Alexander Supertramp

[elkhound]

lessons in reality here.this came up on historydefined today. the guy could have gotten across the flooded river via a cable car thingy up river just a ways. he starved for a bunch of reasons. bottom line..lack of knowledge and hands on experience.recently so many people have ventured to the bus and they had to be rescued by state of alaska they decided to move the bus.the military came in with heavy lifting chopper and moved it to an undisclosed location.its going to be put in a museum at some point and might already be there as its been awhile since i seen story of getting bus removed.i am torn between opinions on the guy. one being going and living your dream.the other being lack of experience and learning and hands on experience finished his life to soon. but anyhow..interesting story...a move was made about him and it was pretty good.RIP fellow adventurer !

 

[elkhound]

 

[elkhound]

This is a rare full footage of the ABC's TV show "20/20" about Christopher McCandless that aired on May 30th 1997

 

[elkhound]

june 2020

 

[elkhound]

july 2016..a ted talk from chris mcandless sister.

 

[Caribou]

He went into the wilderness without the necessary skills or the sense to know how unprepared he was. He paid the price. The movie making him out to be some sort of hero is a sin. The bus should have been sold for scrap, not put in a museum. We do not need a shrine to stupidity.

 

[Weedygarden]

I saw the movie when it first came out in theaters, which doesn't tell the real pain of Chris's family. I saw an interview with his sister. I had not seen the TED Talk before. She wrote a book and I wanted to go to The Tattered Cover Book Store to see her speak, but I had a conflict when she was there. It seemed, from what I could gather, that his father was a controlling narcissist, and Chris was deeply hurt by hypocritical things his father said to him, if I remember correctly. I haven't looked at any of the videos you posted. I had watched and looked at everything about Chris as they came out. I believe he ate some kind of potato that was poisonous and caused him to eventually die, but I could be wrong. At one time I had the book, but I think I have gotten rid of it now.

Chris's father was married to another woman and had children with her, while living with Chris and his sister's mother. The father continued to teach Sunday School.

 

[Sourdough]

It is interesting, in Alaska when his name comes up, absolutely everyone starts jabbering about how stupid he was, and "what was he thinking", etc. etc.

But what is interesting If I ask, have any of ever even spent a week alone in the Alaska wilderness......they have endless excuses as to why they have never, and they never would.

I understand that hunger that so many youths endure, as did this young man.

 

[Weedygarden]

He went into the wilderness without the necessary skills or the sense to know how unprepared he was. He paid the price. The movie making him out to be some sort of hero is a sin. The bus should have been sold for scrap, not put in a museum. We do not need a shrine to stupidity.

I think I heard that they moved the bus because so many people were going there after his story was romanticized. It was dangerous for the bus to stay there for all the others who were going there. Chris was an angry young man who made many mistakes based on his anger towards his parents. The family parts were left out, and those were important aspects of his life, that those who wanted to see the bus also really needed.

 

[Sourdough]

I wrote this to a young man on a different forum. He wanted to going into the wilderness to find meaning.
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
I do have empathy for those who quest for wilderness experience. They need that transitional experience, yet there are so few guides to shepherd that journey. So they never get to that special place they crave.

I know that pain, I know that hunger, that longing. To know that there are treasures of peace and wisdom, if they can truly be comfortable alone in wilderness. There is a knowing that truth, clarity, meaning of life is out there. Wilderness can change a person. They become complete.

"The wilderness can change a man"

There is a real transformation that can metamorphose within a man who is alone in the wilderness. He can exit the wilderness fragile, very fragile, he is no longer sure where that which is himself ends and that which is not him

Everything is kind of fuzzy, and has a softness about it, all things appear slightly blurred to the eye, like after one has been crying, and it can be hard to distinguish where one object stops and another object starts.

He feels weak and vulnerable, but centered. In fact he is stronger, but the feeling of weakness, and vulnerability comes from the loss of arrogance.

There is a clarity about the perfection of everything. Sounds are crisper, colors are different, there are so many more (new) colors now.

He feels as if he is looking through things and through people, this is a very uncomfortable experience, he tries to focus, but he just looks through everything.

Part of him wants to go back to the way it was, before being alone in the wilderness. But he also enjoys the bliss of how it is now. He wants to weep for no reason, but for the perfection of everything.

He has change, and can not change back to that which he was before, being alone in the wilderness.

I know not of drugs, but being alone in the wilderness, for long periods will change your perception of the universe. The universe is the same, but you have shifted to a place where you can see, with new eyes, a new heart, and a new empathy for all life. You have been born a second time, and are a child of the wilderness.

There was a time long ago, that a man was encouraged to go into the wilderness alone for a extended period, (40 days and 40 nights in the time of Christ) so that he might find wisdom about life. Sad it is discouraged today.

 

[Neb]

I wrote this to a young man on a different forum. He wanted to going into the wilderness to find meaning.
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
I do have empathy for those who quest for wilderness experience. They need that transitional experience, yet there are so few guides to shepherd that journey. So they never get to that special place they crave.

I know that pain, I know that hunger, that longing. To know that there are treasures of peace and wisdom, if they can truly be comfortable alone in wilderness. There is a knowing that truth, clarity, meaning of life is out there. Wilderness can change a person. They become complete.

"The wilderness can change a man"

There is a real transformation that can metamorphose within a man who is alone in the wilderness. He can exit the wilderness fragile, very fragile, he is no longer sure where that which is himself ends and that which is not him

Everything is kind of fuzzy, and has a softness about it, all things appear slightly blurred to the eye, like after one has been crying, and it can be hard to distinguish where one object stops and another object starts.

He feels weak and vulnerable, but centered. In fact he is stronger, but the feeling of weakness, and vulnerability comes from the loss of arrogance.

There is a clarity about the perfection of everything. Sounds are crisper, colors are different, there are so many more (new) colors now.

He feels as if he is looking through things and through people, this is a very uncomfortable experience, he tries to focus, but he just looks through everything.

Part of him wants to go back to the way it was, before being alone in the wilderness. But he also enjoys the bliss of how it is now. He wants to weep for no reason, but for the perfection of everything.

He has change, and can not change back to that which he was before, being alone in the wilderness.

I know not of drugs, but being alone in the wilderness, for long periods will change your perception of the universe. The universe is the same, but you have shifted to a place where you can see, with new eyes, a new heart, and a new empathy for all life. You have been born a second time, and are a child of the wilderness.

There was a time long ago, that a man was encouraged to go into the wilderness alone for a extended period, (40 days and 40 nights in the time of Christ) so that he might find wisdom about life. Sad it is discouraged today.

Very well said!

Let me touch on part of what you said.


What we see affects our world outlook.

Surrounded by man's work vs surrounded by God's work.

Ben

 

[elkhound]

He went into the wilderness without the necessary skills or the sense to know how unprepared he was. He paid the price. The movie making him out to be some sort of hero is a sin. The bus should have been sold for scrap, not put in a museum. We do not need a shrine to stupidity.

he was troubled by secrets..secret of domestic abuse of family and like @Weedygarden said the father had two families.the giving away of money was flat out stupid. it was $24,000 back then bought a bunch. he could have learned from others and used it for some gear and probably even bought land or at least a down payment on some land and lived life. i went west into PNW about same time...but earlier..i hit it at 23yrs in 1990 and hit alaska in 94.i had already been off up in canada doing a bunch . my main goal was adventure in timber industry. i got it and much more.

people said he lived his dream and lived off the land...well no he didnt..he only lasted 90 days...his weight was 67pounds. he starved to death the entire time. he never got enough calories. the one big score of moose kill he didnt even know enough to get it cut thin and hanging to dry. or knew enough to have correct type of cure so as to preserve it.if you watch one video of the guy talking that dropped him off gave him his pair of xtra tough boots we see in the old photos he took of himself.

but like i said mixed emotions..i lean heavily towards his lack of knowledge. bottomline his troubled past set him on a path of failure to his end.

 

[elkhound]

I think I heard that they moved the bus because so many people were going there after his story was romanticized. It was dangerous for the bus to stay there for all the others who were going there. Chris was an angry young man who made many mistakes based on his anger towards his parents. The family parts were left out, and those were important aspects of his life, that those who wanted to see the bus also really needed.

they had to rescue lots of people and two people drowned in river trying to get there to see the bus.

 

[elkhound]

It is interesting, in Alaska when his name comes up, absolutely everyone starts jabbering about how stupid he was, and "what was he thinking", etc. etc.

But what is interesting If I ask, have any of ever even spent a week alone in the Alaska wilderness......they have endless excuses as to why they have never, and they never would.

I understand that hunger that so many youths endure, as did this young man.

yea..but even scouting teaches basic of be prepared...he just nose dived straight into the deep end.

if he had just kept his money and bought a little gear. who doesnt want a map...even when i was a kid i used maps..it was natural thing as breathing to know basic landmarks no matter the size wilderness.

bet you never hit the wilds without basic equipment in a pack....even starting out.

 

[LadyLocust]

I wrote this to a young man on a different forum. He wanted to going into the wilderness to find meaning.
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
I do have empathy for those who quest for wilderness experience. They need that transitional experience, yet there are so few guides to shepherd that journey. So they never get to that special place they crave.

I know that pain, I know that hunger, that longing. To know that there are treasures of peace and wisdom, if they can truly be comfortable alone in wilderness. There is a knowing that truth, clarity, meaning of life is out there. Wilderness can change a person. They become complete.

"The wilderness can change a man"

There is a real transformation that can metamorphose within a man who is alone in the wilderness. He can exit the wilderness fragile, very fragile, he is no longer sure where that which is himself ends and that which is not him

Everything is kind of fuzzy, and has a softness about it, all things appear slightly blurred to the eye, like after one has been crying, and it can be hard to distinguish where one object stops and another object starts.

He feels weak and vulnerable, but centered. In fact he is stronger, but the feeling of weakness, and vulnerability comes from the loss of arrogance.

There is a clarity about the perfection of everything. Sounds are crisper, colors are different, there are so many more (new) colors now.

He feels as if he is looking through things and through people, this is a very uncomfortable experience, he tries to focus, but he just looks through everything.

Part of him wants to go back to the way it was, before being alone in the wilderness. But he also enjoys the bliss of how it is now. He wants to weep for no reason, but for the perfection of everything.

He has change, and can not change back to that which he was before, being alone in the wilderness.

I know not of drugs, but being alone in the wilderness, for long periods will change your perception of the universe. The universe is the same, but you have shifted to a place where you can see, with new eyes, a new heart, and a new empathy for all life. You have been born a second time, and are a child of the wilderness.

There was a time long ago, that a man was encouraged to go into the wilderness alone for a extended period, (40 days and 40 nights in the time of Christ) so that he might find wisdom about life. Sad it is discouraged today.

I had a mere glimpse of this years ago and yearn for that peace daily! As @Neb said, well said.

 

[TeeJ]

My favorite book growing up was "My Side of the Mountain" about a kid who ran off to live off the land in the Catskill Mountains (upstate NY). I'm sure it was very romanticized, but ever since reading it I've wanted to walk out the door with a pocketknife, some flint and find a corner of the world far from the things of man to call my own.

 

[Magus]

I came back to "the world" for my elderly kin. I loved my time at the wood dump and blended right in with the local natives,
they seemed to understand that as long as I was there, there wasn't ANYBODY coming up that road but the owner to dump wood.

 

[elkhound]

The Men That Don’t Fit In

Robert W. Service

There’s a race of men that don’t fit in,
A race that can’t stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain’s crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don’t know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But they’re always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: “Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!”
So they chop and change, and each fresh move
Is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It’s the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day, with a hope that’s dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life’s been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He’s a rolling stone, and it’s bred in the bone;
He’s a man who won’t fit in.

 

[SheepDog]

The one thing that I learned from spending my summers in the mountains and challenged everything I thought I knew was the concept of good and evil.
In the wild there is no good or evil. Everything just is. You are either prey or predator and staying alive is the reason for life.

 

[Caribou]

Sourdough, I have spent weeks without seeing a living soul, both on the ocean and in the mountains. I'm not even close to the mountain man that you are but I been there enough to understand the challenge.

That kid acted stupidly. He didn't have the skills, equipment, or supplies necessary to survive. He didn't know what he didn't know and he didn't try to figure it out. Did he really believe he could survive the woods with nothing?

 

[randyt]

What I find interesting is that before he went to Alaska he bummed around for two years, no small feat in itself. Just wondering around. I would have thought that experience would have been a stepping stones for future adventures. Instead like many adventurers, he died. Went from hero to goat.

 

[Sourdough]

I agree with what you're saying. What is "sad" to me, is the hunger these youths experience. Not a hunger of the stomach, but a clarity that something in our social system is deeply flawed. It likely has a connection to "Right of Passage" for the male human.

Sourdough, I have spent weeks without seeing a living soul, both on the ocean and in the mountains. I'm not even close to the mountain man that you are but I been there enough to understand the challenge.

That kid acted stupidly. He didn't have the skills, equipment, or supplies necessary to survive. He didn't know what he didn't know and he didn't try to figure it out. Did he really believe he could survive the woods with nothing?