Teh One Who Knocks
06-19-2020, 11:39 AM
By Kenneth Garger - New York Post
https://i.imgur.com/T1jgN0I.jpg
An abandoned bus in the Alaska wilderness that was made famous by the book and film “Into the Wild” has been removed from its long-standing site for “public safety” reasons.
An Army National Guard chopper on Thursday lifted the bus away from its old plot on state land about a half-mile outside the Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Public Media reported.
“I know it’s the right thing for public safety in the area, removing the perilous attraction,” Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker told the outlet.
“At the same time, it’s always a little bittersweet when a piece of your history gets pulled out,” he said.
The area where the bus sat has no cell phone service and is plagued by unpredictable weather.
Also nearby is the raging Teklanika River, whose swollen banks prevented Christopher McCandless — whose life is depicted in “Into the Wild” — from seeking help before his 1992 starvation death.
The bus and McCandless’ doomed trip hiking into the Alaska wilderness were first made famous in Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book, which Sean Penn made into a movie in 2007.
McCandless spent 114 days inside the bus, journaling about his time there, before dying.
Over the years, hikers have braved the rough terrain to catch a glimpse of the historic bus, sometimes resulting in injuries and even more death.
Last year, a newlywed woman from Belarus died trying to reach the site.
From 2009 to 2017, there were 15 search and rescue operations related to the bus, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige told Alaska Public Media in a statement.
It’s unclear where the bus will end up long-term, but Walker, the local mayor, said it may end up on display.
https://i.imgur.com/T1jgN0I.jpg
An abandoned bus in the Alaska wilderness that was made famous by the book and film “Into the Wild” has been removed from its long-standing site for “public safety” reasons.
An Army National Guard chopper on Thursday lifted the bus away from its old plot on state land about a half-mile outside the Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Public Media reported.
“I know it’s the right thing for public safety in the area, removing the perilous attraction,” Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker told the outlet.
“At the same time, it’s always a little bittersweet when a piece of your history gets pulled out,” he said.
The area where the bus sat has no cell phone service and is plagued by unpredictable weather.
Also nearby is the raging Teklanika River, whose swollen banks prevented Christopher McCandless — whose life is depicted in “Into the Wild” — from seeking help before his 1992 starvation death.
The bus and McCandless’ doomed trip hiking into the Alaska wilderness were first made famous in Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book, which Sean Penn made into a movie in 2007.
McCandless spent 114 days inside the bus, journaling about his time there, before dying.
Over the years, hikers have braved the rough terrain to catch a glimpse of the historic bus, sometimes resulting in injuries and even more death.
Last year, a newlywed woman from Belarus died trying to reach the site.
From 2009 to 2017, there were 15 search and rescue operations related to the bus, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige told Alaska Public Media in a statement.
It’s unclear where the bus will end up long-term, but Walker, the local mayor, said it may end up on display.