The Miles of McCandless: More Than Just a Number

The Miles of McCandless: More Than Just a Number

Chris McCandless. The name conjures up images of a young man, a modern-day Thoreau, striking out into the wild. His story, brought to life in Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild,” has sparked countless debates and fueled the wanderlust of a generation. But beyond the philosophical musings, there’s a simple question: just how far did this guy actually travel? It’s a question that’s surprisingly tricky to answer, but let’s take a stab at it.

After ditching his Emory University graduation gown in May 1990, McCandless hopped into his beat-up yellow Datsun and headed west. This wasn’t just a road trip; it was the beginning of an epic journey. He crisscrossed the country, hitting states like Virginia, Texas, Arizona, and California. Poor old Datsun wasn’t exactly built for this kind of adventure, though.

And then came the fateful flash flood at Lake Mead. The Datsun, already on its last legs, gave up the ghost. McCandless had to abandon it. Talk about a setback!

But did that stop him? Not a chance. He kept moving, eventually making his way down the Colorado River to Mexico. He even paddled a canoe through some pretty dicey waterfalls. After a stint in El Golfo de Santa Clara, he found Mexico a bit too “intimidating,” as he put it. So, he tried to sneak back into the US, got caught with a firearm, and spent a little time cooling his heels. A bit of a detour, you might say.

Early 1991 saw McCandless hitchhiking back north, through California, Arizona, and South Dakota. He even settled down for a bit, working at a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota, for the rest of the year. Can you imagine him doing that? It’s hard to picture this free spirit stuck in one place.

But the call of the wild was too strong. By April 1992, he was hitchhiking again, this time all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. This was it, the final push.

From Fairbanks, Jim Gallien gave McCandless a lift near Healy, Alaska, dropping him off to begin his trek down the Stampede Trail. He hiked about 28 miles, finally stumbling upon that iconic abandoned Fairbanks Bus 142. That bus became his wilderness home, his refuge, and ultimately, his tomb.

So, let’s get back to the original question: the miles. It’s tough to nail down an exact number. He used so many different ways to get around, and we don’t have every detail of his travels. But we can make a pretty good guess.

Think about it: Virginia to Lake Mead is around 2,300 miles by car. The Colorado River trip? Maybe another 500-800 miles, considering all the twists and turns. And then there’s all that hitchhiking across the Southwest, up to South Dakota, and finally to Alaska. One estimate puts the whole shebang at 10,956 miles. Plus, he walked 28 miles to the bus.

Adding it all up, it’s safe to say Chris McCandless covered somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000 miles. That’s a heck of a journey!

But here’s the thing: focusing solely on the mileage almost misses the point. It wasn’t just about the distance; it was about what he was searching for. It was about freedom, self-discovery, and pushing himself to the limit.

McCandless’s story continues to fascinate. That old bus, “Fairbanks Bus 142,” became a magnet for adventurers. People risked life and limb to reach it. Eventually, the authorities had to remove it for safety reasons. Now, it’s on display at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The bus may be gone from the wilderness, but the story of Chris McCandless, and those thousands of miles he traveled, lives on, sparking conversations about life, adventure, and the irresistible pull of the wild. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What are you searching for?