Stampede Trail

The author, Jon Krakauer portrays this story by having many interviews with people that encountered Chris McCandless’s presence along his journey to Alaska. By interviewing these people Jon Krakauer is giving the readers real life evidence of what these people thought about Chris and his journey. The way he structured this book really interested me and gave me the feeling that I was actually reliving Chris’s journey. The passages in italics at the beginning of each chapter set the tone for the…

Dream” of working hard to earn money because money is the key to happiness, or that the man that owns much as lived a fulfilling life. Dave Korn, a man that was heavily influenced by Chris decided that after college that he too would venture the Stampede Trail and see the Fairbanks Bus where Chris resided. Dave says that those that truly understand Chris’s ambition and are inspired are people that this stir inside of them that tells them that they need to be “grasping life, embracing our spirit…

transportation, and has to rely solely on hitchhiking. This can be very dangerous and tiresome, and has the possibility to be fatal. As McCandless finally makes his way to the Alaskan wild, lacking shelter he, “moved into the abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail” (51). The fact that McCandless’s only protection is a bus, is extremely dangerous and makes him more than vulnerable. He does not have a place to stay warm during the brutal winters which can easily kill a person. He also has limited…

We know what happened in history by the evidence, whether it be written journals, documents of business transactions, oral tradition, or the physical evidence of bones, pottery, and weapons. This evidence does not lie, however, it does not necessarily tell the whole truth. Because bias can change the lense through which we see facts, factual history comes from a well-rounded point of view and includes accounts from opposing sides. Because it emphasizes European sources and leaves out Native…

His discovery brought prospects, im-migrants, and new technology to what would become known as the Golden State and had fostered an entrepreneurial spirit that persists today (Elder 1). The effect of it was out of this world, it had triggered a stampede of miners from all over the world going to Califor-nia to find instant wealth. What had made the California gold rush social and a literal event was not just because of the four hundred million dollars in gold which was extracted by miners from…

high marks and a bright future in front of him, Chris set off on a foolhardy journey of self-discovery, which would take him from his suburban home in Annandale, Virginia, through the Western United States, and ending tragically with his death in Stampede…

widespread reaction among the readers was of McCandless being insane enough to venture out into the brisk Alaskan wilderness alone, -which ultimately caused his “foolish, pointless death” (Krakauer 71). For instance, the hamlet at the head of Stampede Trail saw McCandless’ decision to enter “the wilderness [as] purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near-death experience does not [prove to] make you a better human” (Krakauer 71). In other words, there is no legitimate reason for someone to…

Bimba breezed through the thick morning mist clinging to the Desolate Forest as quietly as a whisper. The light filtering through the narrow end of the valley made the fog look like iridescent cotton candy. Heavy drops of rain splashing on the dark green foliage sparkled, giving them the appearance of emeralds nestled in clouds of soft Egyptian cotton. Bimba maneuvered so the sun was behind him, shining in the eyes of the interlopers as they emerged into the small clearing. They could not see…

he was living his last couple of days, he could’ve eaten some of the leftover meat and possibly lived a little longer, maybe even enough to see the hunters that would stop by the bus 19 days after his death. Also, before Chris went off to the Stampede Trail, he did go to a library and find a book about the region’s nearby plants (Tanaina Plantlore/Dena’ina K’et’una: An Ethnobotany of the Dena’ina Indians of Southcentral Alaska). However, I don’t believe he gave himself enough time to really…

n isolating himself from those around him. After graduation he takes off and fails to speak to his parents, or even his sister he was so close with. As months, even years pass, they all continue to worry and can’t do a thing about it. Carine swears one night she heard his voice calling “Mom! Help me!” Chapter 13 In Chapter 13 of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author interviews Chris McCandless’s younger sister, Carine. She is compared to McCandless several times throughout this chapter.…