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Christopher McCandless Born
Chris was born in El Segundo, California. -
Moved to Annandale, Virginia
Chris lived in Annandale for the remainder of his childhood and adolescence. -
Hiking with father
Chris, his father, and his other brothers and sisters went hiking to Longs Peak in Colorado. in the Rocky Mountain Natioinal Park. -
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High School
Chris was very athletic throughout high school. he was a very good runner. As coach of cross country team, he told the other runners to imagine they were running away from all of the evil and darkness in the world. -
Graduation from Emory
Chris happily accepted his diploma. He had graduated with honors. -
Beginning of his Journey
Chris drove in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Ignoring the posted warnings that off-road driving was strictly forbidden, after a flash flood soaked the engine and it would no longer start. Along with his car Chris also left most of his belongings behind. The car was found abandoned in October 1990. -
Working at Crazy Ernie's
Chris hitchhiked with a guy who called himself Crazy Ernie. He worked in his filthy ranch for eleven days with six others. Then he found that he was not getting paid. Chris stole a bicycle and headed for Red Bluff, Weaverville, and Willow Creek. Chris learned that he could not put is trust into just anybody. You have to fend for yourself. -
Chris meets Jan Burres and Bob
Chris meets Jan Burres. She is a lot like him except she has a car.Jan Burres gives him a ride in to Orick, sixty miles south of the Oregon line. He becomes very close to her and her boyfriend, Bob. Chris reminded Jan Burres of her own son, and they hoped to learn from each other . Chris grew very close to Jan in their short time together, and after he left, he sent her postcards as often as possible. They all camped together for a week. Chris learned that he could build relationships. -
Chris arrives at Carthage
Wayne Westerberg picks up the young hitchhiker in South Dakota and invites him to stay at his trailer. He later gives him a job at his grain elevator, where McCandless demonstrated remarkable effort in his work.. Chris learns that hardwork pays off. Wayne ends up becoming Alex's closest friend. -
War and Peace
Wayne Westerberg was arrested on late October for his illegal creation of the "black boxes", which allowed someone to receive free cable. After giving him War and Peace by Tolstoy, This book become Chris's survival guide and taught him how important close contact with others is. -
The Colorado River
Chris hitchiked with a long-haul trucker into Needles, California. He wrote in his journal that he was "overjoyed upon reaching the Colorado River". He began walking south through the desert, eventually reaching Topock, Arizona. There, he bought a used aluminum canoe. -
Chris Reaches Morelos Dam
Chris had arrived at the Mexican border. Though he was worried of getting caught. He successfully entered the country but was blocked by irrigation ditches that got him lost several times. Two guards set him on the right path, and he begins to head to Wellteco Canal. Eventually, he would reach the ocean, but he found a dead end instead. -
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Mexico
After days of zero success, McCandless arrives at a swamp. On December 10, he walks through mud and reeds to find some dry ground to rest . Fortunately, he found some American duck hunters who dropped him in El Golfo de Santa Clara, a fishing village on the Gulf of California. He would continue to make his way to the sea. He reached his destination but soon tired himself from paddling. On December 14, he climbed onto dry land and set up camp for 10 days. -
United States Border
McCandless abandoned his canoe and crossed the U.S. border. Immigragion authorities caught him trying to cross and he was forced to stay in custody overnight. He spent the next six weeks traveling across the Southwest: from Houston to the Pacific coast. Chris learned that he should not have got rid of everything. He still neede money and id. He wasnt so smart now. -
Bye Bye Car
Chris returns to Detrital Wash and discovers that his vehicle is no longer where he left it. He unearths some belongings he'd burried there. Later, he hitchhiked to Las Vegas where he found a job at an Italian restaurant. -
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Unknown where abouts
Not much is known about what happened to McCandless May until Sept. 1991 -
Bullhead City, Az
In early October, he arrived to Bullhead City, Arizona and didn't move for almost two months. He earned money by working at a McDonald's. Chris was actually considering abandoning his tramping life. -
Jan Burres and Bob are back.
Chris stayed with Jan and Bob in a place outside of Niland. They called it the Slabs, and it was an old navy air base. Many vagabonds migrated to this warm sector for the winter. Chris helped out in the flea market, selling countless books and making new friends. He even had a young girl fall in love with him, but she was too young and Chris had no real affections for her. -
Ronald Franz
Chris met an 80 year old man named Ronald Franz. After leaving Salton City, he traveled to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. He camped out there. They spent the next few weeks together. Chris would do his laundy and barbecue steaks at Franz's apartment. He also learned how to work leather. He left an impression on the man,changing his life forever by telling him to travel. Franz treated him and loved him like a son -
Goodbye Franz
Chris leaves Franz and heads off to San Diego. Ca. -
Letter to Jan
Jan Burres receives a letter from Chris where he describes his difficulties in finding a job in San Diego. He was living in the streets and was tired of it, so he planned on leaving for Alaska on May 1st. Chris learned that things were not always going to come easy. -
Train Jumping
Chris sent a letter to Jan describing his recent encounters. He told about train jumping. He arrived in Seattle on the same train where he was almost killed. -
Called Franz
McCandless is in Coachella, California, and asks Ronald Franz if he can pick him up. He'd been jumping freight trains from the Northwest. In Colton, California, he was discovered by a bull and thrown in jail. After his release, he hitchhiked to Coachella. -
Chris returns to Carthage
Chris returns to Carthage to work for Westerberg for a while. He again demonstrated his love for challenges. He planned on leaving on April 15. -
Crossing Canadian Border
Chris crossed the Canadian border at Roosvile, British Columbia, three days after departing from Carthage. -
Arrives in Yukon Territory
Chris arrives at Liard River Hotsprings, in the Yukon territory. He met Gaylord Stuckey. He got a ride from Mr. Studkey all the way to Fairbanks. by this time Chris realizes what a people person he is. -
Goodbye Letters
Chris writes to Wayne Westerberg and Jan Burres. In his letters, he explains that he is ready to walk into the wild. It is the last communication they receive from him. -
Gallian gives Chris a ride
Gallien gave Chris a ride to the beginning of the Stampede Trail. He provided him with some supplies that were found with Chris's dead body later on. -
Found an abandoned school bus.
Chris discoveres an abandoned bus. Fairbanks bus 142 would be his camp site as well as the place where he dies. -
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Alaska
McCandless attempted to continue down the Stampede Trail, but it was impassible.
Throughout June, McCandless had successfuly hunted many forest creatures, including a 600 pound Moose on June 9. The meat became useless after maggots claimed its juiciness.
Chris tried crossing the Teklanika River, but it had flooded and swollen from the melting ice and the rain. He returns to the bus. -
Back to the bus.
Chris returns to the Magic bus where he would have several weeks of good hunting. He didn't seem too concerned about getting out of the trail, as long as he had food. Little by little, however, his food failed to sustain him. By this time Chris learned how to hunt and harvest. -
Extremely Week
"EXTREMELY WEAK, FAULT OF POT. SEED. MUCH TROUBLE JUST TO STAND UP. STARVING. GREAT JEOPARDY." It is believed that Chris ingested a toxic fungus called Rhizoctonia leguminicola, an alkaloid that grew in the seeds he ate (and he'd eaten a particularly great amount two weeks prior to this). Whatever it was, it was killing him. His physcial state was declining quickly. by this time Chris realized how ill prepared he was. -
100 days
Chris celebrates his 100th day in Alaska with a journal entry. In it, he admits the following: "...IN WEAKEST CONDITION OF LIFE. DEATH LOOMS AS SERIOUS THREAT. TOO WEAK TO WALK OUT, HAVE LITERALLY BECOME TRAPPED IN THE WILD.-----NO GAME." Chris relized besides being sick that the river was overflowing from ice which also prevented him from living. he went out into the wild with great expectations. -
S.O.S.
After a few days of decent hunting, Chris went to search for some berries. He left a desperate note for anyone who might visit the bus in his absence...."...INJURED, NEAR DEATH, AND TOO WEAK TO HIKE OUT OF HERE..." On this day, he also wrote his last words: "Beautiful blueberries". Chris knew now what his demise would be dealth. -
Final Farewell
He tore a page from Louis L'Amour's memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, On the back, he wrote his official "goodbye" to the world. "I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!"
He cozied up in his blue sleeping bag. He probably died on August 18, 1992, 112 days after walking INTO THE WILD! His body was found 19 days later.
