Christopher McCandless: Encyclopedia II - Christopher McCandless - Travels

Christopher McCandless - Travels

After graduating from college in 1990, Chris took off on a road trip around the country, determined to be a rubber tramp—a vagrant with a car. He donated the $25,000 USD in his savings account to Oxfam and hit the road. He severed contact with friends and family back home; letters to his sister indicate that he harbored a great deal of resentment to his parents in particular.

His travels took him out west, to California and Arizona, where he abandoned his vehicle after it was damaged by a flash flood in a dry wash near the Grand Canyon. From there, he bought a canoe and floated down the Colorado River. He hoped to reach the Pacific Ocean, but, after crossing the border into Mexico he got lost in an intricate maze of canals and was rescued by local fishermen. He eventually made his way to the Gulf of California.

In early 1992, he went north to Carthage, South Dakota where he worked at a grain elevator. He planned on saving his money so he could make it to Fairbanks, Alaska. From there, he would live off the land, far away from civilization. In April 1992 he set off hitchhiking for Fairbanks and arrived a few weeks later. He was last seen alive by a man who gave him a ride from Fairbanks to the Stampede Trail. His body was found by hunters in August 1992.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Travels", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki