Editing Chris McCandless (section)

===Alaska===
In April 1992, McCandless hitchhiked from South Dakota to [[Fairbanks, Alaska]]. After his death, witnesses stated they had seen McCandless in Alaska first at [[Dot Lake]], with several other sightings in Fairbanks. McCandless was stated to be traveling with a "big backpack" and would give a false name if asked his identity. He was described as very suspicious of people around him, unkempt, and smelling due to lack of hygiene. One witness described McCandless as "generally strange, weird, with a weird energy".<ref name="medred_beatification"/>
McCandless was then last seen alive at the head of the [[Stampede Trail]] on April 28 by a local electrician named Jim Gallien. Gallien, who had given McCandless a ride from Fairbanks to the start of the rugged track just outside the small town of [[Healy, Alaska|Healy]], later said he had been seriously concerned about the safety of McCandless (who introduced himself as "Alex") after noticing his light pack, minimal equipment, meager [[food rationing|rations]], and obvious lack of experience. Gallien said he had deep doubts about "Alex's" ability to survive the harsh and unforgiving [[The Bush (Alaska)|Alaskan bush]].
[[File:The replica of the school bus that Chris McCandless lived in, this one was used for the filming of Into the Wild.jpg|thumb|A replica of Bus 142, used in the film [[Into the Wild (film)|''Into the Wild'']]]]
Gallien tried repeatedly to persuade McCandless to delay the trip, at one point offering to detour to [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] and buy him suitable equipment and supplies. However, McCandless ignored Gallien's persistent warnings and refused his offers of assistance (though he did accept a pair of [[Xtratuf]]s, two sandwiches, and a packet of corn chips from Gallien). Gallien dropped McCandless off, believing he would head back towards the highway within a few days as hunger set in.<ref name="Krakauer 1997">{{Cite book |last=Krakauer |first=Jon |title=[[Into the Wild (Krakauer book)|Into the Wild]] |publisher=Anchor |year=1997 |isbn=0-385-48680-4 |location=[[New York City]] |author-link=Jon Krakauer}}</ref>

After hiking along the snow-covered Stampede Trail, McCandless came upon an [[Stampede Trail#Bus 142|abandoned bus]] (about {{convert|28|mi|km}} west of Healy at {{coord|63|52|5.96|N|149|46|8.39|W|display=inline}}) alongside an overgrown section of the trail near [[Denali National Park]]. McCandless, according to Krakauer, attempted to continue "heading west until [he] hit the [[Bering Sea]]." However, he was deterred by the thick Alaskan bush and returned to the bus, where he set up camp and lived off the land. He had {{convert|4.5|kg|lb}} of rice; a [[Remington Nylon 66]] [[semi-automatic rifle]] with 400 rounds of [[.22 Long Rifle|.22LR]] [[hollowpoint]] ammunition; a number of books, including one on [[Botany|local plant life]]; some personal effects and a few items of camping equipment. Self-portrait photographs and journal entries indicate he foraged for edible plants and hunted game including [[porcupine]]s, [[squirrel]]s, and birds such as [[White-tailed Ptarmigan|ptarmigan]]s and [[Canada geese]]. On June 9, 1992, McCandless illegally stalked and shot a [[moose]]. However, the meat spoiled within days after he failed in his efforts to preserve it. McCandless would experience profound regret as a result of this experience, expressing in a journal entry "I now wish I had never shot the moose. One of the greatest tragedies of my life."

It had been speculated that McCandless was responsible for [[vandalism|vandalizing]] several cabins in the area that were stocked with food, survival equipment, and emergency supplies, however was not considered a viable suspect by the [[National Park Service]].<ref>''Into the Wild'', p. 197</ref>

McCandless's journal documents 113 days in the area. In July, after living in the bus for a little over two months, he decided to head back to civilization, but the trail was blocked by the impassable [[Teklanika River]] swollen with late-summer runoff from the [[Cantwell Glacier]]; the watercourse by that stage was considerably higher and swifter than when he had crossed in April.{{efn|Medred disputes Krakauer's account of the Teklanika's flooding: "Krakauer claims McCandless 'noted in his journal that it rained for a week straight.' The journal contains no such note. Krakauer claimed it was this period of rain that caused flooding and prevented McCandless from crossing the Teklanika River and walking to safety. Weather records for nearby Denali National Park and Preserve show no heavy rains for what Krakauer specifies as the period of time in question. ... The McCandless family book has a picture of the Teklanika. It is nowhere near full flood."<ref name="medred" />}} McCandless did not have a detailed [[topography|topographical]] map of the region and was unaware of the existence of an abandoned, hand-operated [[Aerial tramway|cable car]] that crossed the river {{convert|1/2|mile|m}} downstream from where he had previously crossed.<ref name="Krakauer" /> At this point, McCandless headed back to the bus and re-established his camp. He posted an [[SOS|S.O.S.]] note on the bus, stating: {{blockquote|Attention Possible Visitors. S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August ?<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://christophermccandless.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/chris-mccandless_sos_lancastria.jpg |title=Scan of Chris McCandless' note |website=christophermccandless.info |access-date=August 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113204007/http://www.christophermccandless.info/images/chris-mccandless_sos_lancastria.jpg |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}