Some thoughts

[Seeker]

I just finished watching the movie "Into the Wild' . It was my first time seeing it. I have known about the movie and book but have not read or watched either. The story of Chris McCandless is close to my heart in some ways it is my story. Like him I also made my way to Alaska. Like him I longed for a different way of life, free from the concerns of modern society. Like him I sought simplicity and quietude in the wilderness. A life of introspection. I was born and raised in New York City, but I always felt an attraction for adventure, and found hours of excitement in numerous books about the "far north". As a child I remember being enthralled with books such as "Silver Chief Dog of the North", 'The Call of the Wild" and many other similar stories. On television (it was the 50,s) I remember "Sgt. Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his faithful guide dog Yukon King". All this would have a profound effect on my life years later. As I got older my disdain for city life grew. But what to do? A turning point in my life was the reading of "Walden" by Henry Thoreau. I found the solution for my discontent. Thoreau pointed to a way out ... if one had the courage. The seeds had been planted. I knew i had to make my escape but It would take me years before I found the nerve to make the move. In the meantime I read and studied everything I could about Alaska. Hunting, how to use guns, fishing, growing food, living off the land, how to build cabins, etc. I bored friends with my endless talk of escape and self-sufficiency. I obtained some practical experience through hiking and camping. In 1984, at the age of 34, I made my break. I bid farewell to job, friends, and the city of my birth and drove across country, up through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and into Canada. It was an amazing trip, a fantastic prelude to a new life. Alaska was even more spectacular! Everywhere grandeur and overwhelming beauty. But I was to discover that Alaska was not a "paradise" certainly not a "garden of Eden". I built my cabin in the woods. No electric, no running water, no TV or radio. If I wanted to be warm I had to cut wood. It was very difficult but also very exciting. All my years of preparation was now put to the test. I was put to the test. Could I endure? My goals were simple, to live reasonably comfortable on a minimum of money ( I had money with me from my years of working). To enjoy nature, and read and think about life. I did this more or less for seven years. After a few years the thrill wore off, the constant struggle to stay warm and dry grew tiresome (try using an outhouse some night when its forty below zero)! I had cold nights and hungry nights, but mostly I had lonely nights. And so, like my mentor Thoreau, I too eventually returned to "civilized life". I remained in Alaska, got a job, got married, raised a family. Lived in a big, comfortable house. But Alaska was still to be enjoyed. And my experiences were priceless. I had become a different person.

I remember when I first heard about Chris McCandless. Of course it was the talk of the State. How could such a thing happen? How pointless! Another naive, tree hugging 'hippie" meets reality and loses! Alaska is a magnet for the young and adventuresome. Every summer hundreds of nomads arrive from all corners of the country to experience the "Last Frontier". To escape from some real, or imaginary demons. To "find" themselves in the spiritual purity of nature. Makeshift shelters are found all over. Most survive to tell their stories, a few, like Chris, get in over their heads or just have bad luck (I had my share of close calls). After watching the movie I also felt angry at him. Why did he have to be so self-confident? Fear is a good thing. With a little more preparation he could have survived, he could of had his Alaskan adventure and gone on with his life, wiser and more experienced. I see myself in him, in his words, in his thoughts. I wish his story had a different ending.

[stilltrekker]

Seeker, thank you for telling your story which is no doubt as exciting as Chris' was. Someone in another thread mentioned that if Chris had lived, we would never have learned about him or his adventure. I'm glad you're one of the "unsung heroes" of the wilderness, and that your successful sequester kept you off the front pages. I think folks would like to hear more about what it was like for you--there are many armchair pioneers in this group!