An abandoned 1940s-era bus in the Alaskan wilderness where Christopher McCandless famously documented his death by starvation in what became the book and movie “Into the Wild,” was removed by authorities this week. They said the site just north of Denali National Park and Preserve had become a dangerous - and deadly - pilgrimage site for fans of the young Virginia man’s tragic story, according to the Associated Press.
On Thursday, an Alaska National Guard crew used a Chinook helicopter to lift the bus and fly it out of the backcountry to an undisclosed location. Authorities are expected to determine whether they want to put it on display elsewhere.
Known as “Bus 142” or “The Magic Bus,” it initially housed Yutan Construction Co. employees who decades ago were building an access road west of the Parks Highway, the main corridor between Fairbanks and Anchorage, the AP said. Abandoned in 1961, it became an emergency shelter for backcountry hikers and hunters.
In 1992, the bus became McCandless’ last refuge. The 24-year-old man had hiked there, but high waters on the nearby Teklanika River cut off his route out of the wilderness. He kept a journal covering the 114 days before his death. That became the basis of Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book “Into the Wild,” followed by a movie of the same name in 2007.
In this photo released by the Alaska National Guard, Alaska Army National Guard soldiers use a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to removed an abandoned bus, popularized by the book and movie "Into the Wild," out of its location in the Alaska backcountry Thursday, June 18, 2020, as part of a training mission. Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige, in a release, said the bus will be kept in a secure location while her department weighs various options for what to do with it. (Sgt. Seth LaCount/Alaska National Guard via AP)AP
The bus that sat about 250 miles north of Anchorage soon became a spot that those familiar with McCandless’ story would try to reach, sometimes with disastrous results. Two women drowned, one from Switzerland in 2010 and one from Belarus in 2019, the AP said. There have been at least 15 other search-and-rescue operations since 2009. Last winter, one of those involved the rescue of five Italian tourists, with one person suffering severe frostbite.
“We encourage people to enjoy Alaska’s wild areas safely, and we understand the hold this bus has had on the popular imagination,” Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Corri A. Feige said in a statement. “However, this is an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle that was requiring dangerous and costly rescue efforts, but more importantly, was costing some visitors their lives.”
In this photo released by the Alaska National Guard, Alaska Army National Guard soldiers use a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to airlift an abandoned bus, popularized by the book and movie "Into the Wild," out of its location in the Alaska backcountry in light of public safety concerns, as part of a training mission Thursday, June 18, 2020. Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige, in a release, said the bus will be kept in a secure location while her department weighs various options for what to do with it. (Sgt. Seth LaCount/Alaska National Guard via AP)AP
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Alaska’s famous ‘Into the Wild’ bus airlifted out of wilderness by Chinook helicopter - MLive.com
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