Into the Wild Blog by Chau Tran (Student WHS)

Into the Wild Blog by Chau Tran (Student WHS) https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g Made with a creative frenzy by Chau Tran en-us 2021-12-07 21:18:24 UTC 2025-10-16 00:02:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f6b5-2642.png My Experience into the wild... cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1934576334

^{I am Chau, 17 years old girl, and love to explore the wild world around me. Honestly, since I came to the US, my life has been changing. I always enjoy all the moments when I spend my life in nature. It is such an amazing feeling. Almost all of my life would spend on exploring the world around me. I have read a quote that always brings beside me " You will not regret the things you've done more than the things you haven't done". In the picture above, I went hiking at Newport Beach with my sister. It was so funny, I and my sister met the snake and we were both genuinely surprised because that was the first time we had both seen the snake from nature. At that time, I've realized that I can learn more things when I immerse myself in the wild. Furthermore, I met some nice people and help me when I told them that the snake was over there. Since then, I have changed my view of the nature and people around me. I believe that exploring the wild makes you richer, not in your wallet, but in your intelligence and compassion.}

^{#loveyourself #experiences}

]]> 2021-12-07 21:31:54 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1934576334 Chapter 1: The Alaska Interior cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1937307785 _{Summary: Jim Gallien spotted the hitchhiker standing in the snow beside the road, thumb raised high and shivering. even though carrying the rifle the young man was friendly, and introduce his name " Alex". Then he told Gallien that he wanted to "walk deep into the bush and 'live off the land for a few months.'" At first, Gallien thought Alex " "another delusional visitor to the Alaskan frontier." Yet, after two hours drive from Fairbanks to the edge of Denali Par, he changed his mind and realized that Alex was}_congenial_and_{well-educated}_{. He was so}_concerned_{about Alex's backpack because he lacked several things such as the quality of the boy’s hiking boots is poor for the wintry weather and his rifle—.22 caliber—is too small to take down big game. In addition, he has no food except 10 pounds bag of rice - the basic necessary thing for surviving in the Alaska bush.}

_{Finally, Alex planned to head to Stampede Trail by showing Gallien his "}_crude_{map". Gallien was}_worried_{about it and trying to dissuade him but the young man was undeterred. On Tuesday, April 28, 1992, Alex disappeared down the snow-covered track.}

_{Analysis: I admire him for exploring the wild in such a risky way. Even though Chris' appearance was fierce exterior with his rifle, yet he was friendly, and it highlights Chris' fragility and inexperience as well. Gallien's suspicion and persuasion of Christ completely failed. Christ was extremely confident in his camping skills; meanwhile, he was lack of suitable supplies shows that he is ill-prepared for the hike. " Crude map" again signals that he didn't prepare well or maybe he did it on purpose because he believed in himself to be able to survive in a risky part of Alaska.}

^{#brave #confidentinthemselves}

]]> 2021-12-09 03:14:11 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1937307785 Chapter 2: The Stampede Trail cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1943056530 ^{Summary:
On September 6th, 1992, six people in three separate parties happen upon a refurbished city bus off the Stampede Trail in Denali National Park. However, three contumacious Alaskans with a special fondness for driving motor vehicles - Thompson, Samel, and Swanson decided to ford the Teklanika river in their all-terrain vehicles to arrive at the bus. The Teklanika River, a fast, icy stream whose waters are opaque with glacial till. After a few hundred yards beyond the river, they found a spot a}^{frightened-looking}^{Anchorage couple . The couple looking kinda}^spooked^{. Horrified by " a real bad smell from inside" and a disturbing SOS note from Chris McCandless attached to its door, they refuse to enter, but Samel ventures in, uncovering McCandless’s body. The Anchorage seemed too}^upset^{by the implication of the note. Samel, a man of strong opinions, decided to}^evacuate^{the body right away so McCandless's body is taken to the crime lab in Anchorage. The remains were so badly to decomposed and it would impossible to}^determine^{exactly the cause of death. But because he had been carrying no identification, so we didn't know who he was, where he was from, or why he was there.

Analysis:
The discovery of McCandless's death is luck, chance, and circumstances. He left behind many documents especially the S.O.S note. Even though the spot where found Anchorage couple's body was rarely visited and remote, the bus site was miraculously encountered by six individuals. This coincidence did not happen before he died, but it happened a few days after his death. If the hunters and hikers found Chris sooner, he may not die. Ironically, he hasn't seen anyone for 4 months since he entered the bush and starved to death.}

^{#scared #miserable #sadly}

]]> 2021-12-12 18:34:40 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1943056530 Chapter 3: Carthage cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1946204626 ^{Summary:
Two months after the discovery of McCandless's corpse, grain elevator operator Wayne Westerberg picked up the "odd young man" he knew as "Alex" in September of 1990. Westerberg remembered that at the time of their meeting, McCandless was}^smallish^{with the hard,}^stringy^{physique of an itinerant. He had not eaten for days and ran out of money. When they dined at a friend's house that night, Alex "wolfed down", and then he fell asleep at the table. McCandless stayed with Westerberge for three days, worked on his Crew as a pilot and Westerberg told the}^young^{man to look him up in Carthage. A few weeks later, McCandless showed up in Carthage and eagerly worked at a variety of physically challenging jobs at Westerberg's}^{grain elevator}^{. During this time, Wayne also learns from tax records that “Alex’s” real name is Christopher. At his graduation ceremony in May 1990, McCandless told his parents he was going to take a road trip during the summer, saying, "I think I'm going to}^disappear^{for a while." By the time, their parent had no way to contact him and their son had disappeared. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name: Alexander Supertramp.

Analysis:
This chapter begins to deeply explore the character of Christopher Candless. Chris' journey was plagued by hunger. He showed up his starved to Wayne Westerberg, and he was like "wolfed down" when offered the food. Not only that, but he also hungers on novel life experiences. McCandless's renounced: $24,000 and his name. The fact that he never told his parents what is he planning for could indicate that he is extreme and even unsustainable. Furthermore, he was trying to hide his identity which means he was trying to hide something secret.

#starving #secretly #hidehisidentity}

]]> 2021-12-14 05:18:30 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1946204626 Chapter 4: Detrital Wash cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1948502350 _{Summary:
In October 1990, the rangers of the National Park found an old yellow Datsun without license plates. The floorboards we plastered with mud, seemed like from the recent flash flood. He found many things inside the car and especially the keys to the vehicle's ignition. Then, McCandless decided to simply}_abandon_{the Datsun and resume his odyssey on foot. Following the flash flood, he hid the car's plates beneath a brown tarp, stripped it of its Virginia. He also buried his Winchester deer-hunting rifle and few other possessions. He piled his paper currency about $123 was promptly reduced to ash and smoke. On July 10, McCandless set out to hike around Lake Mead. His journal turned out to " tremendous mistake". Soon he was suffering from}_heatstroke_{, passing boaters gave him a ride to a marina at the end of the lake. Then, he tramped around to the West for the next two months. While hitchhiking, he accepted a ride from a man known as " Crazy Ernie" who offered him a job in northern California. After eleven days with six other vagabonds, McCandless realized that Ernie had no}_intention_{of ever paying him so he left. He hitched up to the south of the Oregon line, an old van pulled over, Jan Burres, and her boyfriend Bob thought that he was hungry. He told them about abandoning his car,}_burning_{his money because of not need money. Before meeting Jan Burres and Bob, he had been ticketed for hitchhiking. His parents hired a private investigator to find their son, who discovered that he had abandoned his car and received a hitchhiking ticket. On October 28, He caught the ride into Needles, California. He headed to Toprock, Arizona where he bought his canoe. His goal was to reach the Morelos Dam and the Mexican border and then to the Gulf of California and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean. He made a brief excursion up to the Bill Williams River, a tributary of Colorado, to the Colorado River Indian Reservation, the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. At the end of November, he sent a postcard to Westerberg in care of Glory House, the Sioux Falls. Then he headed to the Morelos Dam and the Mexican Border but unfortunately, he realized that he will not reach the Gulf of California if he keep going in this way. The duck hunters dropped him in El Golfo de Santa Clara and stayed there for ten days. LAter, violent gusts started blowing down, and the wind and tidal threaten to carry McCandless out to sea. Finally, he manages to beach the canoe on a jetty. Shortly thereafter, he leaves Mexico. After that, he was back at the United States border but he was caught by}_{immigration authorities}_{. He next moved across to the Southwest, traveling to Houston ad as far west as the Pacific coast. After seven and a half months, he found a job at the Italian restaurant.}

_{Analysis:
During his time in Mexico, he lived on nothing more than "five pounds of rice and what marine life he could pull from the sea," he believed in himself that he could survive into wild Alaska with it. In addition, he proved himself capable of canoeing hundreds of miles of landscapes and even crossed an international border. Similarly, he abandoned his car, burned his cash, left everything he had to continue his journey.He had a complicated relationship with his car, his money, and his possessions. Another question remains unanswered from Chris' mother "Chris was very much of the school that you should own nothing except what you can carry on your back at a dead run."Until now, we still don't know why she said that.}

_{#selfish #self-destructive.}

]]> 2021-12-15 03:00:19 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1948502350 Chapter 5: Bullhead City cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1948647015 ^{His camera was}^ruined^{and McCandless stopped taking photographs, also stopped keeping a journal. Not a great deal is known after departing Las Vegas in May 1991. He spent July and August on the Oregon coast, and then hitched down U.S Highway 101, then headed east into the desert again. By early October, he landed in Bullhead City, Arizona. McCandless had been staying there for two months, got a}^{full-time job}^{at McDonald, and even open a}^{savings account}^{at a local bank. He told his fellow that he lived across the river in Laughlin. McCandless wrote to Jan Burres and Bob, who were in California's Imperial Valley. They planned on visiting him, but before they can, he turned up at their campsite. He told them he}^quit^{his job because he was tired of the "plastic people" he worked with. Jan and Bob were staying with him at the Slabs. When McCandless arrived at the Slabs, he}^volunteered^{to oversee her large inventory of used books. Then, a girl known as Tracy}^{fell in love}^{with McCandless but unfortunately, she was too young for him. Also, he did calisthenics each morning to get in shape and discussed with Bob about " "self-styled survivalist."

Analysis:
When he worked at McDonald's to get his money, he seemed disdain for his menial job because of his low-paying job. Then he quit his job and it seemed that he had a bad relationship between him and his money. Furthermore, Chris' Alaskan adventure inspires by the novel and stories of Jack London. He didn't appreciate the nuances between what he read and what he faced. McCandless was an anomaly: an individual who wanted life to be not easier but more difficult. Chris tends to figure gravitate good mother relationship as well. So it seemed like he wanted to have familial love he believe in.

#gotajob #makemoney#quitandfoundhealthylife}]]> 2021-12-15 04:59:33 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1948647015 Chapter 6: Anza-Borrego cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1953136143 ^{Summary:
The chapter starts with the letter received from Franz as a known issue of Outside which covered the story about the death of Chris McCandless. The two met when McCandless was hitchhiking from a small country store outside Salton City, not far from a gathering of aging hippies, itinerant and indigent families, nudists, and snowbirds set up in an area they call Oh-My-God Hot Springs. He set up camp by the Salton Sea. After Franz's wife and his son were killed, Franz started hitting the whiskey very hard. Six months later, he decided to quit drinking and started officially "}^adopting^{" many young people. Franz was trying to}^convince^{a young man- Alex ( Chris McCandless) that "get an education and a job and make something of his life" but he got declined by Alex. Then, they became good friends and spent a lot of time}^togethe^{r. In early February, McCandless decided to go to San Diego to earn more money even though Franz didn't want it. He left for a while, traveling from San Diego up to Seattle and then back to Colton, California, where he was briefly jailed for hopping freight trains. On Franz's birthday, McCandless sent a card to Burres and a card to Franz as well. Later, he contacted Franz to pick him up in California. Franz offered to drive him to Grand Junction, Colorado, and McCandless accepted. Franz fave McCandless a machete, an arctic parka, a collapsible fishing pole, and some other gear for his Alaska undertaking. Remarkably, Franz believed in the advice of the 24-year-old McCandless and stayed at his abandoned campsite for eight months, waiting for the young man's}^return.^{Finally, after 8 months of waiting, the Indian youth said that " I hate to tell you this, mister, but your friend is}^dead.^{Froze to death upon the tundra. Just read about it in Outdoor magazine". Franz was so shocked and heartbreaking, and he turned back to the store by his vans, and still drinking whiskey.

Analysis:
McCandless's relationship with Franz reflects on his relationship with Burres and Westerberg. As we know, McCandless had rejected from Burres and Westerberg offered to get food or supplies, but he accepted get a machete, an arctic parka, a collapsible fishing pole, and some other gear from Franz. Furthermore, he also called Franz to help him by driving to Colorado. In addition, an old man tried to convince him to be his grandson but McCandless refuse his offer. Once again, it is important to understand that McCandless fled society not because he couldn't get along with others, but because he chose to be alone.

# Heartbreaking #sad}]]> 2021-12-17 05:06:48 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1953136143 Chapter 7: Carthage cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1955883783 ^{Summary:

On a frosty March afternoon, McCandless had into the office at the Carthage grain elevator and announced that he was ready to work. During 4 weeks, he worked}^hard^{, doing}^{dirty, tedious}^{jobs. Furthermore, McCandless lacked common sense and the ability to see "the forest for the trees": he was unable to use a microwave oven properly, for instance. During staying in Carthage, Gail Borah was known as Westerberg’s girlfriend, a mother of two children, became close to McCandless. Westerberg doesn’t press Chris about his family, and just got stuck on something that happened between him and his dad and couldn't leave it be. Both father and son were}^{stubborn and high-strung}^{. Furthermore, Westerberg said he doesn't recollect Alex ever talking about any girlfriends. Chris showed interest in girls but likely lived a chaste and celibate life, much like his hero Thoreau who remained a lifelong virgin. In addition, he also established deep friendships with Westerberg's mother and long-time girlfriend. Westerberg told Krakauer, " There was something fascinating about him. He was hungry to learn about things. Unlike most of us, he was the sort of person who insisted on living out his beliefs." Before he headed to Interstate 94, he hugged Borah, and she told that she noticed McCandless was crying. That was frightened her because he wouldn't have been}^crying^{except he take big risks or might not come back.

Analysis:
Regarding McCandless's character, he got considered arrogant and incompetent by his critics. Even though he was intelligent, hardworking, and resilient but he lack mechanical dexterity and perhaps even common sense. He was lacking some of the common senses is a foreboding indicator that Chris may not be fully prepared for Alaska. Although Chris was shunned by his parents, he remained close to strangers. Chris giving up his family values is what makes " Into the wild" more appealing. In addition, his chastity shows that his life has simple and joyful, yet on the other hand, it causes him to be deprived of life's pleasure and relationships.

#triedtonotfallinlove #resilient #strong}]]> 2021-12-19 21:11:58 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1955883783 Unit 8: Alaska cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1959498223 ^{Summary:
After McCandless's dead, he appeared in the magazine Outside, and many people concluded that the boy have been mentally ill. Furthermore, Krakauer received many emails criticizing his portrayal of McCandless. In the long letter, Nick Jans revolted to fight against negative thoughts and Chris's ill-preparedness. Krakauer related a story about his real name was Gene Rosellini to get people to explore more about Chris’ personality and his motivations for venturing into the wild. He was the eldest stepson, wealthy Seattle restaurateur, and popular governor of Washington State. After spending a decade camping, foraging, hunting, and living in extreme poverty, Rossellini inexplicably suicided, becoming front-page news and a local legend. Then, Krakauer told about John Waterman, a sixteen-year-old man, and the inexhaustible physique of a gymnast. He was the third-youngest person to stand the highest landform on the continent, whose sanity gradually unravels in tandem with his parent's divorce and the untimely deaths and disappearances of family and friends. Then, Waterman decided to embark on the most astonishing expedition and he reached 14,573- foot which rises in Alaska to the south of Denali. Later, to publicize his campaign, he plans to make a solo ascent the most treacherous face in the winter with a minimum of food. Waterman's last place seen on the Northwest Fork on April 1, assumed he fell through thru snow bridges and plummeted to his death at the bottom of the deep fissures. Then, Krakauer told about McCunn's story. He was a photographer, had a trip to shoot pictures of wildlife. He intended to remain in the}^wilderness^{through August but he didn't have any plans to be back. He made a mistake with an emergency signal as he learned it too late. That was why he was still stuck in Alaska. By the end of September, snow was piling up and the lake had frozen, McCunn put a lot of effort and tried to}^survive^{in these difficult conditions but still, no plans appear. However, McCunn's food, supply was scarce and he got hungrier and hungrier. In November, he felt weak and}^dizzy^{. In the Notebook paper, he asked for forgiveness from God for his}^weakness^{and his sins. Two months later, Alaska State Troopers discovered the}^emaciated^{corpse frozen hard as stone.

Analysis:
In this chapter, the author sets the scene for McCandless's desolation. With criticism from people, the author stood up to defend him. He also cited the examples of Rosselini, Waterman, and McCunn to demonstrate that McCandless was not the only individual living in the Alaska wilderness. Similar to Rosselini and Waterman, Christopher McCandless "was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature," the author writes.

#thesameplight #againstcriticism #protect}

]]> 2021-12-21 21:11:37 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1959498223 Chapter 9: Davis Gulch cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1973124163 ^{Summary:
In this chapter, Krakauer tells us the story of another man who disappears into the wild: Everett Ruess, a hitchhiker, and a photographer who pursued the beauty adventure throughout the American Southwest during the 1930s. Like McCandless, he changed his name several times. At first, his family called him Rameau, and then changed the}^identity^{again to Evert Rulan. He}^inscribed^{his name "Nemo 1934". Everett Reuss was found in Davis Gulch, along the Colorado River in Utah, where he inscribed "NEMO 1934" in stone on the entrance to an ancient Anasazi Indian granary. In addition, some folks believe that Everett fell off a cliff while climbing the region’s crumbly canyon walls, but no human remains are ever recovered. Yet, some people believe that he was still}^alive^{and he liked people too damn much to}^{stay down}^{and live in}^secret^{for the rest of his life.

Analysis:
Similar to McCandless, Ruess changed his name several times to hide his identity. He wanted to cut himself free of dependencies on society, family, and money. In addition, the author was attempting to illuminate McCandless by comparing and reflecting. That evidence convinced that McCandless was not alone, there were still many people headed for solitude across continents.
#similartoMcCandless'sdead #sadly}]]> 2022-01-03 23:48:30 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1973124163 Chapter 10: Fairbanks cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1977713276 ^{Summary:

Through local and national media, Westerberg and Jim Gallien heard about the discovery death of a young hiker in September 1992. The story was}^published^{on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News, and Jim Gallien believed that McCandless was still}^alive^{and as does Westerberg. When Westerberg provided Chris's}^{social security}^{to the polices, this clue headed to Sam who Chris’}^half-brother^{Sam McCandless}^,^{confirms Chris’ identity and must tell Walt and Billie the heartbreaking news.}

^{Analysis:
The author was gradually adding drama to his story. Through a compelling lead, the author gradually revealed some of the people involved in Chris's life like Sam McCandless- Chris's half-brother, and his friends: Westerberg and Jim Gallien. The search to confirm Chris’ identity also reflects Chris’ journey for self-discovery, and Krakauer was trying to find the reason for Chris's mysterious death.
#secret# revealnextchapter}

]]> 2022-01-06 01:49:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1977713276 Chapter 11: Chasapeake Beach cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1977822968 ^{Summary:
In 1965, Walt's marriage was in trouble and they separated. He started dating a girl named Billie. Billie got pregnant and gave birth to a son named Christopher Johnson Mccandless. When Chris was six, the family moved to the D.C. suburbs, where Walt worked for NASA, then started a}^consulting^{firm with Billie. According to his parents, Chris was smart and independent because when he was two, he got up in the middle of the night, found his way outside without waking his parent. Furthermore, Chris was also eight when he went on his first backpacking trip. Additionally, his parents worked hard, with both parents working together on a consulting venture, the atmosphere around the house was often tense. Yet, they usually traveled together. On the family vacation, Walt took twelve years old Chris and his youngest brother on a hiking trip. Hiking inspired Chris to conquer to climb higher mountains, and Walt puts his foot down before Chris can make his way up a dangerous slope. At the age of 10, McCandless was so}^strong^{and began to}^{run competitively}^{, and in his teens, he became a top distance runner in his region. Furthermore, McCandless took life's}^inequalities^{to heart. During his senior year, he was attempting to end apartheid in South Africa and started talking to friends about smuggling arms into South Africa so they could join the struggle against apartheid. In addition, he}^{picked up}^{a homeless man from the street of D.C and bought him home to leafy, and secretly set the guy up in his parent's trailer parked. In 1985, Chris was hired by a local building contractor and they offered to hire him if he will stay in Annandale.

Analysis:
The lacking of money in his family makes him closer to Carine. In addition, Walt already knew that Chris was so smart and put a check on his son’s adventurous spirit. He was truly a natural salesman and got money to buy his car. That made Chris more independent and forged the relationship between the wealth and freedom he brought.
#independent #buyowncar}

]]> 2022-01-06 03:14:19 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1977822968 Chapter 12: Annandale cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1979902688 ^{Summary:
This chapter is exploring about McCandless's character and why did Chris have a problem with his parent. Chris' parents drove him down to Atlanta to enroll in college. His parents' pleasantly surprised about his grades because it was nearly perfect. He started writing for the school newspaper and even talked}^{enthusiastically}^{about going to get a law degree " I think my grades will be good enough to get into Harvard Law School". But the summer after his second year at Emory, McCandless's personality appeared to have grown markedly different. The author wrote that "}^{smoldering anger'}^{- when Chris arrived in California to visit the El Segundo neighborhood, Chris realized the fact that his father had lived a double life for several years. Even though his father fell in love with Billie and gave birth to Chris, Walt}^continued^{his relationship with Marcia, dividing his time between two households, two families. Discovering this duplicity infuriated McCandless. He didn't}^confront^{his parents about what he knew but he decided to make a secret of his dark knowledge in}^silence^and^{sullen withdrawal.}^{During his senior year, Chris lived off-campus and after graduation, he started to hit the road trip. Chris stopped contacting his family and his parents and Carine was so worried about him. After 2 years Chris left Atlanta, Billie awoke in the middle of the night, certain she had heard her son's voice begging:" Mom! Help me".

Analysis :

In this chapter, the fact that Chris discovered that Walt was lying to him, Carine, and Billie in the several years made him angry. He decided to keep it silent, didn't confront with his parents, and started hitting the road trip. He even stopped contact with his family showed that he was so stubborn and have provided the match that lit McCandless's short fuse.

#bigreveal #heartbreakingforChris}]]> 2022-01-07 03:10:21 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1979902688 Chapter 13: Virginia Beach cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1982043889 ^{Summary :

In this chapter, Krakauer interviewed Carine McCandless and she was relieved the day she heard about his brother's death. She even thought that if the dog Buck had}^accompanied^{Chris, he might have taken fewer risks. Ten months after his brother's death, she still}^grieves^deeply^{for her brother. Billie was so shocked in front of her son's death when Carine and her husband went to Alaska to bring home Chris's ashes, in Carine's}^knapsack^{. Billie broke down from time to time, weeping as only a mother who has}^outlived^{a child can weep. " I just don't understand why he had to take those kinds of chances" Billie protests through her tears.

Analysis:
During the flight home, Carine ate every scrap of food the cabin attendants set in front of her but she realized that she lost ten pounds, Billie had stopped eating too. Yet, her father, Walt, responds the opposite way, putting on eight pounds. This was probably like Carine and Billie are feeling empathy and compassion for Chris. Meanwhile, Walt ate to avenge Chris's hunger pain.
#heartbreakingforChris’sfamily #Carinewasshocked}]]> 2022-01-09 04:07:54 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1982043889 Chapter 14: The Stikine Ice Cap cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1985077083 ^{Summary :
In 1977, for reasons not dissimilar to those that drove McCandless to head into the wilderness, Krakauer was lured by the challenge of climbing the dangerous mount called Devils Thumb. He believed that this}^experience^{is going to change his life. For the first day of climbing, along with to snow of ice, he did good progress. However, three days after leaving Petersburg, the glacier spills abruptly over the edge of a high plateau, but the cross-shaped poles strapped to his body save him from a fatal fall. Nearly out of food, Krakauer grew increasingly}^anxious^{and waited for days at the base of Devils Thumb for a plane to drop off supplies. For the first seeing the plane, he was}^waving^and^screaming^{. The supplies arrive just in time for Krakauer to continue on his hike. Krakauer had transfer his belongings to the plane so he could continue his climbing journey. But the pilot involved in the delivery misread the altitude, almost}^completely^{missing the Krakauer camp. Krakauer continued to climb the glacier. He can now see 3,700 feet below him. “The sour taste of panic rose in my throat,” he recalls

Analysis:
In this chapter, the author has told his own experience. He did not hesitate to share the things he lived "in the wild" as well as McCandless. Furthermore, not only Rosselini, Waterman, McCunn, and Reuss have shared McCandless's impulses, but the author himself.

#Krakauer’s experience#dangerous}

]]> 2022-01-11 02:07:17 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1985077083 Chapter 15: The Stikine Ice Cap cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1988576516 ^{Summary:
In this chapter, after coming down from the side of the Devils Thumb, he kept inside the tent for most of the next three days. Krakauer decided to smoke a celebratory marijuana cigar he had been saving. While smoking, he almost burned down the tent, which has been borrowed from his father. Due to fire damage, the temperature of the tent’s inner dropped 30 degrees. Next, he reminisces about his complicated but kind and generous father. Lewis Krakauer, a doctor, wanted his son to be a doctor as well. He began preparing for Krakauer a shining career in medicine when he enrolled in kindergarten. Father and son clashed as Jon entered his teens and then young adulthood. A victim of childhood polio, Lewis began experiencing symptoms of the disease again in middle age. During the treatment, he became addicted to many pain relievers and then attempted suicide. Realizing that desire alone will not save him from death on the trail, Krakauer decided to ascend a less challenging route.He found a solid spot to anchor himself and mounts the peak. He took some photographs, and then descend. No one believe that he climbed Devils Thumb, nor do any of the locals care about his ascent. Krakauer realizes that his climb did not change his life, and he believed that McCandless was not suicidal when he walked into the woods, but simply curious and eager to test his limits.

Analysis:
In this chapter, the author told about the relationship between him and his father. He did not hesitate to oppose the views his father put forward and forced him to follow. In addition, he and McCandless also have similarities in that is their relationship with their family.
#Krakauer’sexperience # Chriswasnotsuicidal#curious}

]]> 2022-01-12 16:10:04 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1988576516 Chapter 16: The Alaska Interior cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1989510461 ^{Summary:
On April 15, 1992, McCandless departed Carthage for Alaska, hitching a ride with driver Gaylord Stuckey along the way. Despite being very reluctant to help Chris, they both arrived in Fairbanks. On the road, Stuckey had come to enjoy McCandless’s company and that was the reason he changed his mind and agree to drive Chris. Stuckey warned him that the snow was thick and there will be few plants and berries to eat. After}^dropping^{McCandless at university, Stuckey went back to town to deliver the RV. After taking his leave of Stuckey, McCandless spent two days and three nights in Fairbanks. Preparing to head into the forest, he found a guide to edible plants and}^purchases^{a rifle. He hitched a ride from Gallien, and dropped McCandless off on the Stampede Trail with carrying nothing else but his rifle, his}^backpack^{filled with rice and books. Finally, McCandless reached the Teklanika River and discovered the bus where he made camp. Struggling with shoot game in wintry weather, he started to}^thrive^{to made summer to}^warmer^{and longer. He was so excited about the upside of hunting that Chris decided to walk West, but got bogged down by the}^thawing^{terrain, realized his madness, and got back on the bus. He was proud of himself when he shot down a moose but then it}^traumatized^{Chris and made him regret killing animal. When he encoutered the rising summer floodwaters of the Teklanika River, he realized that he cannot cross because he was a weak swimmer and in fact that he was afraid of water. Chris turned back towards the woods and the bus to wait for the rapids to recede. He realized that his failure of cannot cross to the river was “ insignificant blunders” .

Analysis:
In this chapter, the author recreated McCandless's adventure to the top of Alaska, following him into the woods and observing McCandless's admirable survival skills. After Chris shot and killed the moose, he regretted it. It shows that he was a deeply moral and empathetic person.
#traumatized#empathetic#afraid}]]> 2022-01-13 03:17:23 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1989510461 Chapter 17: The Stampede Trail cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1991641505 ^{Summary:
The author revisited the Teklanika Rive a year and a week after Chris decided not to attempt to cross. Krakauer hope to cross the river, visit the bus and see where McCandless died to understand why. Accompanied by three accomplished outdoorsmen, he have in his backpack a topographic map, which reveal that half-mile downstream from where McCandless tried to}^cross^,^built^{by the U.S Geological Survey. Krakauer with three companions can’t seen from where the Stampede Rail comes down to the river. Yet, after 20 mins, they reach it and locate a steel cable.The cable}^stretched^{between a fifteen-foot tower on the side and an outcrop on the far shore. The author wondered why McCandless didn’t attempt another crossing of the Teklanika the next month, in August instead of staying inside the bus and}^starving^{to death. One of McCandless’s friends mused that Chris” was born in the}^{wrong century}^{. He was looking for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people”. Krakauer and his friends cross the river, and after a long time walking, the saw the Sushana River bus.The bus}^content^{: a bag of bird feathers, perhaps meant for insulating McCandless’s clothes; a kerosene lamp; Ronald Franz machete sheath; books; a stovr fashioned out of an old oil drum; jeans padded with silver duct tape,hiking boots,…. The author realized that Chris lacked some essential equipment for survival and he reminded of the ill-prepared Arctic expeditions of British explorer, Sir John Franklin, whose arrogance in the face of harsh conditions led to the demise of 140 souls. McCandless sought to live in harmony with harsh nature.
Analysis:
While Chris had trouble crossing the river, Krakauer easily did it. It was ironic that Chris had not prepared well for his trip and that he was ignorant of his surroundings. Furthermore, the moose bones not only taint the campsite with death, also prove Chris was a good hunter. The fact that Chris attempted to be one with the landscape show that he has a lot of respect for nature.
#starving #abandonedgaugingstation}]]> 2022-01-14 04:05:29 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1991641505 Chapter 18: The Stampede Trail cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1993256682 ^{Summary:
After his attempt to depart the wilderness was stymied, Chris arrived back at the bus. He continued his routine of hunting and gathering though he was so thin. Doctor Zhivago was the last book Chris would ever read so two days after he finished the book, the entry in the journal :”}^Extremly^{weak, fault of pot.Seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great Jeopardy. “ Before this note, nothing in journal to suggest that Chris was in dire circumstances. Chris was hungry, and his meager diet had pared his body down to feral scrawn of}^gristle^{and bone. Then his physical condition went to hell and he was dead by August 19. Wayne Westerberg suggested that McCandless ate some potato}^seed^{he bought in South Dakota which}^poisoned^{him. However, a wild potato that McCandless may have foraged and confused with similar -looking, and toxic. The author thought starving he mistaking one plant for the other and became incapacitated. Already ate poisonous plant seeds which killed him. Four years after McCandless’s death, Krakauer discovered that a toxic mold can grow on legumes. “ It wasn’t the seeds of the wild potato that had done McCandless in; he was probably killed instead by mold that had been growing on those seeds”. On August 2, the diary says only “ TERRIBLE WIND”. On August 5, McCandless noted in his journal that he has spent 100 days in the wild. He wrote:” BUT IN}^WEAKEST^{CONDITION OF LIFE. DEATH LOOMS AS SERIOUS THREAT. TOO WEAK TO WALK OUT, HAVE LITERALLY BECOME TRAPPED IN THE WILD. There are no entries in McCandless’s journal for August6,7 and 8. On August 9, he notes that he shot at a bear but missed. On August 10, he saw a caribou but didn’t get a shot off. On August 11, he killed and ate one ptarmigan. On August 12, he dragged himself out of the bus. On the other side of the page, he penned a brief adios:” I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL”. One of his last act was take a picture of himself. He is smiling in the picture, no mistaking the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace, screne as a monk gone to God.

Analysis:
McCandless finally forgave his family, as he wrote "Happiness only real when shared". moreover, he felt very happy when he only had 112 days to live into the wild, and when he died, he still wrote “I have had a happy life”. About Chris’s death, rather his death from something that was beyond hu knowing, as it was not explainined.

#getemotional #happylife #longstory}]]> 2022-01-15 03:47:00 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1993256682 EPILOGUE cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1999542421 ^{Summary:
After ten months Chris was}^dead^{, Billie and Walt with Krakauer traveled to Sushana River by}^helicopter^{where it took McCandless four days to walk. Billie is the first to enter the bus, and Billie returned from the stream to find her sitting on the mattress where Chris died. She gazes silently at her son’s boots under the stove, his}^handwriting^{on the walls, his tooth brush. Billie and Walt}^smell^{their dead son’s jeans. They both wander in and out of the bus for the next two hours. She leaves a suitcase stocked with a first-aid kit and other survival supplies under the bed. Billie tells Krakauer “ Many people have told me that they}^admire^{Chris for what he was trying to do. If he’d lived, I would agree with them.” Abruptly, the quiet is}^shattered^{by the percussive racket of the helicopter.
Analysis:
Krakauer ended the story with resulted in tragedy with a low-key but heartbreaking scene. Through the narration of the author, the readers could understand the pain and suffering of Chris in the past time. Because of that, the readers can share and empathy with the loss of Chris’ family.
#Chris’faimlyloss #empathyandshare #witnessingChris’ssurvivalsupplies}]]> 2022-01-19 04:48:34 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/1999542421 AFTERWORD cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2001806219 Summary:

_{In August 1992, Christopher McCandless died in an abandoned bus in Alaska after 113 days living into the wild. Hunters found his body and declared}_{starvation(p1)}_{as the cause of death. But a mystery still}_lingered_{(p2) and Krakauer has been questioning about Chris’ death and circled back again and again in one thing : McCandless’ diary. One passage that couldn’t}_ignore_{(p4) which is “Extremely weak. Fault of potato seeds”. After a tip from a writer named Ronald Hamilton with a grim story about poisoning in Nazi, Krakauer started to test the seeds called beta-ODAP. He teamed up with a chemist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and hired comapny to analyze seeds sample. By September 2013, after sending samples to lab in Michigan, Krakauer got the result that the seeds had a lethal concentration of a compound called beta-ODAP which is the caused weakening and paralysis. He sent the seeds back again to the Michigan lab for more through test. After that, he}_published_{(p9)the result in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine that the seeds contain a toxin called amino acid- L canavanine. The}_debate_{(p18)about Chris’ death will likely continue. There is no way to know how many seeds he ate in two weeks period leading up to his death. Krakauer says:”What he did was not easy. He lived for 113 days off the land in a place where there's not a lot of game”. "And he did really well. If he hadn't been weakened by these seeds, I'm confident he would have survived."
Analysis:
Everyone thought that Chris was death because of starvation. Until a mystery revealed that Chris was death because he ate the seeds contain poison. Even though he ate the seeds but he lived for 113 days off and Krakauer believed that he would have survived if he didn’t eat those seeds.
#potatoseeds#poisoning#survival}

]]> 2022-01-20 02:00:58 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2001806219 My Future Odyssey cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2003841831 _{When I was little, I always tell my mom " I will travel when I can get money by myself and I will bring you and dad with me every time." That is the only dream that I remember the most in my mind. In my opinion, travel is exploring things around us. I've been always fascinated with exploring and finding out as much as I can about new cultures and new life. I could become richer, not in my wallet, but my passion and my intelligence. Invest in myself and my passion would never regret when I get to reminisce. I enjoy every road trips with my family, and we usually make a plan to head into somewhere that we never come before. In addition, a long - term I have is to be happy regardless of what I did in the past. To be honest, I am a sensitive person so that is why when I reminisce some things I did, I usually regret it. I want to be satisfied with my decisions, to be able to accept and forgive my fault or even keep going to chase my failure. Steve Maraboli says “At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.”}

_{The picture above, I took in the summer when I woke up in the sky. I love that picture, so amazing. I think I am on the way to archive my goals day by day. I do not have any rules for myself, especially about travel. For someone, travel is to buy a plane ticket and go somewhere they've never come before. Yet, for me, travel is exploring the wild. I enjoy every nature and landscape around my life. Furthermore, planning road trips with family is a marvelous opportunity to enrich our life, have fun, and widen our perspective. In order to know more knowledge, I let myself read a book almost every day. Some of the information might change my mind and open new vistas in my imagination. Hence, I keep motivated and access it more easily. Budget is one of the biggest obstacles for not only everyone. I used to think that traveling would require the amount of money. That is true but not too much. I planned road trips with my family and spent just only $100 on food. Do not let money stop our passion, even though your budget is limited it is ok. At that time, I just had a small amount of money for my road trip but I finally discovered new places. Travel heals my mind, indulges me in nature, and is comfortable about what I did. In addition, I often wonder why I regret what I did in the past? In order to let me out of the safety zone, I let myself forgive all of my mistakes, cherish accomplishments I did and give new chance. Archiving these goals are my purpose to live and continue my life. It also pushes my motivation to keep up.

#neverregretwhatwedid #safetyzone#travelhealsyoumind}

]]> 2022-01-20 21:09:43 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2003841831 Chris McCandless Reflection cttran124_4 https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2005804143 _{My reaction to Chris is a combination between hate and admiration. First, I hate Chris because he was so rude with his name and his family. Krakauer said, “McCandless change his name, gave the entire balance of a 24 thousand-dollar saving account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his pocket” (Author’s note). In my opinion, I do not want to judge his parents because I am empathetic with Chris. Yet, even though Chris hated his family and didn't want to meet them, he shouldn't hide the identity that his parents gave him. For me, that is something we should be proud of. He even changed his name several times. I am getting mad until he abandoned his car and burned all the cash in his pocket. McCandless was a young man who believed that being around society can be poisonous and is a trap. In order to avoid these things, he was trying to be arrogant and not materialistic when it came to possessions such as cars and houses. Besides, I also sympathize with what he has been through, even though I've been so mad about what he did. McCandless could have gone away from society to escape reality or, for being in a place where he could find himself at peace.}

_{According to what Krakauer analyzed, Chris' death, because he ate potatoes seeds, contains poison, not starvation. Krakauer says:” What he did was not easy. He lived for 113 days off the land in a place where there's not a lot of game”. "And he did really well. If he hadn't been weakened by these seeds, I'm confident he would have survived."}
_{The author's words touched my heart. My earlier madness was transformed into admiration for Chris. The first time I read the book, I thought that Chris was so an idiot but he was actually smart. If Chris was an idiot guy, he couldn't have survived in Alaska for 113 days, especially since he was not well equipped like most others would have been, which goes to show his resourcefulness. Furthermore, I admire him because he was a warm-hearted guy. In chapter 11, after Chris figured it out that his father had 2 families, he was disappointed about his father. On one occasion, he picked up a homeless man from the street of D.C brought him home to leafy, affluent Annadale, and secretly set up the guy in his parents parked beside the garage. Not only that, during his senior year, he was attempting to end apartheid in South Africa and started talking to friends about smuggling arms into South Africa so they could join the struggle against apartheid. From the evidence above, I think Chris McCandless was intelligent, despite what people say. He did what he wanted and I think that is the only purpose that Chris wanted when he was still alive.}

_{#hateandadmire#warmhearted#intelligent}

]]> 2022-01-21 21:05:52 UTC https://padlet.com/cttran124_4/zanbj0wqdawec42g/wish/2005804143