Into The Wild Blog by Kaylynn Vu https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam Made with eyes on the prize by Kaylynn Vu en-us 2021-12-08 20:17:45 UTC 2025-04-21 15:31:54 UTC hello@padlet.com My Experiences In The Wild ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1948035543 As I was growing up we would always go to Big Bear, Mammoth, road trips to Oklahoma, and go camping. I would always have so much fun. I even went to Hawaii. It was tropical weather, so it was even warm during nighttime. The water also stayed warm. While staying there we decided to go to the beach at night. On my dad's side of the family, he has 12 other siblings, so it would always be super fun with all my uncles, aunts, and cousins. One time I went to Lake Tahoe and I went hiking with my aunts, at the end of the hike, there was a small waterfall and water ice cold to the touch. The hike wasn't very long maybe about 45 minutes. We also went to the beach, but the water was way too cold to swim. Mammoth is so beautiful it's a little bit farther than Big Bear, but there's much more snow because it's higher up. Mammoth is 6 hours while Big Bear is 2. We drove around to find a hill and sled down. We also rented a cabin and brought food to cook. I've always enjoyed road trips and trips around the world. I hope to do it more when I have a family of my own. ]]> 2021-12-14 21:04:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1948035543 Chapter 1: The Alaska Interior ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1948046149 In this chapter, Jim Gallien had driven four miles out of Fairbanks when he spotted a hitchhiker who went by the name of Alex. Alex wanted to ride a far as the edge of the Denali Nation Park where he wanted to live for a few months. His gear(pg 4) looked as it only weighed 25-30 pounds(pg 4). It was a light load for only several months(pg4). It was minimal(pg 6). Gallien had given him food, boots, and socks. The road was made unnavigable(pg 6) by a foot and a half of mushy snow.
Analysis: I can't believe he thinks he can travel with just a bag of rice. The man was really kind to offer food and boots. Alex is extremely brave.

]]> 2021-12-14 21:11:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1948046149 Chapter 2: The Stampede Trail ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1949944038 Summary: In this chapter, On September 6, 1992. 6 people walk down The Stampede Trail and discover a bus. The bus had a horrible smell from the inside. There was a makeshift(pg 12) signal flag. The door was ajar(pg 12) taped to the door was a note. Going in there was a blue sleeping bag that appeared to have someone inside it. The body was taken to Anchorage where an autopsy(pg 13) was performed. No subcutaneous(pg 14) fat remained. He weighed sixty-seven pounds(pg14). It was concluded that he died of starvation 
Analysis: This chapter is extremely sad. I really want to know the whole story of what happened to him. How did he get to the point of death? How long was he even dead for?]]> 2021-12-15 16:52:32 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1949944038 Chapter 3: Carthage ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1949952839 Summary: In this chapter, It starts off with Westerberg reminiscing about Alex/Chris. Westerberg was describing him as hardworking and intelligent(pg 18). Westerberg and Chris developed a lasting(pg19) bond. Chris had been raised in Annandale, Virginia. On mother's day Chris had given his mom candy, flowers, and a sentimental card. She had been surprised since it was the first present(pg 20) she recieved from him in more than two years. It was the last(pg22) anyone in his family would ever hear from him. Chris had loaded all his belongings(pg 22) and headed west. He intended to invent a new life for himself. He would be free to wallow(pg23) in unfiltered experience
Analysis: I wonder what happened between him and his parents. How could he distant himself from them? That is also amazing how Chris was a really hard worker.]]> 2021-12-15 16:55:54 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1949952839 Chapter 4: Detrital Wash ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1950060446 Summary: In this chapter, it starts off talking about a plant, A. californica. Walsh had led his team of rangers to conduct the botanical survey. When a ranger spotted something in the wash. They found a yellow Datsun without license plates and a note(pg 26) taped... The backstory to this was Chris was driving into an off-limits area beside Lake Mead. The temperature(pg27) was 120 degrees Fahrenheit. He pitched his tent in the puny(pg 27) shade. Two days after it began to rain very hard. He only had enough time to gather his tent and belongings. There was nowhere to move the car(pg 28). He gets a hitchhiking ticket(pg 31) and gives his real address which alerts his parents. He finds himself wandering through Mexico where he continuously gets lost trying to find the ocean. He finds a man who speaks English who drops him off near the Gulf Of California, and he eventually is back in the U.S  
Analysis: He is very brave driving into an off limit desert. He had to walk so far to get to safety and even lost his car. ]]> 2021-12-15 17:43:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1950060446 Chapter 5: Bullhead City ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1950108424 Summary: In this chapter, Chris gets a job at Mcdonald's. His coworkers recalled that he had a thing about socks(pg 40). He hated wearing them. He never really hung out with any of the employees. He would always go on about trees and nature(pg 40). He tried to disguise the fact that he was a drifter(pg 41).  This old man offered him to stay in a camping trailer(pg 41).  He didn't like to be around too many people. He was temperamental( pg 42). He eventually grew tired of the job and quit. He went to go see his mother figure Jan Burress in Slab City near Palm Springs. Everyone there remembers him as friendly and Jan said he was good with animals. He was also very playful. He would mess around with Jan.
 
Analysis: That's crazy how he decided to work at Mcdonalds, and it's really funny how he hates wearing socks. How did he meet Jan?]]> 2021-12-15 18:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1950108424 Chapter 6: Anza-Borrego ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1952609406 Summary: In this chapter, After Mccandles had bid farewell to Jan Burres. After the liquor store a man named Ron Franz stopped to give him a ride. Ron who was in the army. While he was overseas(pg 50) his wife and only child were killed by a drunk driver. Franz started to become an alcoholic. To salve(pg 50) his loneliness he started to unofficially adopting Okinawan boys and girls. When Franz met McCandles he had felt like a father figure towards him.  Franz continuously offers McCandles rides and even offers to pay for his Alaska trip. Franz asked Alex if he could adopt(pg 55) him. After Franz drops him off a little while later McCandles sends him a note that says he should also explore and venture out in the world. Ron listened and placed his furniture and most of his other possessions(pg 58) in a storage locker. He moved out of his apartment(pg 58) and occupied McCandle's old campsite. After he'd been waiting for Alex's return he picked up two hitchhikers. He had started telling them about Alex, but they told him that he was dead. Franz had drank that day. For the first time in 40 years.

Analysis: This chapter is extremely sad. Franz was extremely devestated over Chris's death. He felt extremely lonely over his wife and his child's death. I'm glad he met Chris and he filled that void that Franz felt.]]> 2021-12-16 20:48:57 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1952609406 Chapter 7: Carthage ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1954024427 Summary: In this chapter, McCandles had ambled(pg 62) into the office at Carthage and announced that he was ready to work. He needed to buy a pile of new gear for Alaska. During those four weeks in Carthage he worked dirty, tedious(pg 62) jobs. Westerberg had introduced him to an off and on girlfriend, Gail Borah. She was explaining how he was a big eater and a good cook. He cooked a lot of rice(pg 63) and never seemed to get tired of it. Borah and him had gotten pretty close and she could tell he didn’t get along with his family except his sister, Carine. Westerberg had discovered that between McCandles and his father Walt McCandles they were both stubborn(pg 64). Walt had a need to exert control over him and Chris has a extravagantly independent(pg 64) nature. McCandles said that his parents never take him seriously. He had decided that a few months after graduation he’s going to let them think they’re right then he’s going to cut them out completely. It also explained that McCandless was never sexually intimate with any woman. He had stayed celibate. Before he had head up North he had met Westerberg’s mother, Mary. They hit it off and she is very upset with his death. When he arrived to Alaksa Westerberg had recieved a letter from McCandless.

Analysis: I understand why McCandless drifted from his parents. Sometimes they can be too much and not understand, but they mean well. I can't imagine how they felt when he passed. They loved him dearly and he pushed them away]]> 2021-12-17 16:48:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1954024427 Chapter 8: Alaska ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1954306303 Summary: In this chapter, The media thought that he must of been mentally disturbed. They wondered why he would go off in the wilderness without much gear or food. They also wondered why he caused his parents such permanent and perplexing(pg 71) pain. Gene Rosellini wanted to start an anthropological(pg74) experiment. He wondered whether humans could live as if mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the land still. He came to the conclusion that it is not possible for human beings as we know them to live off the land. He then decided to end his life. In 1689, 16 year old John Waterman climbed Mt. McKinley. After his parents split up him and his brother went to go see his dad, but he refused to see him. It broke his heart(pg 77) that his dad didn't make the effort to see him. Waterman was last placed on the Northwest Fork of the Ruth Glacier on April 1. He led toward the east buttress(pg80) of Denail, straight through a labyrinth(pg 80) of giant crevasses(pg 80). He was not seen again; assumed he broke through a thin snow bridge and plummeted to his death at the bottom of one of the deep fissures. Carl McCunn was a friendly, extremely popular, down-home sort of person. There was a part of him that seemed out of touch with reality. He liked to party hard. He could be extremely responsible. He also tended to wing it and act impulsively. He had been dropped off at a lake near the Coleen River. He forgot to be arranged to be picked up. As the days grew colder he had seen an airplane above him. He waved wildly. He thought he was going to be rescued but no airplane had come that day, or the next. He looked at the back of his hunting license and realized he had put the hand signal that he was safe and content. In late November Carl shot himself in the head. He was then found on February 2, 1982. 

Analysis: This chapter is really sad, but extremely interesting. How did Carl forget to be arranged to be picked up? It's also really sad how John died. Did they ever find his body? I do see the similarities with all these men. This isn't the first time it happened. Chris isn't the first person to do this. They shouldn't have went alone, but I can see how exciting it is to venture on your own and explore. ]]> 2021-12-17 21:27:45 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1954306303 Chapter 9: David Gulch ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1975146510 Summary: Everett was born in Oakland, California. As a sixteen-year old he embarked(pg 89) in his first solo trip. He spent the summer hitchhiking and trekking(pg 89) through Yosemite and Big Sur. He was just like Chris McCandless, they both were adventurous. He had dropped out of UCLA after a single semester. Just like Chris, Everett adopted names for himself. The last letters anyone received from Ruess were posted from the Mormon settlement of Escalante. His parents had noticed where Everett was long overdue(pg93) and organized a search party. They had found two burros at the bottom of Davis Gulch that belonged to him. They had found his camp(pg 94) and came across a natural arch that read "NEMO 1934." They never found him, but there were many rumors on how his  disappearance(pg 94) came to be.

Analysis: It's really sad how they never found his body and nobody knows what happened to him. I wonder what actually happened to him. ]]> 2022-01-04 21:09:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1975146510 Chapter 10: Fairbanks ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979542966 Summary: In this chapter, we circle back onto Chris McCandless. After finding him they couldn't identify him, so they reach out to Anchorage Daily News and the story was published(pg 99) on the front page. When Jim Gallien saw the headline he immediately figured out that it was most likely Alex. He told the trooper(pg 99) that McCandless was from South Dakota and the troopers immediately shifted their search there. They found nothing. Wayne Westerberg hears the story and calls the trooper and gives him McCandless's social security number(pg 100). They found Sam McCandless in Virginia, Chris's brother. The detective showed him a picture(pg102). He said the picture was gaunt(pg102), but he knew right away that there was no doubt it was Chris. 
Analysis: This chapter is sad. Chris had many friends and family who were worried about him. It's crazy how they couldn't identify him, but luckily his friends recognized him. ]]> 2022-01-06 21:02:42 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979542966 Chapter 11: Chesapeake Beach ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979572808 Summary:  In this chapter, It talks about Chris's family. Walt, Billie, and Carine. Walt, Colleagues refer to him as brilliant. He was a jet propulsion engineer and sensor expert. He had wondered how a kid with so much compassion( pg 104) could cause his parents so much pain. He is accustomed to calling the shots. His voice has an edge. There is no mistaking where Chris's intensity(pg 105) came from. He was financially successful and even met a young 22-year-old woman named Wilhelmina Johnson(Billie). They fell in love and moved in together. She got pregnant and birthed a beautiful baby boy. He came into the world with unusual(pg 106) gifts. Money started getting tight, so Walt and Billie worked long hours every day. Tension(pg 107) erupted and one or the other often threatened divorce. Carine his little sister who's three years younger than Chris says it was one of the reasons Chris and her were so close.  Tensions were the reason why they went on trips and Chris developed a passion for the outdoors. When Chris and twelve Walt and Billie bought Carine a puppy(pg 111) Chris and the puppy became inseparable. 
 Analysis: I think it's very interesting hearing about Chris's family life, and how his past ties to why he likes certain things. He had a very beautiful family. Money certainly does tear a family apart, because of his parents working so much there was tension between his parents, but at least it brought him and his sister Carine closer. ]]> 2022-01-06 21:26:49 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979572808 Chapter 12: Annandale ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979575268 Summary: In this chapter, In 1986 Chris graduated from Woodson High School. At his birthday party Chris gave his father a very expensive Questar telescope. Chris got emotional he was telling his Dad that even thought they had their differences, he was grateful(pg 118). After he left for his trip. He had honored the agreement to phone regularly, but as the summer wore on, the calls became less frequent(pg 118). He didn't appear back home until two days before the fall term was to start at Emory. He had shed(pg 118) thirty pounds. As it turned out, near the end of his trip he had gotten lost(pg 118) in the Mojave Desert and had nearly succumbed to dehydration(pg 118). His parents were extremely alarmed but were unsure how to persuade him to be more careful. Chris was thrilled to be at Emory. His grades were nearly perfect. He writes for the school newspaper. He was even planning on getting a law degree when he graduated. Chris's personality changes drastically. He could be generous and caring to a fault, but he had a darker side. Chris seemed mad more often. Chris's anger was, because two summers earlier he found out about his father's previous marriage and divorce. Long after Walt met Billie and had a baby he continued his relationship with his first wife, Marcia. Walt fathered another son, Quinn. 
Analysis: I can't imagine what the whole family went through knowing about Walt's affair. It especially hit Chris hard. He slowly started to resent his father and grew distant towards his family. I understand now why he barely talked about them. ]]> 2022-01-06 21:28:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1979575268 Chapter 13: Virginia Beach ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1987025075 Summary: In this chapter, Carine Chris's younger sister in her Virginia beach home there's two framed photographs. One of Chris as a junior in high school, and the other of Chris as a seven year old. Buckley, Carine's dog that Chris was incredibly attached(pg 128) to is now thirteen years old. Carine is the same height her brother was, and looks enough like him that people frequently ask if they're twins(pg 128). Carine is energetic, self-assured, a high achiever, quick to state an opinion like Chris. After Chris disappeared Carine made peace(pg 129) with her parents. She owns an auto repair business with her husband, Chris Fish. On September 16,1992 Carine's husband had came home early from work to give her news about her brother. A few days later Chris's body had been cremated(pg132). They had caught a plane the next morning. Carine ate every scrap of food in front of her. She couldn't bear the thought of throwing away food when Chris starved(pg 131) to death. Over the weeks thay followed her appetite had vanished and she lost ten pounds. Billie had also stopped eating. She lost eight pounds. Walt reacted the opposite and gained eight pounds. 

Analysis: It's incredibly sad how hard his family is taking Chris's death. I can't imagine what all of them were feeling at the time, especially when cremating him and confirming his death by his dental records 
]]> 2022-01-11 21:27:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1987025075 Chapter 14: The Stikine Ice Cap ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990698072 The author John Krakauer talks about his experience climbing Devils Thumb in 1977. The Devils Thumb is twice the height(pg 135) of Yosemite's El Capitan. He decided to do it alone. He had told his boss he was quitting(pg 136). He then departed to Alaska right after that. He had noticed that the snow concealed many of the glacier's crevasses(pg 138). He stopped at a hardware store and purchased a pair of stout aluminum curtain rods. For two days he walked up the valley of ice. The next day he arrived beneath the Stikine Ice Cap proper. The glacier(pg 139) spills over the edge of a high plateau, dropping through a gap between two mountains. He found himself trapped in a cul de sac. A couple days later he had seen an airplane(pg 140), but it had not seen him since he had misjudged the scale of the terrain and was a little higher. The airplane had disappeared. On May 11, he awoke to clear skies. He went through many obstacles he realized that the only place to go was down. 
Analysis: He is extremely brave. This climb is incredibly dangerous and instead he quit his job and decided he wanted to climb it. This chapter clearly states that Chris isn't the only one that has the urge to go on crazy adventures. 
]]> 2022-01-13 16:08:28 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990698072 Chapter 15: The Stikine Ice Cap ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990701310 Summary: After he had come down from the side of Devil's Thumb. The weather had kept him inside the tent for three days. He had gotten super bored and decided to roll a joint(pg 146) and smoke it. The marijuana made the tent seem even more cramped and suffocating(pg 146). It had also made him hungry. He had decided to make oatmeal and while making it he had realized that his tent was on fire. He had start to think about his father. It was his father's tent. His father taught him to climb. He bought him his first tope and ice ax. He had wished for him and his siblings to excel(pg148) in every class and attend Harvard Medical School, but during his teens, he had realized that he did not want to follow in his father's footsteps. This lead to tension between him and his father. His father grew ill with post-polio syndrome(pg 149) he started taking drugs and became more and more irrational(pg 149). After his suicide attempt he was placed in a psychiatric hospital. He continues to explain that his dad struggles to mold him in his image had been successful and that the Devil's Thumb is similar to medical school. 
Analysis: It's interesting hearing about how his relationship with his father was like. He compared medical school with climbing Devil's Thumb. He said they were similar in some ways. I think he always looked for his father's approval and climbing this mountain makes him feel better about himself.



]]> 2022-01-13 16:09:55 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990701310 Chapter 16: The Alaska Interior ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702162 Summary: This chapter starts off with Chris on April 15, 1992, he had departed(pg 157) Carthage. Three days later he crossed the Canadian border. On April 21 he arrived at Liard River Hotsprings. He decided to stop and take a bath. After his bath, he was going to take another ride north, but he realized that nobody would pick him up. Two days after he met Gaylord Stuckey. Who gave him a ride to Fairbanks. He had also hitched a ride with Jim Gallien. Chris had reached the Teklanika River. The river's volume(pg 162) was quite low when he crossed, about thigh deep. He would've never suspected that the river's discharge(pg 163) would multiply nine or ten times in volume. It transformed the river into a deep, violent torrent(pg 163). From his journal, he fell through the ice somewhere. He had discovered an old bus beside the Sushana River. In his diary( pg 166) entries he had recorded his bounty of wild meat. He had caught a wild moose. He had never liked killing animals for food. He had tried to preserve every piece of meat by trying to smoke it, but to his dismay, it did not work. He eventually gave up and after a few days, he decided to go back home. he had discovered that halfway there he arrived in heavy rain at the beaver ponds that blocked access to the Teklanika River. He had always been scared of water and decided to go back to the bus. 
Analysis: It's heartbreaking how a small decision can affect your life. He could've waited a little bit longer for the water to go down. He also could've went a different route if he brought a map. ]]> 2022-01-13 16:10:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702162 Chapter 17: The Stampede Trail ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702360 Summary:  John Krakauer and his buddies Roman Dial, Dan Solie, and Andrew Liske decide to follow the Stampede Trail to the magic bus and understand Chris's final days. Trying to cross the Teklanika river. Looking at its violent(pg 174) flow a few moments later they find a cable car which is just above the river. If Chris had a topographic(pg 174) map he would learn that there was a cable car. After finding the magic bus(pg 176) they quickly conclude that Chris had shot a moose and not a caribou(pg 177) which they first mistakenly thought. They had also found his possessions(pg 178) which include a green plastic canteen, a tiny bottle of water purification tablets, chapstick, flight plants, copy of O Jerusalem!, wool mittens, insect repellent, matches, and a pair of rubber work boots that belonged to Jim Gallien. After finding all of his belongings they all felt uncomfortable, like they were intruding and decided to sleep outside. 

Analysis: I really wish Chris had brought a map just in case. He didn't have to look at it the whole time, but if he really needed it it would be right there in his backpack. ]]> 2022-01-13 16:10:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702360 Chapter 18: The Stampede Trail ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702566 Summary: Continuing the story on Chris. After ditching trying to cross the Teklanika river he had arrived back at the bus on July 8. He had fallen back into his routine of hunting(pg 188) and gathering. He had killed squirrels, grouse, jays and woodpeckers, and frogs. He also ate wild potatoes, rhubarb, berries, and mushrooms. It turns out all the meat he'd been killing was very lean(pg 188), so he was consuming fewer calories(pg 188) than he was burning. On July 30 he writes an ominous(pg 189) entry in his journal "EXTREMELY WEAK, FAULT OF POT.SEED. MUCH TROUBLE JUST TO STAND UP. STARVING. GREAT JEOPARDY. By August 19th he was dead. There had been a lot of theories on how he passed. He had never gotten around to planting the garden. By late July he had grown hungry enough to eat the seeds, which poisoned (pg 190) him. Potato seeds are mildly toxic it affects heart rate and blood pressure and because of his weight, his body wasn't able to get rid of the toxins. He also probably ate wild sweet pea which can incapacitate you, but wild sweet pea didn't kill him wild potatoes did, or the mold did. He had stored these damp seeds in unclean ziplock bags which produced mold and he was eating them. This led to his death. 
Analysis: WOW! it's crazy he made a small mistake of putting these damp seeds in a bag which produced mold and it killed him. It's so heartbreaking how he was starving the whole time he was there. I wish he had at least tried to find a different route instead of staying there. ]]> 2022-01-13 16:10:28 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1990702566 Epilogue ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1999022834 Summary: Ten months have passed since Chris had passed. His parents Billie and Walt and John Krakauer fly in a helicopter(pg 200) to follow(pg 201) the Stampede Trail. They stop at bus 142. Billie notices its surroundings(pg 202) and it reminds her of where she grew up. Even his father sees its beauty. Billie enters the bus and notices Chris's belongings. His handwriting on the walls, toothbrush, and boots. They install a memorial(pg 202) inside the door. A brass plaque inscribed with a few words. They also leave a suitcase stocked with supplies such as, first-aid kit and canned food. When leaving they look down and notice the tiny white gleam(pg 203) growing smaller and smaller.

Analysis: It's very sweet of them leaving a emergency supply kit for anybody who decided to also take the same route. I also can't imagine what his parents are feeling losing him and going back to the place where he passed.

#Supersad #Goodbyebus! #RIPCHRIS]]> 2022-01-18 21:18:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/1999022834 Afterword ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2003418921 In August 1992, Christopher McCandless had died after living on squirrels, birds, roots, and seeds for 113 days in an abandoned(¶ 1) bus. He had died of starvation. John Krakauer has been pondering about how Chris had died for 23 years. He had circled back onto his journal which wrote "Extremely weak. Fault of potato seeds." Krakauer decided to test the seeds for a neurotoxin called beta-ODAP(¶ 6) Results showed that the seeds had a lethal concentration of it that caused gradual weakening and paralysis(¶ 7). He sent the seeds back to a lab in Michigan it had shown that the seeds had another toxin an amino acid called L-canavanine(¶ 9). It screws up your ability to metabolize(¶  10), so you starve. It short-circuits your metabolism. This plant grows where many Alaska natives live. They rely on carrot- like roots. The roots become unable to eat during midsummer. That's when the toxins start coming in.

Analysis: It's crazy how 20 years later Krakauer still was wondering how Chris had died, and he worked so hard to figure it out. He also spent 20 grand. This probably lifted a big weight off his chest. It would for me. 

#donteatwildplants #hopenooneelsemakesthismistakeagain #RIPCHRIS  ]]> 2022-01-20 17:24:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2003418921 My Future Odyssey ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2003423031 I grew up with a big family on both sides. Growing up we would go camping and Big Bear at least once a year. I loved it I got to spend time with all my cousins. Sometimes we would camp near a lake and would be able to go on jet skis. I've never been out of the country, but I definitely want to travel when I have a family of my own one day. I also went to Mammoth. It's way colder and there's more snow, but the drive is 6 hours. I always appreciated my family for always taking the time and money, so we could all spend time together at least once a year. Growing up I never knew what I wanted to be or do as a job. I did think of becoming a teacher. I noticed that I love teaching and when I was younger I would play teacher with my cousins. Now, I still love teaching and being around babies and children. I've decided that I want to study to become an ultrasound technician. I plan to go to OCC after high school. Where I'll take the courses to become an ultrasound tech.

#lovefamilytime #appreciatenature #appreciatefamily]]> 2022-01-20 17:26:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2003423031 Chris McCandless Reflection ktvu108_2 https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2005803710 Although in the end Chris passed away. He accomplished so many crazy adventures. He was an intelligent man and a hard worker. Who also was very stubborn and didn't want to bring a map which would've saved his life. He had connected his childhood with traveling. When he was a child his father bought him his first rope and ice axe. His father taught him to climb. 

He is definitely brave, but an idiot. He had donated 24,000, burned his money in his pockets, and walked away from a perfectly good car. He didn't have a good relationship with his parents and he eventually completely stopped writing back to them. Which worried them a lot. He was very close to his sister though which is good. At least he bonded with one of his family members. Chris also had a very hard time bonding with people in general. Romantically and platonically  I guess he didn't want to get too emotionally invested. He wanted to focus on traveling. 

The guy doesn't really think it through though.. He left barely having anything to survive on. He only bring a bag of rice and a couple of other supplies. How does he expect to go on a months trip and live off of rice. Especially when it was cold.  I'm glad he made some friends on the way though. It really helped when they were trying to identify him, and people seemed to care deeply for him. He was a good person and extremely warm hearted plus probably had a witty personality to lure people in. 

This is such an amazing book. I think it really spreads awareness and it honors Chris and what he had accomplished. This book really explains what type of person Chris was. I wish he was still with us today. He was an extremely brave person who just wanted to go out there and live life by doing something that makes him happy. 

#RIPchris #dontjustbringabagofrice #prepareyourself]]> 2022-01-21 21:05:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ktvu108_2/4sawi1vrfy97kam/wish/2005803710