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The Journey Begins
Chris McCandless begins his wonderous, yet short, adventure of self discovery, and unique individuals. He is having a grand ol' time!
He is in search of a greater meaning possibly, and a new identity that works better for him. To live nomadically and be full of experiences. -
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ChrisMcCandless Journey
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He graduates from college
Self explanatory -
Dallas/Houston, Texas (first location visited)
Dallas/Houston, Texas is the first stop for Chris's journey heading out West. While he was resting in his car, he left his window open, so someone saw, and took the opportunity to nab his cash. -
Detrital Wash, AZ (Second Location Visited)
Chris was camped a few feet above the main channel of the river here. His car was found, abandoned, with the following items: a fishing rod, a pile of old clothes, a guitar, 2 lbs bag of rice, some $4.93 in loose change, and some jumper cables. When the flood began, he had enough time to pack the essentials and go. However, his once reliable car decided to not work anymore, forcing him to abandon it; his journal confirms. -
He Leaves Detrital Wash
Chris McCandless gathers what he can from his car and abandons it. He burns all of his remaining cash and buries his rifle to go on into his new life. He hikes up Lake Tahoe for a month after. This event reinforces his resolve for a better, more interesting life for himself. He may not have had the fortitude secured by the backup of thought through action to support it in many other situations of his journey. -
Chris's Parents Visit His Old Place
His parents haven't heard from Chris in a while and they start to worry. So they go check up on him at his place, but what happens instead is that they find he has left, his apartment turns out to be vacant since June. -
Orick, CA
When Chris was strolling down the highway in Orick, California a hippie spotted him and hurried over to offer Chris a ride. The hippie turned out to be part of a couple, where Chris had camped with them for a couple days. These experiences, and interactions he has with unique people only continues to reinforce his resolve towards all of this because generally he's thankful for them. To gain experiences is to live. -
An Officer Makes Contact
An officer gives Chris a hitchhiking ticket. This will be the first instance in his whole journey where he gives out any personal information. The officer asks for a permanent residence from Chris and Chris gives the officer his parents address. The parents get this ticket in the mail and then so adds to the outrageous amount of confusion they hold within their noggins. -
Wayne Westerberg
Chris McCandless meets Wayne Westerberg in Montana as a hitchhiker. Chris's plan was to go to Saco Hot Springs, but due to the rain right before Wayne was going to drop him off, Chris ends up staying for three days with Westerberg and his crew of grain harvesters. -
Datsun discovered by a park ranger
The car he abandoned was discovered sometime in October of 1990. -
Needles, CA
He reaches the Colorado River. Walks South through the desert. On the Southward journey he finds a town named Topock, AZ. He buys a small, second-hand canoe there. -
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Canoeing on the Colorado River
Chris apparently travels through Lake Havasu, the Bill Williams River, the Colorado River Indian Reservation, the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving ground, and the Cibola Nation Wildlife Rescue. He also sends a postcard to his dear friend Wayne Westerberg at the Sioux Falls Work release facility where he's been incarcerated. I am sure spending this much time in nature, allowing himself only ever think and focus on survival has given him such a unique way of thinking -
Parents Hire a PI
The hired private investigator discovers that Chris McCandless donated $24,000 to a charity by the name of OXFAM. -
Mexico's Border.
Chris reaches Mexico's border and Morelos Dam. -
Spooky Waterfalls
Chris encounters a supposedly hazardous waterfall on the Colorado River. This event most likely scared the hell out of him and made him more wary of survival. -
Gulf of California Issues
Chris realizes that the route he is going he will not reach the gulf of California so he gets a ride from some Duck Hunters. -
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Camping for a bit
Pulls his canoe on shore, and camps out for a while on the edge of a desolate plateau. -
It's Windyyyyy
Chris seeks refuge from the high winds that appeared out of no where! He discovers a cave on the face of a bluff where he stays for ten days inside of it. -
It's Stormyy
He gets back into his canoe however he encounters a scary storm that almost drowns him violently to death! -
The Wanderer
He leaves his Canoe in El Golfo de Santa Clara and starts wandering northward! -
Them Border Patrol People
Chris gets caught by the Border Patrol while trying to slip his way back into America. He spends one night in jail. -
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Travels to Houston, then to Pacific Coast
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Job
Applies for an ID to get a job in Los Angeles, then changes his mind and goes back on the road. -
Grand Canyon
He camps at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and meets this young German Couple. He notes in his journal that he's lost over 25 lbs. -
Unearths Stuff
Returns to his burial place where he left the Datsun and digs up a few of his old belongings. Kind of symbolic because even this far into the journey, he is not who he was when he buried these things. -
Backpack Funeral
He buries his backpack and hitchhikes into Las Vegas -
Leaves Las Vegas, Nevada
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McDonalds
Arrives in Bullhead city, Arizona where he works for a couple of months at a McDonalds and lives in an empty RV that is overseen by an Old Man named Charlie. -
Postcard
Chris sends a postcard to Jan Burres in Niland, California, including a map so she and her boyfriend Bob can visit him in Bullhead City. -
Meets a friend
Chris meets a Ronald Franz while hitchhiking near California's Salton Sea. This meeting turns out to be a very influential experience for Ronald Franz. He was an old veteran who used to have a drinking problem. In the future Franz tries to adopt Chris, he lost his son, and Chris avoids the question. When Chris dies, Franz renounces god for letting him die. -
Franz in San Diego
Chris finds Ronald Franz in San Diego. He also mails a postcard to Jan Burres saying he's been living on the street in San Diego for a week -
More postcards
Sends postcards to Burres and Franz from Seattle -
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Franz the man!
Chris calls Franz from Coachella, California, in the desert that is not too far from Salton Sea to ask Franz for a ride. Chris stays at his house for a night. Then is driven, by Franz, to Grand Junction, Colorado. -
Carthage, South Dakota
Chris meets up with Wayne Westerberg to work in his grain elevator and plays to stay until April 15. He works there for 4 weeks. -
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Gaylord Stuckey
Chris stops at Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia, Canada where he meets Gaylord Stuckey. Stuckey gives him a ride from where he was stuck for a couple of days in the cab of his sun flower seed hauling truck. -
Alaskan Highway
Hitchhikes North and finally makes it to the first highway in Alaska. -
April 18-21
He reads about edible fauna and buys a used gun, also sends some more postcards. Hikes westward from there. -
Jim Gallien
Hitchhikes with a driver named Jim Gallien. He is an electrician. Gallien drives for three hours and drops Chris, aka Alex, off at the Stampede Trail. -
The Magic Bus
Chris finds an old bus beside the Sushana river while writing "magic bus day" in his journal. He decides to enjoy the "crude comforts" of this here bus. A day or so prior he spots Mt. McKinley -
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He eats primarily squirrels, spruce grouse, duck, goose, and porcupine
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Kills an Animal
Shoots a small squirrel and writes in his journal "4rth day famine". -
Mid-May
Chris experiences 4 hour nights, and he forages for berries. He feasts on Lingonberries and rose hips. -
Kills a moose
Chris kills a moose but later regrets it. -
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Moose
Chris tries to preserve the meat gained from the moose, but is unsuccessful. He later discovers maggots in the meat and leaves it outside for the wolves. He is incredibly sad and uneasy about the whole situation that occurred. He says in his journal that this was the worst regret he'll ever have. He believes strongly in using every part of an animal, otherwise what was the point? -
Prepares for leaving
Chris prepares his backpack for a twenty mile hike to leave. -
The river
Chris arrives at the once series of ice covered beaver dams, has now turned into a raging lake. He is unable to get across so he decides to go back to the bus as his kind of home base. -
Returns to the bus
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Emergency
Writes in his journal "EXTREMELY WEAK, FAULT OF POT. SEED. MUCH TROUBLE JUST TO STAND UP. STARVING. GREAT JEOPARDY." -
Day 100
Chris writes in his journal "DAY 100! MADE IT!" and "BUT IN WEAKEST CONDITION OF LIFE. DEATH LOOMS AS SERIOUS THREAT."
Death is near, he is most likely reconsidering his decisions but will hopefully find peace in the great experiences he has gathered. -
BEAR!
Chris sees a bear but doesn't shoot it, for obvious reasons and kills five whole squirrels! -
ptarmigan
Kills and eats a ptarmigan -
SOS note
Chris makes a SOS note and writes in his journal "Beautiful blueberry".
He was probably hallucinating or was delusional by the time of this Journal entry due to exhaustion and starvation. -
Death
He dies of starvation on either the 18th or 19th of August, 1992. He was a good man and may he have found peace in his last moments. He was only human, just like the rest of us. -
His body was found
His body was found by a group of hikers and hunters noticing his SOS note. Later they call for a ranger.