A few details rarely, if ever, mentioned...
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 3:20 am
I recently completed another trip to Bus 142. Another last minute trip. Another beautiful experience. Some of you around here may remember I wrote about my first trip in great detail a few years ago. I may write of this trip, I may not, I'm honestly not sure yet whether or not this is the place for it. I've learned a lot about sharing on the internet and I've also learned... well, that's another topic for another day.
My inventory for this trip included a few must haves. A few things I learned that I would need from the last trip should I ever again walk down Stampede Trail. One of those items was a watch. I wanted to log every step in time when I found myself back on that trail. This time I had that watch and so with it, I learned a few things.
A few details rarely, if ever, mentioned are how long in time it takes to get to the bus. How long in time it takes to get to Savage river. And how long it takes to get to the Teklanika river. What I looked forward to timing the most was how long in time it took to get to Bus 142 from the Teklanika river.
How long the walk back to the Bus it was for Chris McCandless after he realized he would not be crossing on the day he wanted to leave.
Well, I can tell you. It takes exactly 4 hours to walk from the Tek back to the Bus. Four hours. Chris knew this. He knew it wasn't a "hop back" to the bus. I don't think for one second he took a look at the Tek and decided to just turn around and go right back to the Bus he had said goodbye to hours earlier. Chris wrote a to do list before he left. His intentions were clear. He was leaving. I feel strongly that Chris McCandless searched for options. He was a bright guy. Im certain that he looked for braided pieces to cross with. It's so ridiculous to me to read these criticisms from people who have probably never walked further than the driveway to get to their car. For these people who say he died in a bus not far from the highway. Or some even say "only 20 miles" from the Parks Highway. Only 20 miles belongs to a sentence regarding a motorcycle journey or perhaps even a mountain bike journey. 20 miles of walking is serious shit. I've done it and it's no joke, yet, these people still say "only 20 miles". These people who go to the gym and fight for the closest spot up the ass of the building so they don't have to walk any further than they have to....to......go workout.
The Stampede gets real and rather narrow from the Tek to the Bus. You can tell right away after making it across that this is the side that doesn't see as much traffic. There are significant differences between the piece from the highway to the Tek and the Tek to the bus. It's a commitment to continue. It's a commitment to return if you have to do so.
One of the most important things people should focus more on is that bastard Teklanika river. I will, for the rest of my days, liken it to a funhouse mirror. What you see is NOT what you get. Sometimes, as in the case for my last hike to the bus, the roar is more like a purr. But, one should never ever underestimate the dangers of this particular river crossing. Don't think when you do get across that the Bus is just around the bend either. Let it be known that the Tek is no joke and if and when you DO cross it, you've still got a long way to go. Even after you make it to the Bus, which is still and will always be an experience that I could never find the words for, the Teklanika river remains on your mind. The experience of making it to the Bus is almost enough to distract you from the thoughts of what the Teklanika river is going to look like when you go back to it to go home. You'll have 4 hours to wonder and worry. If you truly want the river to welcome you across with open arms, do as I did and take a packraft. If you find yourself half way there and staring at the river raging in front of you and it doesn't feel right, turn around and go back to the highway as I once had to do myself. If it's not to be, it won't be.
~Steve Salmon
My inventory for this trip included a few must haves. A few things I learned that I would need from the last trip should I ever again walk down Stampede Trail. One of those items was a watch. I wanted to log every step in time when I found myself back on that trail. This time I had that watch and so with it, I learned a few things.
A few details rarely, if ever, mentioned are how long in time it takes to get to the bus. How long in time it takes to get to Savage river. And how long it takes to get to the Teklanika river. What I looked forward to timing the most was how long in time it took to get to Bus 142 from the Teklanika river.
How long the walk back to the Bus it was for Chris McCandless after he realized he would not be crossing on the day he wanted to leave.
Well, I can tell you. It takes exactly 4 hours to walk from the Tek back to the Bus. Four hours. Chris knew this. He knew it wasn't a "hop back" to the bus. I don't think for one second he took a look at the Tek and decided to just turn around and go right back to the Bus he had said goodbye to hours earlier. Chris wrote a to do list before he left. His intentions were clear. He was leaving. I feel strongly that Chris McCandless searched for options. He was a bright guy. Im certain that he looked for braided pieces to cross with. It's so ridiculous to me to read these criticisms from people who have probably never walked further than the driveway to get to their car. For these people who say he died in a bus not far from the highway. Or some even say "only 20 miles" from the Parks Highway. Only 20 miles belongs to a sentence regarding a motorcycle journey or perhaps even a mountain bike journey. 20 miles of walking is serious shit. I've done it and it's no joke, yet, these people still say "only 20 miles". These people who go to the gym and fight for the closest spot up the ass of the building so they don't have to walk any further than they have to....to......go workout.
The Stampede gets real and rather narrow from the Tek to the Bus. You can tell right away after making it across that this is the side that doesn't see as much traffic. There are significant differences between the piece from the highway to the Tek and the Tek to the bus. It's a commitment to continue. It's a commitment to return if you have to do so.
One of the most important things people should focus more on is that bastard Teklanika river. I will, for the rest of my days, liken it to a funhouse mirror. What you see is NOT what you get. Sometimes, as in the case for my last hike to the bus, the roar is more like a purr. But, one should never ever underestimate the dangers of this particular river crossing. Don't think when you do get across that the Bus is just around the bend either. Let it be known that the Tek is no joke and if and when you DO cross it, you've still got a long way to go. Even after you make it to the Bus, which is still and will always be an experience that I could never find the words for, the Teklanika river remains on your mind. The experience of making it to the Bus is almost enough to distract you from the thoughts of what the Teklanika river is going to look like when you go back to it to go home. You'll have 4 hours to wonder and worry. If you truly want the river to welcome you across with open arms, do as I did and take a packraft. If you find yourself half way there and staring at the river raging in front of you and it doesn't feel right, turn around and go back to the highway as I once had to do myself. If it's not to be, it won't be.
~Steve Salmon