‘Into The Wild’ bus airlifted out of Alaskan wilderness
By tsell on June 22, 2020
The abandoned bus will find a new home
By Trent Sell
The abandoned bus made famous from the 2007 movie “Into the Wild,” will be relocated. The bus sat isolated in a remote part of Denali National Park for almost 60 years, until now.
A mecca for adventure seekers
The bus was a symbol of adventure and solitude for fans of the movie and those inspired by the story of Christopher McCandless. Christopher is the subject of the book “Into the Wild,” by John Krakauer, which was then made into a film. The story of Christopher McCandless is one of self-exploration and wilderness solitude. The American hiker took to the deep Alaskan Wilderness where he found the bus, but the ruggedness of the wild would turn fatal for him, as he died there in 1922.
Since then, the book and movie would inspire many others to seek out their own adventure to the “magical” bus. The catch, it was still in a very isolated and dangerous part of the Denali Forest. Hiking out there you are faced with no cell service, variable weather conditions, and often dangerous river crossings.
Many who sought to find the bus over the years had to be rescued, including 5 Italian hikers this year. In 2019, a Belarus woman died during her trek to the bus. This would bring more attention to the dangers of the bus’s location, as local officials called for its removal.
After 30 years since the death of Christopher McCandless, the bus was airlifted with a helicopter out of the wilderness by the Alaska Army National Gaurd. Corri Feige, Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner, told TMZ that the bus will be held in a secure location until the department finds a new home for it.
How about my backyard?!
Emile Hirsch, the actor who portrayed Christopher in the 2007 film had some thoughts on where the bus should reside.
During an interview about the current news, he was asked where he would put the bus if he could decide. He thought for a moment and responded, “I’d say my backyard, but…” He continued to explain that it may not be the best idea, which would lend itself to having constant visitors to his backyard. As long as the bus is not turned in for scrapes, he hopes it ends up somewhere safe, so its legacy can live on.
You can watch the whole interview here.
