Wayne Westenburg was befriended by Chris in South Dakota. Chris worked at his grain elevator until Wayne was arrested, but months later, they met up when Wayne was released. Chris and Wayne were very close friends. Chris left Wayne with his diary before traveling to Alaska.
Jan Burres is a "rubber tramp" that Chris meets in Northern California. Chris reminds her of her son and they quickly become friends. Chris often sent her postcards and she once met up with him after he worked in Las Vegas. Ronald Frantz Ronald Frantz gives “Alex” a ride to his camp in Grand Junction, Colorado. Frantz, who had lost his wife and only son some forty years earlier, felt a connection with Alex. He even mentioned that he wanted to adopt Chris. Frantz and Chris became like granddad and grandson. Frantz taught Chris about leather making and housed/fed him. Franz then drove Chris to San Diego. Chris met up with Frantz again in California, from which Franz drove Chris back to South Dakota. Later, Alex wrote Frantz a letter from South Dakota, urging him to become more nomadic. Frantz took his advice, and occupied Chris's old campsite. Gaylord Stuckey meets Chris along the Alaskan Highway, where he asks for a ride. Stuckey initially refused McCandless a ride because it was against his company’s policy. However, after talking for a while, Stuckey became convinced that McCandless was not a typical hitchhiker and drove him all the way to Fairbanks. Stuckey bought McCandless a bag of rice at the grocery store and then left him at the University of Alaska campus, where McCandless wanted to learn about berries. Jim Gallien was the last person to see Chris McCandless before his death. He picked McCandless up about three miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska and brought him to the Stampede Trail near Healy, Alaska. He was incredibly concerned with McCandless' amount of gear and offered to lend him a few of his own supplies but was rejected. The only thing Gallien was able to persuade the stubborn youth to take was a pair of old rubber work boots. Watching Chris walk down the trail was the last time he saw the boy until his body was found. Carine McCandless is Chris' younger sister. Chris and Carine were extremely close for most of their lives together, even when Chris became more withdrawn and cold. Even ten months after her brother's death, Carine couldn't make it through a day without breaking down. For more about Carine, click the link below: http://www.carinemccandless.com/ Walt and Billie McCandless are Chris' parents. Although the two were not close to Chris, being pushed away more and more while he was in college, they worried for him unconditionally whenever he was away by himself. -Walt worked for NASA as a young adult supporting his first wife, Marcia, and their children, Sam, Stacy, Shawna, Shelly and Shannon. The young family lived in El Segundo, California. While working for NASA, Walt met his second wife, Billie. Eventually, Walt separated from Marcia (the divorce was not finalized until Chris was 7) and married Billie. |
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Related Incidents
Gene Rosellini
Gene Rosellini was a smart young man who manged to sustain a 4.0 GPA throughout college and high school. He had come from a wealthy family and constantly pursued knowledge. Rosellini was very philosophical and didn't see the point in earning a degree and wanted to know if it was possible to live a life free of technology. Therefore, Rosellini left his home in Seattle and headed up to the Alaskan wilderness. Rosellini lived off the land eating fruits, berries, roots, seaweed, game, and whatever else he could gather for over 10 years. Living a primitive life for over a decade and proving his hypothesis, his body was later found in the cave he had been living in. with a knife in his heart. There wasn't any cause for murder so his death was ruled as a suicide.
John Waterman
At the age of 16, John Waterman had climbed Mt. McKinley (Denali to the natives) in 1969 and became the third youngest person to make it to the top. Despite this great accomplishment, Waterman had some mental issues that needed to be worked out. Waterman's dad had left when Waterman was a teen and never bothered to visit Waterman or his brother, even when he was in town, breaking Waterman's heart. In 1973, one of Waterman's close friends, Bill, had lost a leg trying to hop a freight train after making plans to go on a trip. Later on, eight of Waterman's closest friends or climbing buddies had either died in an accident or committed suicide. Most likely, these tragic events had an effect on Waterman's mind. In 1978, Waterman had made a solo trek up Mt. Hunter in 81 days. After returning to civilization, Waterman tried publicizing strange campaigns that inevitably failed. Waterman later tried making multiple attempts at trying to climb Denali again, but this time alone. After two attempts, he had admitted himself into a mental facility but after two weeks left, convinced there was a conspiracy theory trying to keep him there forever. During his third attempt at climbing Denali, he told the pilot that was flying him up, which Waterman regarded him as a friend, "I won't be seeing you again," foreshadowing his disappearance which was Waterman's suicide, plummeting to his death in a giant crevasse.
Carl McCunn
Carl McCunn was an absent minded photographer from Texas. One day in the 1970's, McCunn had arranged for a ride out to a remote lake in the Alaskan Range. His plan was to stay out there from March through September with five hundred rolls of film, rifles/shotguns, and fourteen hundred pounds of provisions. McCunn had thrown out all but five boxes of shotgun shells thinking he wouldn't need them, but as September rolled around, he began to realize that he hadn't arranged for anyone to come and pick him up. A plane had flown by overhead, but not knowing the signals, McCunn had given the pilot the "all OK" sign and was left alone. Instead of trying to find a way out, McCunn stayed put waiting to be rescued. Eventually McCunn's supplies had dwindled down into nothing but scavenged meat. By November, McCunn had finished of the last of his rations and eventually died of starvation along with exhaustion, frostbite, and painful blisters covering his hands and feet.
Gene Rosellini
Gene Rosellini was a smart young man who manged to sustain a 4.0 GPA throughout college and high school. He had come from a wealthy family and constantly pursued knowledge. Rosellini was very philosophical and didn't see the point in earning a degree and wanted to know if it was possible to live a life free of technology. Therefore, Rosellini left his home in Seattle and headed up to the Alaskan wilderness. Rosellini lived off the land eating fruits, berries, roots, seaweed, game, and whatever else he could gather for over 10 years. Living a primitive life for over a decade and proving his hypothesis, his body was later found in the cave he had been living in. with a knife in his heart. There wasn't any cause for murder so his death was ruled as a suicide.
John Waterman
At the age of 16, John Waterman had climbed Mt. McKinley (Denali to the natives) in 1969 and became the third youngest person to make it to the top. Despite this great accomplishment, Waterman had some mental issues that needed to be worked out. Waterman's dad had left when Waterman was a teen and never bothered to visit Waterman or his brother, even when he was in town, breaking Waterman's heart. In 1973, one of Waterman's close friends, Bill, had lost a leg trying to hop a freight train after making plans to go on a trip. Later on, eight of Waterman's closest friends or climbing buddies had either died in an accident or committed suicide. Most likely, these tragic events had an effect on Waterman's mind. In 1978, Waterman had made a solo trek up Mt. Hunter in 81 days. After returning to civilization, Waterman tried publicizing strange campaigns that inevitably failed. Waterman later tried making multiple attempts at trying to climb Denali again, but this time alone. After two attempts, he had admitted himself into a mental facility but after two weeks left, convinced there was a conspiracy theory trying to keep him there forever. During his third attempt at climbing Denali, he told the pilot that was flying him up, which Waterman regarded him as a friend, "I won't be seeing you again," foreshadowing his disappearance which was Waterman's suicide, plummeting to his death in a giant crevasse.
Carl McCunn
Carl McCunn was an absent minded photographer from Texas. One day in the 1970's, McCunn had arranged for a ride out to a remote lake in the Alaskan Range. His plan was to stay out there from March through September with five hundred rolls of film, rifles/shotguns, and fourteen hundred pounds of provisions. McCunn had thrown out all but five boxes of shotgun shells thinking he wouldn't need them, but as September rolled around, he began to realize that he hadn't arranged for anyone to come and pick him up. A plane had flown by overhead, but not knowing the signals, McCunn had given the pilot the "all OK" sign and was left alone. Instead of trying to find a way out, McCunn stayed put waiting to be rescued. Eventually McCunn's supplies had dwindled down into nothing but scavenged meat. By November, McCunn had finished of the last of his rations and eventually died of starvation along with exhaustion, frostbite, and painful blisters covering his hands and feet.