BUDDY
User of Aspercreme
I was out of town the week of July 17th through the 21st. I decided after reading the book, Into the Wild, that I would hike down the stampede trail up here in Alaska and visit the bus that Chris Mccandlis called home for over 100 days and were he was eventually found dead. It took be about a day and a half to get there since I wasn't in a big hurry, and I stayed for a couple of days before leaving. I got there just after Sean Penn's film crew left after filming for a movie based on the book.
What a trip! I saw all kinds of wildlife and was very lucky with the weather. It is pretty scary being out in the wold like that all alone. A lot of people advised against it, but I took all the necessary precautions, packing enough provisions for three weeks, all the tools needed to find my way, and a sattelite phone to be used in case things got really bad. I wanted to avoid taking any wild game, even though the opportunities were endless. A sprune hen even called the place where I was staying home, but I decided that I had plenty of food and after all, she was there first. On the last night I decided to stay inside the bus itself. It was pretty spooky. I could look just over my shoulder and see Chris's last writing on the wall, made just before he died. I wondered before I went what would make a young man want to walk out into the wild, with hardly any supplies, and take such a risk with his life. After that night I decided that some people just need to get away from all the trappings of conventional life, and find inner peace among nature. I didn't sleep at all that night, but in the morning I felt more awake and alive than I have in years. I know that sound moledramatic, but there is an incredible sense of wellbeing that comes over you when you put yourself among the elements for a week, away from everything and everyone. It was a great experience and one that I wish everyone could have.
What a trip! I saw all kinds of wildlife and was very lucky with the weather. It is pretty scary being out in the wold like that all alone. A lot of people advised against it, but I took all the necessary precautions, packing enough provisions for three weeks, all the tools needed to find my way, and a sattelite phone to be used in case things got really bad. I wanted to avoid taking any wild game, even though the opportunities were endless. A sprune hen even called the place where I was staying home, but I decided that I had plenty of food and after all, she was there first. On the last night I decided to stay inside the bus itself. It was pretty spooky. I could look just over my shoulder and see Chris's last writing on the wall, made just before he died. I wondered before I went what would make a young man want to walk out into the wild, with hardly any supplies, and take such a risk with his life. After that night I decided that some people just need to get away from all the trappings of conventional life, and find inner peace among nature. I didn't sleep at all that night, but in the morning I felt more awake and alive than I have in years. I know that sound moledramatic, but there is an incredible sense of wellbeing that comes over you when you put yourself among the elements for a week, away from everything and everyone. It was a great experience and one that I wish everyone could have.
