic, the last of the lands and the first; Visioning camp-fires at twilight, sad with a longing forlorn, Feeling my womb o'er-pregnant with the seed of cities unborn. Wild and wide are my borders, stern as death is my sway, And I wait for the men who will win me - and I will not be won in a day; And I will not be won by weaklings, subtle, suave and mild, But by men with the hearts of Vikings, and the simple faith of a child; Desperate, strong and resistless, unthrottled by fear or defeat, Them will I gild with my treasure, them will I glut with my meat. "Lofty I stand from each sister land, patient and wearily wise, With the weight of a world of sadness in my quiet, passionless eyes; Dreaming alone of a people, dreaming alone of a day, When men shall not rape my riches, and curse me and go away; Making a bawd of my bounty, fouling the hand that gave - Till I rise in my wrath and I sweep on their path and I stamp them into a grave. Dreaming of men who will bless me, of women esteeming me good, Of children born in my borders of radiant motherhood, Of cities leaping to stature, of fame like a flag unfurled, As I pour the tide of my riches in the eager lap of the world." This is the Law of the Yukon, that only the Strong shall thrive; That surely the Weak shall perish, and only the Fit survive. Dissolute, damned and despairful, crippled and palsied and slain, This is the Will of the Yukon, - Lo, how she makes it plain!

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share the poem by the bard of the Yukon....and for relating your own experience in Alaska. I love your user name....we have a mountain nearby called Moosilauke....the music on your channel is awesome!

[@peek-a-moose2491]

@@EverestMystery Thanks for responding. I've been away for a few weeks and not on the internet very much -- which is a good thing!!! PS - I have more music channels but they seem to be private. Will make them public. It's late here in Nairobi (and raining in the cold dry season -- go figure!)

[@peek-a-moose2491]

@@EverestMystery And thank you so much for pinning this post. Love the poem. Peekamoose is a mountain in the Catskills that I used to hike up to on my way to a mountain without a trail. I would camp there in my youth as few people went up there and just enjoy the magic and quietude. (It's also a name of a town in the Cats I believe.)

[@LuniaVojty]

I think u exactly touch upon the story showing an example who dared to search for the essence of life. This was so brave of him and made me think of Szilard Suhajda or other climbers who shouldnot have been stopped by family or friends..all of them needed to find their own path however it ended..

[@krisushi1]

Chris wasn't out there looking for anything. The answers to his questions lay with his parents at home. He was to young and immature to sit down and speak to them about his childhood and the decisions his parents had made. Instead, he chose to just run away instead. He never believed in anything spiritual, nor was he searching for anything to add to his life. He already thought that he knew all of the answers. He was constantly preaching to those who were much older than he, what they should be doing with their lives and literally caused the death of an elderly man who had wanted to adopt Chris, based on his lies, and sold everything he owned and set up camp in the desert, just waiting for him to return. This man suffered several heart attacks and finally died. Chris never gave a thought to those he preached to about leaving their lives and finding peace only in nature. It's not his business to be telling others what they should be doing when he was quite screwed up himself. Admire him all you like, yet to myself, he was nothing than a rather disturbed young man who thought he knew everything there was to know and refused to listen to anyone who gave him advice. It was only Chris who was responsible for his death due to being so ill-preprared and arrogant.💖

[@Thankyou423.3]

Awesome video per usual 💪🏻

[@winkieblink7625]

Chris knew what he was doing in Alaska which is why the end is so sad. Excellently written by Krakauer.

[@philc.5100]

Great book and awesome movie 💯 Sadly there was a bridge just a couple of miles away but he was obviously unaware of it 😢

[@JohnDavidHays]

Nice presentation, Thom. Very interesting. Given his sad ending I agree with his sister. The hubris of youth . . .

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks as always for great comments and for supporting the channel

[@davidwalker3626]

I absolutely loved "Into the Wild," as well as his Eiger book, "Into Thin Air", and "Under the Banner of Heaven." As I've gotten older, although I still admire lots about Chris McCandless, I've found more about his beliefs and actions naive than wise. Still, young people need to be brave, and I think his bravery outweighed his stupidity. However, statements like, "Money is the root of all evil," scream naivety, and are nearly as childish and ill-informed as statements like, "Capitalism is evil."

[@elizabetht458]

I love your spirit 😊

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much, I enjoy doing this and it's individuals like you that gather here and make this a rewarding place to be.... Thanks for being a part of this community :)

[@JosephJohn-fb9wx]

Yeah. Sorry. I was trying to make a general comment not necessarily replying to you directly. I am legally blind so I have some difficulty with these interfaces sometimes. I don't usually comment but I agree with you. It seems to me romanticizing this unfortunate guy will only lead others into a dangerous situation that they may not be able to handle.

[@EverestMystery]

It's great having you here...thanks for watching and for taking the time to share your thoughts!

[@shirleypurdy8098]

Hey Thom, looks like you’re on Everest again! Planning on summiting? Are you photographing again. Be safe! on Everest again?

[@EverestMystery]

Hello and thank you. I'm not on Everest this year....endeavoring to do some work in the Khumbu in March 2025, but we shall see! Thanks for watching this video, great having you here!

[@denim_ak]

The “undisclosed location” the bus went after getting flown out was the Cantwell AK DOT station. I worked there and we were swarm to secrecy as it stayed the night on a flat bed trailer before getting driven to Fairbanks. Got pictures with it. Also about 21 minutes in you said “in to thin air” instead of into the wild. An easy mistake considering how much we talk about that book on this channel.

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you, so cool that you saw the bus when it was first removed! I hadn’t caught the ‘into thin air’ til it was too late. I’m surprised I didn’t do it a couple times :) Thanks so much for watching

[@THUF007]

How in the heck did the miners even get that bus back there! A story within many stories….

[@wolfpecker5710]

I’m curious about that too 😂

[@EverestMystery]

Essentially, there was an access road back there called the Stampede Trail (I believe) and they dragged four of these buses to that area in 1961. They were used as camps for miners working nearby. One of the buses had a stove, others were bunkhouses. The buses were dragged in there behind bulldozers. When work was completed, they dragged the buses out....but Bus 142 reportedly had a broken axel so they left it there. Then it became a place that moose hunters would use each year... The rest is history. Thanks so much for watching!

[@THUF007]

@@EverestMystery Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for sharing, love your channel. 👍🏻

[@kiyonahthundersong828]

This is the BEST video about this thing out there.

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it!

[@maxcoldest7196]

GREAT PRESENTATION, Sir!! Read the book as soon as it came out! Btw...was living in Camp 4 in '77 when Krakauer was there!

[@maxcoldest7196]

Again, BEST presentation EVER, on this subject! U asked....I was a Dirtbag In Yosemite, after Climbing Devils Tower (a real eye opening, life changing event) and Rainier by challenging route. (All in summer '77) I dropped my climb partner off to begin @ UC San Diego, worked back on the E coast & returned to Yosemite w/ a new partner. Eventually got a job w/ Curry Co. so I could climb. That Dec. while the SAR guys were having their Christmas party, I spent the evening talking to a very distraught guy 1200' up a route on Glacier Pt.(read...yelling...as I had heard a very faint help, help, help while walking home from work to my cabin) To communicate, I had to scramble up @ 500' elev. through talus as big as VW's. Ran back down, summoned a Ranger (they refused to believe me)...1 shows up w/a radio....grabbed my headlamp (homemade) and threw on my Fabiano 772's and led him up to the closest point below the stranded climber. After me questioning the poor soul (in the Rangers hearing distance) I was finally believed. (My first convo w/ the climber had revealed : when asked where is your partner?; " on the ground! He radioed in that we had a viable incident, looked at me and said: " now let's go find the body. I went high, close to the wall; he went low @ 20 yrs down. I found him within 10' of the base: It wasn't pretty. Suffice it to say, his EB's were past his calfs. It took 7 of us to get him in the Stokes. I led down...we rope belayed the litter several places...Anyhow I worked the nxt morn and was not in on the rescue (successful). On a visit back home, a couple months later; was having a convo w/ my dad, ruminating @ my insecurities in life. He humbly ( for a ret LTC w/2 combat tours in Nam) led me to Christ as my Saviour! I was 19...TOTAL TRANSFORMATION! As a believer...I felt in my heart that I had been " pushing the envelope " a bit to far, thus never returning to Yosemite and the lifestyle. Received my 1st check (for $36) from the Fed Gov about 2 months later. Went on to serve 4 very productive yrs in the US Army, worked as a specialty mechanic for 3 yrs, founded and operated my own business for 36 yrs! Avid outdoorsman , accomplished father of 5. Retired 375' from the Atlantic Ocean ...NO REGRETS

[@EverestMystery]

This is beautiful, thank you so much. You need to write a book if only for the five children you raised. Amazing story. Check my home page for a Yosemite climber sentenced to life in prison in June for unspeakable acts. I appreciate your kindness and very happy to have you here.

[@bloozedaddy]

Never underestimate Darwin.

[@dragon4386]

great film, thank you!

[@ghtaboma]

People are lined up on both sides of his story. For, and against, but he did his own thing in his own time. Long live the “Supertramp”.

[@coachtim6188]

That article you posted from CNN "Rescues can be really taxing on us", I paused to read. The last sentence says "I dont know why they made such a big deal about that whole story. It's just never made any sense to me." Some people just don't get it. For some reason something in their life has shut down that desire to find meaning in things or in life in general. It's almost as if their desire for any kind of spiritual awakening or growth is just not there. They often live a very shallow existence and don't get to experience things like we yearn to experience. But it's the only life they know. Just an observation. :)

[@krisushi1]

The problem with Chris McCandless was that he supposedly turned to the solitude of nature because he couldn't forgive his parents. Never, did he sit down with his parents to discuss with them his concerns, yet like an immature little boy, he ran away instead. He continued to lie to those he met about his family and they had no reason to doubt him. Running away wasn't going to solve anything, so why not simply move away? He was so young, immature, arrogant and thought he knew all the answers. He made mistakes from the very start of his journey to the very end, which was his death. I truly believe that he did need physcological help, not the wilderness. Just look at how reckless his behaviours were. He felt that all the answers he had in life came from books, most especially those based on the early frontier days and searching for gold in the Yukon. He never had any other beliefs. He seemed a lost little boy, that's all.💖

[@wolfpecker5710]

Nature and self discovery are great, but the thing about that is… you can’t run away from yourself. Isolation is one of the worst things for someone with mental health issues. Chris would have been better off spending some of that $24,000 working on his mental health and then doing LOT’s of wilderness survival training before going into the backcountry alone.

[@Tina06019]

@@wolfpecker5710He gave the $24,000 to Oxfam, which is a genuinely fantastic charity, so at least the money did some good.

[@EverestMystery]

Tim, that article is super interesting.....thanks for sharing that you read it and for taking the time to comment here

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

Ad from Everest, now that is something!

[@EverestMystery]

We had a huge budget lol :)

[@LAWandCoach]

Please don't go to Everest anymore. You were starting to lose your mind and talking to a cat!

[@coachtim6188]

I've lost my mind before and thought I was talking to Fred Flintstone, but I wasn't at Everest.

[@MyKingdomForAK9]

☺️ . . . that was a clever LOL moment he created, at 10:14 . . .👍👍 ❤ the surprise kitty 😅

[@wolfpecker5710]

🤣🤣🤣

[@lupinedew]

Maybe the same as going up Everest w/o oxygen

[@winkieblink7625]

Into the Wild was the second book Krakauer wrote maybe three decades before the bus was lifted out. It always sounded like McCandless might have had a mental disorder AFTER he began his journey (continued lack of food can give hallucinations) and continued to be alone w/ his unstable and maybe delusional thoughts during travel. SuperTramp made his mark on the earth that’s for sure.

[@Handlebar-MustDash]

His biggest mistake was not taking a map. He would have seen the cable crossing over the Teklanika not far away. He decided to try to 100% rely on his instincts and go fully wild in abandoning the map and this was the inevitable risk which found him out. If he wanted to go full caveman, then he failed in another way by taking refuge in a 20th century bus. His belief in his own resilience and self reliance was misplaced. Fail to prepare - Prepare to fail and this bit him hard.

[@sdsures]

His other biggest mistake was not having his smoke house (ie preserving the moose/caribou meat by smoking it) up and running well before he killed the moose. Trying to set it up once the moose was dead, was much too late, resulting in the meat spoiling. He also didn't take enough salt with him - the other method available in that situation for preserving meat.

[@Handlebar-MustDash]

@@sdsures Great observation. It was such a waste to have brought down the moose and maybe eat from it for 4 maybe 5 days before the rot set in properly. I would have thought that there would have been maybe an old 45 gallon steel drum near the bus somewhere he could have possibly fashioned a smoker out of had he armed himself with such knowledge. I guess he was perhaps a little too young, a little naive and maybe both. For a long time as an adult I have held onto a dream of spending 6 months in the Alaskan wilderness, I would guess that many of us do to test ourselves but you have to make it a fair fight, I would never have considered taking the plunge with so little preparation. Just a book on the flora and fauna of the area and a hunting rifle was scant defence against nature when it bites back so hard oftentimes. Only the kindness of a stranger allowed him to have adequate footwear as the guy gifted them to Chris when dropping him off. No map, no compass, no thermal wear, no means of meat preservation, water purification, no signalling equipment, be surprised if he even had an axe. Just imagine embarking on an Alaskan Wilderness Adventure with just a book, a rifle, a K-Bar knife, a pair of sneakers, 2 PayDay Bars and a beard, sheer madness.

[@redlaw8760]

Well, the starving to death puts a damper on the whole adventure

[@DebGilliland]

Thank you! Always beneficial to hear new perspectives…. It helps me to realize that we all have differing opinions…. And that this is a good thing!!!! This was enlightening, enriching, and I appreciate your analysis.

[@markwaters7760]

Alaska is very rugged, very wild. Never go out in this raw outdoor paradise without a local guide!

[@krisushi1]

Chris McCandless wasn't out in the wild like he delusionally thought he was. There were a number of cabins around him and where he was is a type of park that was far from being anywhere rugged. If he had a map, he'd know this. I totally agree with you, if going out into the true Alaskan wilderness, never do it alone, yet with a well trained guide. Chris was looking for answers that were only to be obtained from his parents. Running away was simply a cop out. Alaskans are so tired of the unprepared coming into the State without a clue how to look after themselves. Chris was reckless and paid the price. You're advice should be well heeded.💖

[@kimwiser445]

Is the sitting room the living room or the den?

[@allanfrederick8705]

Truly fabulous youtube video. Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild" was the first I read by him. I had a huge interest, as I had the same drive to at times escape the drama of day to day life. I lived in Newfoundland Canada at the time and would go out every year in July a few weeks into the wilds on NFLD. I would hike back into a remote section of a salmon river call Branch River and fly fish every day from sun up to sun down. This was minimalist camping, I would take bare essentials and basically survive on the land while I was there. It was not easy, and at times I came back multiple kilograms lost, hungry and exhausted. Not to talk about the dangers of navigating the river crossings as you move upstream (or down) to get to more productive pools (a few very close calls with injury). I can't imagine trying to survive for long term without planning. There are times in the year when nature simply does not provide. July is one, too early for foraging for many of the berries and to collects roots and greens depends on you having a firm understand of what you are harvesting. I had the limitation of not being able to hunt game because of the laws against harvesting game out of season and without a license. I think Chris was naïve and unprepared for the challenge he set for himself. The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is that the river eliminated a solid back out plan at certain times of the year. Unfortunately, he ate the wrong seeds and got sick when he could not cross the river. That said, he chased his dreams and died pursuing them. I have always said, that when I get old and the end is near, I would love to go on that trip to the Branch, and die on the side of the river with a fly rod in my hand and a salmon widely fighting on the end of the line. Chris, maybe with better planning, you did not have to die, but I salute you.

[@EverestMystery]

Allan, fantastic comment. Thanks so much for sharing your own story of survival in Newfoundland. I am sure you saw many moose on that adventure. I've been to remote sections of Newfoundland and encountered massive moose....knowing that many lives are lost in automobile-moose collisions on the island every year. Your insight on the story of Chris McCandless is spot on. I probably would have added more information but at 25 minutes it was already a bit long. I was hoping that comments such as yours would add to the overall experience. Thanks for everything

[@charliecurfman8859]

That was a really interesting video. Take some serious dedication to do what he did.

[@brice-cc2xc]

The story makes me very sad. I think he was very misinformed and ignorant into the land that he was going into. I think it’s very wrong to celebrate an individual that does not research what he is going into. That being said I feel very sad for his family.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch. I'm glad you stopped to share your thoughts.

[@enterchannelname4542]

I think some of them just wanted a cool picture for their Instagram.

[@EverestMystery]

Yes, very possibly....many of them got it! I added a bunch of such photos in the video itself. Thanks so much for watching!

[@seanyancy1809]

Watching videos and reading a few books does not make one a expert on anything including living off the land. Hard lesson to learn the hard way.

[@EverestMystery]

So true! Another commenter wrote how much value a $2 map would have brought to his endeavor. Thanks for your support, as always

[@TheNewRevolution]

I grew up on a small farm, doing many outdoor activities. A lot of people romanticize the kind of life McCandless was living but honestly it's very difficult. I personally think he was mentally ill. What makes life worth living is my connections with other people. You can't get those connections from nature alone. You can be incredibly close to nature but your connections with other people will always be different. If you are unable to make those connections with other people, there's likely something wrong with you mentally. You should seek professional help.

[@melanialanania]

I loved your take on this story. I just read Into the Wild a few months ago and I thought Krakauer did a great job with his narrative. (Which leads me to a future video idea: a narrative about The Devil’s Thumb. I’d never heard of it before I read Into the Wild.)

[@EverestMystery]

Funny you should say Devil’s Thumb ;) So glad you enjoyed the video

[@Juhani139]

It was his choice. He died happy. But... anyone who reads that book and thinks "wow brilliant, let's go", is an idiot. Not learning from his mistakes. How would McCandless feel I wonder about his grave having caused deaths? Being an idealist, I suspect he would be horrified. Krakauer romanticized the story, but the ultimate responsibility to think critically lies with the reader. Thank goodness the bus is gone. Young men (and women) will die making stupid mistakes, but at least it won't be laid at McCandlesses feet anymore. I hope.

[@judithcenturelli6023]

Read the book soon after it came out and was engrossed and fascinated through the whole reading. There are people who are driven to extreme adventures maybe in search of true meaning for themselves or testing their abilities and perseverance. I'm not one of them. I do my searching inwardly and often. I'm ok with people making these choices for themselves but that choice should not come with the expectation that others will have to endanger themselves to rescue them if things go bad.

[@Hootncozy]

Very poignant episode. Thank you for sharing. Your perspective is refreshing and very insightful.

[@EverestMystery]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks very much for taking the time to watch!

[@fergalohearga9594]

I was really conflicted when I read this book years ago and later saw the film ... I fully understand and relate to his motives and message behind how he chose to live the last few years of his life, but was very saddened by his fatal overestimation of his capabilities in a landscape that was brutally uncompromising. I suspect that a Chris McCandless who would have walked out of that wilderness and back into the world of the living would have been a force of much good over the remainder of his life.

[@wolfpecker5710]

Chris would have had all the same problems he did when he entered the Alaskan backcountry. The only thing Chris would have learned is that you can’t run away from yourself 🤷‍♂️. He got extremely lucky to come across the bus, he wouldn’t have lasted that 100 days had he not found it. It is also suspected by the people who have cabins in the area, that Chris broke into and rummaged through several people’s cabins, stealing food and supplies. I love nature and support self discovery…but there is a fine line between self discovery and escapism(running away), which is really just its own form of self medication. Long periods of prolonged isolation is one of the worst things someone with mental health issues can do.

[@EverestMystery]

Truly appreciate your insight and thoughts on this. Thanks for being a huge part of this channel

[@LAWandCoach]

More research was all it would have taken for Chris to succeed. I got my hands on the book when it first came out. I was with him all the way.

[@bloozedaddy]

With him all the way? To what end? What was accomplished?

[@RobertBrown-bc8zy]

I’ve had this desire of being a mountain man my whole life. I think anyone who loves the outdoors wishes they could do it forever or go back to a time when there were parts of the map left blank.

[@robertross8565]

I loved the movie. Compelling story about a young man in search for himself. Too bad others died trying to duplicate his adventure.

[@wolfpecker5710]

Too bad you can’t run away from yourself 🤷‍♂️

[@pocahontasYbonnie]

10:15 CUTE cat

[@EverestMystery]

That’s Simba! He’s in the background on the chair throughout the video…our little buddy Thank you for watching!

[@humbertsmith8864]

Awesome as usual Thom! I loved both book and film, although Krakauer's "creative" journalism regarding his Everest experience has me asking further questions. I cannot help but see the similarities between the bus and the Everest summit, how they both have become something questionable. On a lighter note, I heard that Bus 142 is active in a school district in the Guatemalan highlands!

[@DSToNe19and83]

Locals hate that bus and movie

[@EverestMystery]

It's discussed within....thank you for watching!

[@calij586]

Loved this video!! I have to say I agree with you 100%. This man can teach us all to live. He attempted a common dream of us all and unfortunately found death. But better to have lived his dream, than to have lived his fears. RiP Dear One.n

[@jldisme]

i don't have a problem with the insights that Chris McCandless was trying to discover. I do have a serious problem with someone who is completely unprepared going out into the wilderness. His romantic ideas about living off the land were insane, without taking the time to learn the skills he needed to survive on his own. Because of that, he has made other people think that going off into the wilderness without enough preparation will be transforming rather than bringing your death.

[@janeceeastwood8035]

I read the book, too, but I never once have wanted to go looking for, “The Magic Bus”.

[@awesome_comment]

He was probably mentally ill, he was unprepared and inexperienced. Not really very good attributes to do what he did. Quite foolish really.

[@czarcastic1458]

The guy poisoned himself by eating the wrong berries.

[@mvashton]

That's how the film portrays the story.

[@czarcastic1458]

@@mvashton It's what the autopsy found. He was starving to death for sure which is why he ate the berries.

[@SuperSlappy25]

You have to incorporate the cats into the videos. especially a cat that can climb Everest. Maybe the first cat to summit???

[@EverestMystery]

Simba most definitely should be a regular in each video, kind of the way Alfred Hitchcock would have a cameo in every one of his movies lol - Thanks for watching!

[@drlangattx3dotnet]

I am curious. Were the drowned people wearing PFD's? Thank you for videos.

[@EverestMystery]

I don’t believe they imagined they’d ever need them unfortunately

[@cmclovesnkotb]

Sorry, but he was dumb. Unprepared. THREW AWAY HIS MAP!?! Come on!

[@EmiliaJay]

I professionally and respectfully disagree that worry is a negative emotion, and the suggestion that it’s unfair to the other person smacks of self-centeredness. If we deserve the right to pursue our passions, our loved ones deserve the right to show concern and to worry. We don’t get to throw that yoke off just because it doesn’t fit the often selfish motivations we have.

[@KalleKotelett]

Ok

[@jasonbast4019]

Admirable, but he starved to death….

[@bloozedaddy]

Admirable in what way? Most of us can live off the grid within 100 miles of where we were born.

[@jasonbast4019]

I agree with you man. The whole thing is a shame.

[@lescook9021]

Emotionally disturbed people following emotionally disturbed people. How many people have Jon Krakauer's actions and books negatively affected?

[@EverestMystery]

0

[@lescook9021]

@@EverestMystery Wishful thinking

[@Seaofdesign]

I never knew how the bus actually got where it was, even though I've heard of it before. That was especially interesting to learn about.

[@p_nk7279]

I seek great knowledge, escape, wisdom, peace. I shall find it in a bus.

[@EverestMystery]

Like a monk in a cave

[@karenmonks3794]

LMAO 😂😂😂 , Simba 10:15.. ❤🏔🌬💨

[@EverestMystery]

Simba is the man!

[@martinsvendsen1665]

No need to leave the bus inntakt.. :) The story is more than enough.. Dude have a lagacy

[@butterfliesarefreetofly6964]

How did the bus get out there in the first place???

[@EverestMystery]

It's covered in the video, enjoy!

[@karenmonks3794]

Should Have Left It There 😢 Ridiculous Interference With History That Is Important To So Many People. Also A Shelter!!! Just Ridiculous!! Just Because You Hold Different Opinions. It Happened In History...Can't Change That. Safety??? These People Are Happier. "If You Can't Find Something Good To Live For, Find Something Good To Die For". RIP Chris 😢♥️🌎✌🏻🙏🏻🕊

[@EverestMystery]

It's very interesting about the bus. I tend to agree that it was literally causing people to lose their lives in trying to find it. Gut tells me that they'd rather remove it then do a search for a body down river. Still though, I get your point

[@DSToNe19and83]

I’m still blown away how anyone would sleep on that mattress that was in there… “no, no…. No…. Nope… no” Talk about a rodent hive and god only knows what else!

[@georgemartin1498]

Very good EM. While I believe McCandless was naive in the extreme and this led to his death I have to temper any criticism I might make of him. I think you and I are about the same age and by nature inclined to certain activities . Maybe we’ve been lucky to survive similar years of naïveté and/or we just made better decisions 😉

[@Sk805Dad]

This is the itch that people pay 1/4 of million dollars to die on a mountain

[@EverestMystery]

Hi Summer, this is a video about Chris McCandless in Alaska. Thanks for watching.

[@coryfice1881]

Who'd of thought. The true meaning of living off the land was dying cause you ate a mushroom that literally paralyzed you. I don't really understand why people romanticize him. He died a horribly lonely pathetic death in the wilds.

[@kamakaziozzie3038]

The magic bus can’t be the only one. There must be other inspirational totems to find and explore!

[@krisushi1]

The bus was like a security blanket to Chris. It gave him a home, warmth and protection. You're right, there is much more to explore and find, yet Chris delusionally thought he was actually in the wilderness when he wasn't, which would be why he stayed. Even when he finally decided to leave, he reached the flooded river, he didn't search around for an easier way to cross, yet went straight back to his security blanket. How he thought this would help, is beyond me. If only he had searched the river bank, he may have found the trolley car that was on his side of the river and would have got him safely to the other side. He wasn't searching for anything, as the answers to his questions lay with his parents, not Alaska. He was arrogant and unprepared, not one that I'd ever hold up as a hero nor someone to follow. All his story did for me, was to make me seething mad! 💖

[@4034miguel]

He just must have prepared. With our modern way of live, we are not just immediately ready to live in the wilderness. Study and preparation would have help him to survive. There are actually people that currently live and know to survive in those conditions without issue. It was too much idealism and to little training, knowledge and preparation. He was not self-reliant. To do so, he needed to learn about it. This was not the ultimate freedom. You need always to learn how to be autonomous in the environment you chose to live in. That is true freedom. This is not an inspirational story. It is a cautionary tale and it be presented as such

[@DSToNe19and83]

Hopefully you’re there at Everest to pick up trash!

[@EverestMystery]

Bus 142 was in Healy, Alaska

[@eah8101]

If at all feasible, they ought to erect some sort of bridge over the river so people can cross safely -- it's sad that some have died trying to ford it, but then common sense is always called for: when you see a raging river that looks rather dangerous to cross, unless you're a strong, expert outdoorsman who knows what he's doing, it's probably a good idea not to try to cross

[@2434-k3l]

Always the privileged searching for the “meaning of life” by voluntarily risking it. Hm.

[@lupinedew]

Do you have children?

[@THX5000]

Many of us can understand the desire to not want to participate in the Rat Race, but very few people actually can do it.

[@drzecelectric4302]

I’ll never understand how you can starve. There’s a river and you can eat bugs everywhere if you can’t hunt. I don’t know. I guess what I would do in that situation would be the same

[@drzecelectric4302]

Setup traps, etc… what else are you doing? Lol

[@drzecelectric4302]

That said, it’s a great book

[@cecileroy557]

You GREATLY over estimate the ability to survive on "bugs" etc. Wilderness areas will take-you-out very quickly if you aren't prepared. It will also take-you-out if you ARE prepared.

[@retriever19golden55]

​@cecileroy557 The commenter you replied to apparently thinks fish are going to jump out of the river to be eaten, fruit fall off the trees all year round, and that's it's possible to find and eat enough bugs day after day to sustain an adult human. It's probably the most delusional comment I've ever seen on this channel. Animals starve to death in the wilderness, too, and they know what to eat. Our tribal ancestors constantly were concerned about starving to death. Nature won't take care of you.

[@karenmonks3794]

Some People Just Don't Want To Die Alone In Bed..😢 "If You Can't Find Something Good To Live For, Then Find Something Good To Die For"🌎✌🏻🙏🏻🕊♥️🏔

[@EverestMystery]

Good one!