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This is not the waterfall but it's somewhat similar ( I couln't find a picture of it) 

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I have had an experience in the wild where I went camping. Before the Pandemic, I went camping with my dad's whole side of the family to connect and get away from phones. I forgot the name of the place we went to but we went for three days as we went on some hikes throughout the day, went inside the river, and hung out to talk with each other. It was amazing to see the views of nature mostly having no service. I didn't have any worries throughout those three days and focused on the present as I made some amazing memories.  I was able to see animals like snakes that according to the person who worked there said that it was a mom to 12 baby snakes as I also saw coyotes that look super similar to dogs ( I was a few feet away from one since I thought it was a dog). We went on three different hikes but my favorite one was the one where we hiked for like almost two hours to get to a waterfall. It was pretty and our reward for the hike was to get in. It was super cold and fresh at the same since my body temperature was high. It was amazing to see the views of nature mostly having no service. I didn't have any worries throughout those three days and focus on the present as I made some amazing memories.  Overall I loved it and I would definitely hope to do this more often in the future.

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Summary:
This chapter starts off with Christopher Johnson McCandless, Chris also known as Alex, the person whose life is being written about, getting picked up from the highway by a guy named Jim Gallien. As Gallien notices that Chris is a young (pg. 4) man hitchhiking where he also notices that his backpack (pg. 4) might not weigh much meaning he probably didn't have a lot of stuff.  Even Chris knew the only food (pg. 5) he had in this backpack was a ten-pound bag of rice(pg.5) and minimal gear (pg.5) for all the harsh conditions that were expected. Though Gallien tried to convince Chris that it was a bad idea and told him that there were bears and that hunting was hard, there was nothing talking out Chris from his idea. It then goes on to Chris being dropped off near the Stampede Trail which was a place that was not marked on most maps (pg. 5) Gullien sees the Alaska State Troopers and thought about telling the authorities (pg. 7) about Chris but he thought that Chris would go to it if he was hungry like a normal (pg.7) person.

Analysis:
While reading the chapter I grew respect for Chris because he seemed like nothing scared him ( he didn't have fear of nature). All the scenarios that Gullien was making would probably be enough for me to stop and continue my idea, especially the bear one. It was interesting to read this part as it shows the audience that Chris didn't have much gear for survival so he had to adapt to his surroundings most of the time. I could never since I go to Mexico (no hate lol)  and I kind of have to take a shower in a "restroom" that isn't inside the house but outside where there is dirt on the floor and a bucket of water with a dish inside to use. As I said Chris earned my respect right from here.

#brave #notworriedaboutanything #risk

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Summary:
The chapter begins meandering(pg. 10) through the Stampede Trail the route(pg. 5) that Chris took into the wilderness. The background of the trail is explained as well as bus 142. After six or seven months passed, there are 6 people from three separate parties visited the bus (pg.10). Although some of the people hadn't been inside the bus, they were close enough to notice "a real bad smell from inside".  As they saw more of the bus, they also noticed on the door that there was a note (pg. 12) taped to it. They started to peek through the window and saw a blue sleeping bag (pg.12) that seemed to have something or someone in it but they weren't sure. Then Samel a person from a party went to the other where he saw a head sticking out. Then he decide that the body (pg.13) should be taken right away and reported it so the next morning troopers and a police helicopter came. The troopers went through the bus where they found five rolls of film (pg. 13), an SOS (pg. 13) note, and a diary (pg.13). The body was taken to Anchorage where an autopsy was made and didn't find what was his cause of death but it was guessed that starvation (pg.14) was the cause. Though he had pictures of himself and his signature the authorities didn't know who he was, where he was from, or why he was there since there was no identification (pg.14) that he carried.

Analysis:
Chris was smart for making a note and sticking to the bus so people could read it and help him. Even though he didn't get help when he was alive I was glad to see that at least his body was found. I wonder if Chris ever thought about his journey coming to an end as he was happy to do this (which caused his death). In the end, it was just sad to read about it.

#death #bus142 #terribleending

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Summary:
This chapter starts off by describing Carthage where Wayne Westerberg was remembering the odd (pg.16) young man, Alex (Chris). It goes on to show us when Westerberg picked up Chris off the highway. After ten minutes Westerberg stopped in a town where Alex was given a big dinner (pg.17) to eat. Later on, Alex told Westerberg about his destination which was Saco Hot Springs. As they went riding together they became close and built a relationship. Westerberg told Alex that if he ever needed a job (pg.17) to look him up as it didn't take long for Alex to show up and get a job. Westerberg realized from a tax form that Alex wasn't his real name (pg.18) but instead Chris McCandless that led Westerberg in believing that something wasn't right with Chris and his family. It continues to add to the relationship between his family being raised in a comfortable upper-middle-class (pg.19) home. He attended Emory University in Atlanta and graduated from that school. His family wanted to get him a car (pg. 21) as a gift or offer to help him with law school but he never accepted as he thought that way they could have bought his respect (pg. 21). It was during graduation weekend when he mentioned to his parents that he was going to disappear (pg. 21) for a while in the upcoming summer. Neither of his parents (pg.21) said anything as they noticed in August that they hadn't heard anything from Chris. Meanwhile, Chris was planning on having a new life (pg.23)to end the previous one as he became Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny(pg.23) instead of Chris McCandless.

Analysis:
It was really nice to see Chris have a friendship with Westerberg as Westerberg was remembering him. It showed that he cared for Chris. When it comes to family it might be a rough relationship for some as they don't "connect" or communicate with each other about what is happening in life. A part that kind of surprised me was reading when the parents didn't say anything to Chris when he mentioned that he was going to disappear for a while because my parents would have definitely told me something.

#friendship #disappearing #newbeginningnewlife

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Summary:
In this chapter, we learned that Chris's abandoned Datsun has been found by some rangers (pg. 26) meaning the government (Chris disliked the government so he probably would have hated his car being with them). They used the car for drug interdiction. We then get a background story on why Chris abandoned his Datsun which was because it had a dead battery but that didn't stop him as he was exhilarated (pg.29) to continue his journey without a car. He spent a week(pg.29) walking north on the Pacific Crest Trail before exiting the mountains and going back to the pavement where he accepted(pg.30) a ride from a man called Crazy Ernie. Crazy Ernie offered Chris a job (pg.30) that he accepted also but after eleven days Chris noticed that Crazy Enrie had no intention of paying(pg.30) him so he stole a bike to resume (pg30) life in constant motion. While on the run he got a hitchhiking ticket (pg. 31) where he gives his information such as his address that notifies his parents where he was. The parents then hired the best private investigator (pg.31) but didn't find much about Chris since he was farther along. Chris then headed to Mexico as he thought he wouldn't pass however he did. In Mexico, he experienced/faced many death events like getting lost and drowning. He then finds a way to come back to the country but he got caught by immigration authorities(pg. 36).  After that he continues his journey Southwest of Houston Texas as he hitched to Las Vegas to get a job as he had no money (pg.37) or identification.

Analysis:
Chris is crazy brave and wild because he went through so many difficult moments that I would have given up right away. He always kept pushing as he loved that adventure which I would never do anything like that. It also kind of made me admire him for surviving through all that even on his adventures he managed to go to a different country.

#fearless #tricked #lovedtheadventure

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Summary:
For this chapter, Chris spends two months on the Oregon coast as he went a letter (pg39) to Jan (a person who picked him and has a relationship like Westerberg). Afterward, he headed east from the California 101 highway where he landed in Bullhead City, Arizona. He fell in love with the stark desert landscape encircles the town(pg.39) as he settled down for a while. He got a job at McDonald's using his real(pg. 40) Social Security number. Working there he had to wear appropriate footwear meaning wearing socks which Chris hates to wear. The workers there complained about smelling bad and taking baths(pg41) but one day Chris had enough and he quit(pg.41) that job. From that, he heads to go see Jan where he helps(pg.43) her with the booth that she has at the Slabs. Jan also tells us that Chris has a real good time (pg.44) when he's with people. They had a conversation where Jan asked Chris if he had let his people know what he was up to however Chris told Jan to quit trying to mother (pg.45)him. He finally decides to move on and Jan drives him to where he is headed (Alaska) as she gives him clothes (pg.46) that he eventually leaves in the van.

Analysis:
It was nice to see that  Chris decided to settle down for a bit as he could rest from all this event. One thing I started to notice is that Chris had a lot of people who helped throughout his journey. He made many relationships after that that he would send letters to like for this chapter he would talk to Jan and even go to see her. I thought that was really cute and nice for him since he.

#settlingdown #hatewearingsocks #goodtimeswithpeople

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Summary:
This chapter starts off with a letter (pg. 47) that was received by the writer on January 4, 1993, telling us about knowing Chris and some of the adventures he had with him. It gives us the background of a person called Ronald Franz who was eighty years old when their paths intersected(pg.48). Franz gave Chris a ride to his camp as they chatted and we find out that Franz's wife and his only child were killed. He then goes on to say that he couldn't get the young man out of his mind as he described Chris as polite, friendly, well-groomed, and extremely intelligent(pg.51). At the moment that Franz felt he needed to convince him to get an education and job to make a life for himself in which Chris responded to Franz not having to worry(pg.51) about him. Franz and Chris spent a lot of time(pg.51) over the next weeks that Chris would go over to do his laundry and barbecue as Franz was happy in the boy's company and in the end grew increasingly fond(pg. 52) of Chris. One day in February Chris announced that he was going to San Diego but Franz didn't want him to go. Chris ended up going where he lived on the streets(pg53) there. In a letter to Franz Chris says that he will head for Alaska no later than May 1st to work for a friend. Chris then comes back to Franz where this time Franz proposed to Chris if he could adopt (pg5) him to be his grandson but Chris ignores that question. Chris continues his journey and in another letter that he sends to Ron Chris gives him advice(pg.58) about going out and doing it which he takes. In the end, is where Franz finds out from two hitchhikers that Alex (Chris) was dead (pg.60). This news impact Franz so much that he became an atheist (pg.60)and he bought a bottle of whiskey(pg.60) that he drank to see if it would kill him. It didn't but it made him really sick.

Analysis:
This chapter was so different compared to the other ones as I saw that Chris made such a strong relationship with someone on his journey. The most shocking part for me was when Franz asked Chris if he could adopt him to be his grandson.  Also, when Franz found out that Chris had died and drank a bottle of whiskey to kill him (that was so sad). Made me realize that even

#rememberingthatperson #sosad #getoutandjustdoit

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Summary:
In this chapter,  We learn more about Chris's life and his love life. It starts by telling us that Chris would do the tedious (pg.62) jobs in Carthage. He was described to be as neat and orderly(pg.63) with his things. According to Westerberg's girlfriend, Grail Borah, Chris was" a big eater" as he ate everything on his plate and looked like he never got tired of eating rice(pg.63).  Then it goes on talking about how Chris never mentioned his family(pg. 64) except his little sister as they were close. At the moment we learn that Chris had complained about his parent to Carine where he expressed that he wanted to " divorce them as my parents once and for all and never speak to either of those idiots again as long as I live.". Afterward, it was talked about how they don't recall Chris talking about having a girlfriend (pg.65). How he wasn't the guy to pick up girls and get laid. Carine was the only girl whom Chris went to out dance with. His love for nature (pg.66) was bigger and meant more to him than girls. Two nights before Chris was leaving for the north he went to have dinner with Westerberg's mother in which they talked for five hours. On the last night, Chris partied hard with Westerberg's crew. On the day Chris parted North when he was saying goodbye to the people, they noticed that Chris was crying (pg.68) like he knew he was taking risks and never coming back. In the end, Chris sent the last postcards to 3 three people saying that it was going to be the last they will hear about him as he was now going to walk into the wild.

Analysis:
I guess Chris always had a big piece of love for nature that he didn't have a girlfriend or do other things like people his age. It was sad to see that Chris knew he was never going to come back when he left to continue his journey. Another sad thing was when he sent his last cards to the people he met through his journey since those people had a strong relationship with him that I think meant something special for Chris.

#alongtime #thelastvisit #lovefornature

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A picture of Alaska where people try to go by risking their life 

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Summary:
Jon Krakauer uses this chapter to show his readers that other men have come to their demise (p. 70) on Alaskan adventures, even if the circumstances are a bit different from those of Chris McCandless.  First up is Gene Rossellini, the modern day caveman!  Gene heads north from the lower 48 in the early 1970's.  He's a super intelligent guy looking to test himself in Alaska ...sound like anyone we know??  Well, "the mayor of Hippie Cove" as Gene is called lives a prehistoric existence, testing himself to see if modern day man can live in the same way as the cavemen did it back in the day. Gene tries his hardest, but sadly writes, "I learned that it is not possible for human beings as we know to live off the land" (p. 75) before plunging a knife through his heart when he realizes the true extent of his failure (p. 75).  Next up is crazy John Waterman.  Lots of similarities to Chris:  he's from the D.C. area, has MAJOR issues with his dad and is super smart.  John is an accomplish climber and alpinist (p. 79) before he starts losing his marbles, running for president of the United States on a platform to end hunger.  SPOILER ALERT:  He doesn't win the election!  Anywho, John comes unhinged, decides to climb the most difficult mountain in all of Alaska in the dead of winter and is never heard from again.  Alaska state troopers believe he probably fell down a crevasse (p. 80) to his death, although his remains were never found.  And last up is poor Carl McCunn.  Another transplant from the lower 48, Carl is the life of the party - just like Chris.  Good guy, fun to be around, charming, but lacks common sense & thinks someone will bail him out if he ends up in trouble.  Similar to Chris, he hatches a plan to go off into the wild for a few months BUT he fails to set up an Uber (think Uber plane!) to come back and pick him up.  The summer turns to fall and McCunn is starving and freezing.  But wait...a plane flies overhead and it looks like Carl is going to be rescued!!!  Unfortunately, Carl doesn't know that waving ONE hand in the air means you're good, no need to rescue you instead of throwing TWO hands in the air, the universal sign for HELP!!!  Carl is dying a slow and painful death by a mix of starvation and frostbite, so in his final diary (p. 81) he explains that he shot himself in the head to end his misery.  Guess Chris doesn't sound that crazy or unprepared after all, huh???

Analysis:
WOW! I guess Chris wasn't the only crazy person as I thought to do that. From reading a little bit about their journey it does sound like Chris was "prepared" even though in the book we learned that he didn't take much. I give all of them props though because they tried to do that journey although they didn't succeed.

#itsanexperience #risky #lifechanging #Alaska

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Summary:
Another chapter about a dude who isn't Chris McCandless.  Everett Ruess shares many similarities with our main character though - he's a wanderer (p. 90), free spirit, well liked risk taker and lover of all things solitude and wilderness.  Everett is a bit younger than Chris when he begins his vagabond (p. 91) journey, dropping out of UCLA after only one semester to follow his dream (p. 96) of living a nomadic existence.  Unlike Chris, Everett focuses his travels in the southwest rather than north, but like Chris he also renames himself choosing the moniker Nemo after the character Captain Nemo in the Jules Verne classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And yes, Nemo the fish we know today is named after that character, too!  While on a solo expedition in Utah, Ruess seemingly disappears, never to be heard from again.  A search party is sent to find him after he goes incommunicado (p. 93), but other than finding his donkey, some cave drawings/graffiti he made and pieces of his gear, Ruess was never seen again.  Stories vary on what happen to him - maybe he was a victim of his own reckless innocence (p, 97) and fell while hiking or possibly drown, but some speculate that he was murdered by Native Americans.  No one ever found him or his remains, so Everett's end remains a mystery.  Like Chris, Everett's passion for nature and adventure won out over a conventional life, yet neither man made it out of the wild...

Analysis:
Dang Ruess's story sounds very similar to Chris's as they both had a passion for nature but it ended horribly for both. They had similar stories yet I think Ruess's was worst because he disappeared and was never found and Chris was luckily found by someone. Ruess was also younger than Chris so that was sad to hear.

#passionfornature #neverseenagain #similarstory

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The New York Times paper of the story of Chris 

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Summary:
This chapter is where The New York Times picked up the story (Pg. 98) of Chris. In the beginning, the identity of Chris was not known yet as he was called a hiker (pg.99) first. Before the story appeared in Times it went on the Anchorage Daily News where Jim  Gallien saw it and thought of Alex.  He then called the state troopers to tell them that he may have given that guy a ride (pg.99). The state trooper, Roger Ellis, was skeptical (pg.99) at first but the more that Gallien talked it connected with the information they found in his journal (pg.99). Gallien then told them that Chris told him he was from South Dakota. They immediately shifted their search (99) there but it was a false (pg100) lead. Then Westerberg finds out about Chris and calls Ellis but at this point, Ellis doesn't take him seriously (pg.101). Westerberg calls them back to tell them he had Chris's full name and Social Security number in which
now they take him seriously. From there the authorities got in contact with Chris's half-brother (pg.101), Sam, who was nine years older. Sam was told to go to the Fairfax Country Police Department as the detective requested. There he was shown a picture of the guy which Sam knew right away it was him. Sam in the end went to Maryland to tell his parents that their child was dead (pg.102).

Analysis:
I was not that surprised once the New York Times took out the story of Chris and a lot of people called the state trooper since Chris met a lot of people through his journey. He even made friendships and it sadden them when they found out he had died. I was glad that they were able to find the identity of Chris thanks to Westerberg. Chris trusted him so much to give him his actual information so he probably meant a lot to Chris.

#whowereyou #identity #connections #friendship

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A picture of the McCandless  family(Walt, Billie, Carine, Chris) as the "perfect" family from the outside but not the inside...

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Summary:
In this chapter, we learn more in-depth about the McCandless family.  His father, Walt, was super smart as he won an academic scholarship(105) to Colorado State University where he had part-time jobs. Playing with Charlie Novak is where most of his steadiest paycheck came from. When the Soviets launched Sputnik, Walt was just out of college, married, and expecting a baby and Sputnik open an opportunity for him and his family. His marriage then got rough and he and his first wife separated. He then found Billie and they fell in love as they got pregnant with Chris. Chris was born with unusual gifts (106) and was placed in accelerated programs in school for gifted students. Chris kept to himself but he wasn't antisocial as he always had friends and was liked by everyone.  When Chris was six, his dad accepted a position for Nasa where his parents got a house in D.C. Though Walt later on quit working for NASA to start consulting a firm as money (pg.107) was tight. For that reason, his parents were always working as "it was a stressful existence". In moments of anger, his parents would always threaten to divorce which caused him and his sister to be close (107).  Chris had so much natural talent but when people tried to coach him to help him improve he would build a wall (11). Chris took "life's inequities to the heart" where he would always push (112) himself to go beyond. Chris had no intention of going to college (pg.114) but his parents pressured him to go. In his junior year of high school, a local contractor hired him to canvass neighborhoods for sales. From the money he earned, he use half of it to buy (pg.116) the yellow Datsun.  He did so well that the contractor called his father to tell him that he offered to pay for Chris's college education if Walt could persuade him to go. When Walt discussed that with Chris, he didn't even consider it as he said he had other plans (pg.116). In the summer is when he got behind the wheel to cross the country.

Analysis:
I learned so much about Chris's parents that it made me understand or make sense of why Chris grew hatred towards them. I think that maybe since his parents were Workaholics and he didn't get the love or attention was the problem as he stopped showing his emotions and tried to make relationships knowing he would one day end. I focused on this part because it might be the reason why Chris did all this as nature and the wilderness would always be around and he trusted/love that.

#nottheperfectfamily #siblings #wealthisshameful

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Summary:
The chapter begins with Chris graduating high school and him leaving for his trip. Chris's first trip lasted all summer as he would call(pg. 118) his parents but the calls became less frequent. It then goes showing when Chris arrived two days before starting college as he had lost thirty(pg.118) pounds. His parents were worried about Chris since he got lost in the Mojave Desert but they didn't know how to persuade him. Chris was super overconfident (pg. 119) and if you attempted to talk him out of something he wouldn't agree, he would just nod and then do exactly what he wanted. Chris thought his parents were idiots (pg.119) for worrying about him. He had a machete and a rifle that he took to school. Chris had made it to the dean's list while his roommate had dropped out and as the school year had gone, Chris seemed thrilled (pg.119) to be at Emory.  Chris returned to Annandale after freshman year where he worked for his parent's company developing software that was flawless (pg. 120). When his dad wanted to know how he built it, Chris simply refused to answer. Chris's personality was generous and caring to a fault but he also had a darker side. One of his summers Chris discovered that his father had a double(pg.121) life as both parties suffered terribly. He would always make a secret of his dark knowledge and express his rage in silence. Though Chris didn't hold everyone to the same standards. In 1990, after his graduation, he announced that he was planning another extended trip. He donated (pg.125) the balance of his account to OXFAM, loaded up his car, and vanished (pg.125) from his family's lives. In the end, in 1992, Chris's mom sat up in the middle of the night saying that she heard Chris calling her and telling her to help(pg.126) him.

Analysis:
DANG! I learned so much about Chris and his family in this chapter. It was shocking that his dad had a double life for a while and I can kind of get why Chris got mad and kept to himself. Chris keeping all his emotions and thoughts to himself must've not been healthy so that was kind of sad to see and explains why he acts. I am also amazed at how Chris is smart and good at almost everything.

#firsttripwasdangerous #smart #keepingtomyself

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Summary:
The chapter starts with Carine staring at a picture of her and Chris where she confirms that that was Chris. Then she talks about how Chris was crazy (pg.128) over Buck, their dog.  Chris wanted to take Buck with him on his trip but he couldn't since Buck was severely hurt in an accident.  Her parents can't help and wonder (pg. 128) how different the ending would have been if Chris had taken Buck. Carine and Chris had some similarities as people thought they were twins (pg.128). She then discusses that her relationship with her parents is"extremely good". As she also talks about how Chris talked to her about their parents in a letter as she was the only (129) person in the world who could understand what he was saying. Even after months Carine still grieved (pg.129) deeply for Chris. Where it then takes us to memory where her husband, Chris Fish, was the person who had given her the news(pg.130). And how Carine and Sam flew (pg.131) to bring home the remains of Chris. Carine was given the box where she noticed that Chris's middle name initial was wrong (pg.131) but she didn't say anything as Chris would have thought it was funny (pg.131). On the plane, Carine ate everything(131) that was given on the flight though she thought it was horrible since she thought of Chris's death. The death of Chris caused Billie to lose weight and she doesn't understand (pg.132) why he had to take those kinds of chances.

Analysis:
I also wonder if it could have been different if he had taken Buck. I'm sure that Buck would have helped Chris at the end but then I think Chris would have left Buck with Wayne. So that wouldn't change much of the ending. I feel really bad for Carine as she was close to Chris and it seemed that that impacted her so much. Hopefully, Carine is doing well and is okay because it must have been hard and painful.

#Buck #siblinglove #reunitingbutnotasplanned

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Summary:
To answer Billie McCandless' question at the end of Chapter 13 about why anyone would do what Chris did, Jon Krakauer flips the script and tells his own story of Alaska adventure.  At the age of 23, Krakauer decides to head to the great north to find himself not by living in the wild, but by climbing the major mountains in the 49th state.  He becomes obsessed with hiking Devil's Thumb, a very steep, challenging ascent on the glacier (p. 138) known as the Stikine Ice Cap.  Like Chris, completing this climb becomes the only important thing in Krakauer's life.  Chris obsessed over the bush, while Jon's obsession (p. 134) is this rare climbing achievement.  Much like he anticipated, the ascent is dangerous and potentially deadly.  Krakauer proceeds with caution during whiteout snow storms while crossing over delicate crevasses (p. 140) which could crack and send him tumbling down hundreds of feet.  On a beautiful May day, Krakauer decides that this is it, he must summon the courage and concentration (p. 142) he needs to summit this peak today or else...Even with the warm temps and sunny day, the ice is impenetrable and Krakauer panics (p. 143).  He can see the summit, but he can't reach it.  His only option is down.

Analysis:
Omg! Krakauer himself did an adventure like Chris. It's crazy how he liked climbing mountains that were dangerous and potentially deadly. To me, this sounds a little bit crazier than Chris's adventure though they were both crazy to do that.  And it made me think if that's why Krakauer decided to write about Chris and his story. They were both so determined to achieve their crazy dream.

#similarstories #riskingmylife #obsession

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Summary:
So Krakauer makes it back to his tent, all butt hurt that he didn't achieve his goal of summiting Devil's Thumb.  In a genius move, he decided to smoke a joint to make himself feel better since he's a bit depressed.  Well, he ends up setting his tent on fire causing it to vaporize one of the walls so the temperature inside drops by 30 degrees or so.  Good job, Jon!  Anyway, this causes him to think about his reason for running away to climb:  his volatile (p. 147) history with his father!  They have a very similar relationship to Walt and Chris - dad is stubborn, treats his son poorly, pushes him away with his medical school expectations (p. 148) since he himself is a doctor.  Yeah, I know: we've heard this story before.  Jon uses these complicated (p. 147) family memories as motivation:  he's going to attempt to summit the Thumb to prove his disbelieving dad wrong!  He fixes his tent by packing it with snow and forges a plan to begin his final ascent on a slightly "easier" side of the mountain, the southeast side.  At sunrise, he summons ALL of his courage and overcoming all of the terrifying (p. 150) obstacles, he finally makes it to the top - YAY!  He enjoys the view for a minutes, snaps a few pics, and begins his descent.  When he finally makes it off the mountain, he tells a few people what he did.  They aren't extremely impressed.  This makes Jon think about what he did and why he did it, causing him to say, "I thought climbing Devil's Thumb would fix all that was wrong with my life.  In the end, of course, it changed almost nothing.  But I came to appreciate that mountains make poor receptacles for dreams. And I lived to tell my tale" (p. 155). Years later when writing this book, he realizes that his hubris (p.155) pushed him to his limits to achieve his goal, but that the impact his possible death had on those who loved him would've been catastrophic.  This is why he believes that Chris had NO intention to die in the wild, that he was only chasing his young, irresponsible dream.

Analysis:
It's crazy that Chris and Krakauer have a super similar story even their relationships with their parents are almost the same. Maybe Chris thought that going to Alaska would change and fix his life just like Krakauer thought. The ending made me think and realize more that Chris was chasing his irresponsible dream and he didn't want to die, he probably wanted to achieve something to possibly demonstrate his worth to his parents (the attention they didn't give him when he was younger).

#madeit #familyrelationshipssuck #dreamscanbringustodeath

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The list they found in the bus when they found Chris

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Summary:
This chapter begins on April 15, 1992, when Chris departed (pg.157)Carthage, South Dakota.  Hitchhiking is difficult on the Alaska Highway but Chris didn't. Though he did get some trouble finding someone to pick him up as he was still in the Liard River. It was a Thursday morning when Gaylord Stuckey met "Alex". Stuckey was on a route from Indiana to Alaska and Chris asked if he could give him a lift. At first, Stuckey said no because it was against picking up hitchhikers but as he talked more to Chris he reconsidered(pg. 159) and ended up giving Chris a ride to Fairbanks. On the ride there Chris talked about this sister and not much about his folks. Stuckey also said that Chris had told him that this trip was something he wanted to do since he was little and he wanted to prove (pg. 159) to himself that he could do it on his own without anybody's help. When Stuckey and Chris parted ways, Stuckey wanted Chris to send him a letter(pg. 160) once he got to Alaska and pleaded Chris that he should call his parents to know how he has been or at least know where he has been. After being in Fairbanks for a few days, Chris packed his backpack (he had his library and rice) and started hitching west. On April 28, he got picked up by an electrician (161) named Jim Gallien. Gallien dropped off Chris on the Stampede Trail as Chris could hardly contain his excitement (pg. 162). The volume of the river was low when Chris first crossed on April 29 from his journal we know that Chris fell through the ice somewhere. He then stumbled upon an old bus (pg. 163) as he wrote in the journal "Magic Bus day. That is where Chris decided to stay for a while and take advantage of its crude comforts. It was there that he struggled with finding food as he had written in his journal. It took him a while to get good at hunting but when he did he got himself the biggest prize of all, a moose(pg.166). He spent six days trying to preserve it but he didn't as he didn't know how to do it properly. He decides that he wanted to go back to civilization but couldn't do to the river. He had confessed that he was a weak swimmer and was afraid of water (pg. 170). He wrote in his journal "Disaster... Rained in. River look impossible. Lonely scared. He had no reason to take that risk (pg.170)so he began to walk back to the bus.

Analysis:
It was so nice of Gaylord to have bought a big bag of rice for Chris for his adventure. Now it makes sense why at the beginning of the chapter, Chris carried a 10-pound bag of rice. I saw in this chapter that Chris got help from a lot of people in his journey so it makes sense why a lot of people said knew Chris. I think Chris trying back to get to civilization was a sad part because he never could as he couldn't pass the river as it was high and he was scared of water (he was a weak swimmer).

#rice #Igotalotofhelp #bigprizemoos.

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Summary:
The chapter begins with Krakauer wanting to visit the bus to see where Chris died and better understand why (pg.173). So he takes that adventure and is there with three companions (pg.173) as he is grateful for their company. Krakauer also takes a map(173) that is exquisitely detailed. On his trip, he hopes to find some clues to help him understand. He had been to Alaska about 20 times to do work or to distress. They later found the bones of the supposed moose that resulted in being a Caribou. The author later goes on to say that Chris died because he was stupid (pg.177) but his self-styled adventure was so small and there was the only word for the gut being incompetent. Once he got inside the bus, Krakauer saw Chris's possessions (pg. 178). In the entries of Chris's journal, he had a few abstractions about wilderness and the author talks about how Chris failed(pg.183) to appreciate the beauty of the country around him. Roman, a companion, said that Chris screwed up but he admired what Chris was trying to do. As the chapter ended where they had stayed past midnight
trying to make sense (pg.186) of Chris's life and death.

Analysis:
It's crazy that the author also went on a journey to understand the why. I would have never decided to do that even if the story is exciting and I have been to the place multiple times. Again I give props to the author. I also totally
get why Krakauer nor his companions did not want to sleep where Chris died peacefully. I would be scared that the bus was haunted with other people's souls found there ( if there were other deaths) and having to see the possession of Chris. As Roman was admiring Chris, I also admire and respect Chris for his adventure because he risked his life to accomplish his dream/goal.

#notamoosebutacaribou #why  #IrespectandadmireChris

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The story of Chris comes to an end and this is his last photo 

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Summary: In this chapter, we learn that after Chris tried to cross the river but failed, he made his way back to the bus on July 8th.  He went back to his routine (pg.188) of hunting and gathering. He was doing but he made a big mistake as he had just finished reading Doctor Zhivago. Two days after he finished reading it he wrote in his journal that he was extremely weak. He went from being healthy to being to hell(pg. 189) and by August 19th he was dead. Three theories were made in this chapter of what might have happened. One of the theories was that the potato seeds(pg.190) he got from South Dakota poisoned him as they are mildly toxic(pg.190). Another one was that mixed up the good and the bad plant by a mistake. He mistook the bad ones as he had trouble distinguishing (pg.191)them. The last one was that was theory was that he ate the wrong part of the good plant. He may have had the correct plant but he did not look closely at it nor studied it since he didn't know much about it. He might have eaten those seeds because he didn't have much food and it was his only source of food. And since he wasn't healthy his body couldn't take those toxins. As he was getting weaker, he felt it and he discovered that was suddenly too weak to hike out and save(pg 195) himself. He was getting closer to starvation (pg.195) and getting weaker. We later find out that there were cabins around the area he was in that had all the supplies that he needed but didn't know about it.  In the end, he wrote down his final (pg.199)words as "Beautiful Blueberries". And don't the other side of the journal he wrote a little goodbye saying "I may have a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!". He then gets in his sleeping bag and slips to unconsciousness and dies in peace (pg.199).

Analysis:
This chapter really made me question how did Chris die. Was it the Potato seeds that as in the story talked about 3 different theories on what he or how he might have died. I get why he ate the seeds though because he didn't have a lot of food sources and in the end, he thought it was his last chance. And it was so sad that Chris was close to help as there were cabins up from where he was or if he had just lived to like 9 more days he could have gotten help.

#didn'tmakeitbutIwasclose  #potatoseeds #inpeace

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Summary:
In this part, we learn that Billie and Walt decided to visit (pg.201) the bus where their son died as they wanted to see it with their own eyes. Getting to the place took them fifteen minutes while it took Chris four days. As they are there Walt has a lot of reasons for disliking (202) Alaska but admitted that it has its beauty.  Billie enters the bus she stayed silent for a moment and then examined the inside. She found a spoon (202) that they had in the Annandale house and she also found a pair of Chris's jeans (202) that still smelled like him.  From that she declares that " He must have been very brave and very strong, at the end, not to do himself, in.". In the end, Walt installed a memorial (202) inside the door, while Billie arranged a bouquet of firewood and a survival kit with a note saying to call their parents as soon as possible. Billie found a bible (202)which she says that they hadn't prayed ever since they had lost him.  Walt appeared more at ease and was glad (pg.203) that they both had come to see the place.  From the visit, he gave Chris a better understanding (203) of why his boy came to that country. Billie said that it was comforting to know that Chris was there.

Analysis:
I bet this was hard for Billie and Walt to have gone to visit the place where Chris passed away. Not only cause they didn't get along and I lowkey thought that his parents weren't going to visit the place as they were kind of against his "dream/goal". But some part of me gets it as I  would have also gone for some closure since there wasn't the greatest relationship. I give props to the parents. It was nice to see

#visitingthemagicbus #atease #Chrisisverystrong

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After reading this book, I had mixed emotions. In the beginning, I was sad to hear about Chris's death because he was found days later. Also being that his parents didn't know where he was they must have been worried so that part got to me. In the chapters later on, when I learned more about his family problems I kind of thought he was dumb for going into the wilderness and disconnecting from everyone. He had everything he needed which was also a part that got me mad.  When he found out that his father was living a double life and his parents working 24/7, I started to see maybe why he got his love of nature. As the chapters were coming to an end, I learned that Chris tried surviving when he was at his weakest point. Just like his mom said, "He must have been very brave and very strong, at the end, not do himself in" (202) because I feel like I would have probably given myself in. So the end and overall of I feel about Chris is that he was very brave and really gained my respect at the end especially.

#gainedmyrespect #mixedemotionstho #goodbook

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Chris McCandless wanted to go to Alaska and like him, I want to go to a place as well.  It's not the same but I would love to go and visit Japan.  I don't know why I have always wanted to go there since I was little and even now more. When I was younger I loved the color pink and I saw in a youtube video a pathway of cherry blossoms as soon I saw them, I fell in love with them. I think that is where I grew my love for Japan. Now that I am older, I have realized that not only do I love that but their architecture. They have some really beautiful buildings that are complex and seem very unreal. Their culture is beautiful as well such as their traditional dresses and their teras (they are their traditional old buildings used back in the day). I am also currently studying Japanese so when I go I can be able to communicate. Learning about Japan these past years have made it my number one place to travel to in the future and I hope I can accomplish it.

#oneday #Japan #Cherryblossoms