'Magic bus' removed.

[rooster440]

I have wanted to hike there for years. I was in slab city training when they were filming that part of the movie. The old timer in the movie at salvation mountain was a trip to talk to. Niland was very interesting. Very cool place to check out.


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[woodswaterwildlife]

That sounds right. From what I recall from Krackhauer’s book (been 25+ years), he tells the backstory of how it got there.

Speaking of which, I’m assuming the movie was actually filmed on location at the bus?

No. They used a replica and it’s on display at the 49th state brewery in Healy. A lot of the movie footage is not like what the area actually looks like.

 

[Htm84]

That sounds right. From what I recall from Krackhauer’s book (been 25+ years), he tells the backstory of how it got there.

Speaking of which, I’m assuming the movie was actually filmed on location at the bus?

From what I remember they filmed it south of there outside Cantwell. The bus from the movie is outside the 49th state brewery in Healy.

 

[gumbl3]

I find the stories our society chooses to canonize to be reflective of it's disconnect with functional life. The contrast between Dick Proenneke and Chris McCandless, and which one made it into pop culture, is a prime example.

Little would be lost if Chris was forgotten, so the only down side I see to removing the bus is now it will probably end up on display somewhere every yuppie can easily visit and pay homage to one of their own.

Never seen either movie but have read both books.. Pretty much nails it

 

[ODB]

Never seen either movie but have read both books.. Pretty much nails it

If you’ve only read Into the Wild and not The Wild Truth by Chris’ sister you are only getting half a truth. there are things in her book that make Chris more sympathetic than
maybe need be, but in the end, I had a lot more respect for Chris after reading the book. He and Dick Proenneke bear zero resemblance to each other and their paths should not be compared in any way, shape, or form. “going to Alaska” is not enough of a commonality to draw fair comparisons.

McCandless was a truly tragic figure. He shouldn’t be worshipped or thought some sort of prophet, but rather shown empathy and understanding. If people are willing.

 

[solomtnhunter]

The bus was trash littering the wilderness and needed to be removed. Good riddance

 

[Marbles]

If you’ve only read Into the Wild and not The Wild Truth by Chris’ sister you are only getting half a truth. there are things in her book that make Chris more sympathetic than
maybe need be, but in the end, I had a lot more respect for Chris after reading the book. He and Dick Proenneke bear zero resemblance to each other and their paths should not be compared in any way, shape, or form. “going to Alaska” is not enough of a commonality to draw fair comparisons.

McCandless was a truly tragic figure. He shouldn’t be worshipped or thought some sort of prophet, but rather shown empathy and understanding. If people are willing.

I agree with the incompatibility of comparing the two, and feel I owe Proennike an apology for using his name in the same paragraph. However I have heard enough people who talk about McCandless with awe for attempting to survive in the wild that I believe contrasting him with a man who actually did so is appropriate.

I encounter truly tragic figures at work every day, who are still alive and therefore potentially salvageable. Yet, I repeatedly demonstrate the meaning behind the saying 'you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.' It is exhausting. What I see in McCandless is hauntingly similar to psychiatric illness. Through that lens, and only through that lens, can I see McCandless as anything more than an egotistical wast of air and worthy of being afforded tragic status. Strip that away, and you are left with a boy who resorted to thievery, poaching, and pan handling while having been given a good start. Running away from an abusive family life does nothing to justify his actions.

 

[ODB]

Running away from an abusive family life does nothing to justify his actions.

This is incredibly obtuse. And quite frankly, demeaning to those who have suffered abuse. Pathetic.

 

[wind gypsy]

I hadn't heard of Proenneke prior to this thread. The NPS sure seems to like using him to paint hunting in a poor light.. I can see why some AK residents express frequent frustration with the NPS.

Proenneke's Cabin - Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Marbles]

This is incredibly obtuse. And quite frankly, demeaning to those who have suffered abuse. Pathetic.

Quite frankly, I have personal experience with abuse and I have watched its legacy destroy a brother. To say that abuse justifies illegal and/or unethical action is a disservice to everyone who has to navigate that nightmare and to society. Knowing someones history can make me more inclined to mercy, but mercy is not justification. It is only by reaching for our better selves that we can hope to rise above the darkness, and perhaps even find the strength to descend back into it and assist others in rising above their own. Victimhood is an excuse to avoid making an incredibly long and painful journey. Early on it can be a shield of protection, but it quickly devolves into a debilitating burden.

 

[Bigbull]

Quite frankly, I have personal experience with abuse and I have watched its legacy destroy a brother. To say that abuse justifies illegal and/or unethical action is a disservice to everyone who has to navigate that nightmare and to society. Knowing someones history can make me more inclined to mercy, but mercy is not justification. It is only by reaching for our better selves that we can hope to rise above the darkness, and perhaps even find the strength to descend back into it and assist others in rising above their own. Victimhood is an excuse to avoid making an incredibly long and painful journey. Early on it can be a shield of protection, but it quickly devolves into a debilitating burden.

Well said

 

[ODB]

Quite frankly, I have personal experience with abuse and I have watched its legacy destroy a brother. To say that abuse justifies illegal and/or unethical action is a disservice to everyone who has to navigate that nightmare and to society. Knowing someones history can make me more inclined to mercy, but mercy is not justification. It is only by reaching for our better selves that we can hope to rise above the darkness, and perhaps even find the strength to descend back into it and assist others in rising above their own. Victimhood is an excuse to avoid making an incredibly long and painful journey. Early on it can be a shield of protection, but it quickly devolves into a debilitating burden.

Chris was exactly reaching for his better self - he simply failed in the process. He was on the long and painful journey. Not sure why you didn’t get that. He wasn’t finishing something, he had just started. I think that’s something you are failing to understand. If you want to focus on the fact he killed a moose out of season and watch it rot and somehow that was a transgression against society without understanding the pain he felt for having done it, there’s not much else to say. That was part of the painful journey to right his ship. Read his sister’s book.

 

[VernAK]

The bus was trash littering the wilderness and needed to be removed. Good riddance

And there's a lot more out there!

 

[Elkangle]

15 SOS calls in 8 years ?? Yeah they were just swamped lol

 

[Poser]

15 SOS calls in 8 years ?? Yeah they were just swamped lol

Well, what’s “the season” on this bus? 3-4 months out of the year? That definitely compresses the rescues into a short timeframe each year.