Jon Krakauer Responds to Questions

Jon Krakauer Responds to Questions

Did Chris destroy those cabins?

Q: I was wondering what you thought about the destruction of the Forest Service and private cabins. One ranger thought it was Chris but the authorities never even considered him a suspect. What is your take on this situation?

Michael Juday

A: I remain fairly certain that McCandless had nothing to do with the destruction of any of those cabins. My extensive research convinced me that McCandless never walked very far upstream along the Sushana River from the bus (i.e., toward the cabins). His photos clearly indicate that when he roamed from the bus, he went downstream (north, toward the Sushana's confluence with the Toklat)--the opposite direction from the cabins.

I didn't mention it in the book, but more than one knowledgeable local thinks a bear was in fact responsible for the damage.

Are there better ways of planning these sojourns?

Q: My dream is one day to walk the entire length of the Pacific Rim Trail in its entirety, solo. However, I plan to have a safety net in the form of filing a backcountry permit and keeping people informed of the status of my journey (even somewhat of a pilgrimage, considering the length). We all need to get away--really, absolutely. But are there better ways of planning these sojourns than others?

Robert Theodore Konig

A: Your dream to walk the Pacific Rim Trail solo sounds like it would be a fun trip, and needn't be very dangerous if you take the proper steps: Read everything you can about the route, the weather, the ideal season for travel. Tell people where you intend to go, and when, so they can keep tabs on you. And talk at length with experienced hikers who have done the trip and know the country intimately.

A touching portrayal of a remarkable person

Q: I was hoping that I could just make a comment about Mr. Krakauer's book. I just finished it and I loved it! I was enthralled the whole time and appreciated Jon's personal accounts as well. Not being the so-called "brightest bulb on the tree," some of the deeper meaning was lost on me I am sure, but the tragedy of Chris McCandless' death was not. Thank you for writing such a touching portrayal of a truly remarkable human being.

Amy C. Bryan

A: I'm pleased and flattered that you enjoyed the book so thoroughly. I continue to find it intriguing that some people seem to love the book and find McCandless an admirable, even noble, character--and others clearly hate the book, and think both its subject and its author are world-class chumps. (See the following question.)

His hubris and narcissism are inexcusable; you romanticize idiocy

Q: I just finished re-reading Jon Krakauer's original article on the life and death of Chris McCandless, as well as some of the letters to the editor that followed its publication. I live in Alaska, and I can well understand the disdain with which Alaskans viewed the last adventure of Chris McCandless.

Many people up here (and in other parts of the world) actually live the kind of life at which McCandless was play-acting. The real tragedy behind this story is what he left behind: grieving, bewildered family and friends. I realize that mistakes happen and McCandless likely had no death wish, but that's not really the point.

The hubris and narcissism with which he blindly launched into the wilderness are not things we can excuse. Although I liked some parts of Krakauer's tale, I think it is irresponsible to romanticize a stupid act by a guy who by all indications should have known better.

Olav Ormseth

A: Obviously, we differ in our assessment of Chris McCandless. I know you aren't the only Alaskan who believes that McCandless was a jerk, and likewise believes that I'm a jerk for writing about him as I did. With all due respect, however, I don't think you really understand McCandless. Nor, I would venture, do you really comprehend the main thrust of Into the Wild. I have to bear most of the responsibility for that. As the book's author, it was my job to make McCandless understandable to the reader. And in your case, at least, I apparently failed.

How is his family doing? Where is the scholarship fund?

Q: Comment, then a question. Fantastic work, I read it in five days. The entire McCandless experience questions so much about life in the 20th century and our relationship with ourselves. Question: Has the family's "faith" which was shaken badly by his death, returned? What is their emotional status? And is there an address for donations to the scholarship fund? Thank you.

Paul Bonesteel

A: Chris McCandless’ immediate family (Walt, Billie, and Carine) are still devastated by the death of their son/brother. The loss is likely to eat at them for many years to come, I fear. And I'm not sure what the state of their religious faith is (if that's what you're wondering). The nature of their current belief (or lack thereof) is something they haven't shared with me.

Walt, Billie, and Carine have each told me that they think Into the Wild is an honest, well-told book--but I know that its publication has been very hard for them, primarily because it's stirred up a lot of painful memories all over again, and brought a new round of unwanted attention from the media. I have immense respect for the McCandlesses, and remain exceedingly grateful for their generosity and magnanimity, for their willingness to help me with the book despite the heartache they knew it would cause them. They were motivated to cooperate largely in the hope that my book would bring new information about Chris to light, and that more people who spent time with Chris during the last two years of his life will come forward after reading it.

Chris's extended family (his half-siblings from Walt's first marriage--Sam, Shelley, Shawna, Stacy, Shannon, and Quinn, all of whom live in Colorado) also miss Chris terribly, and they, too, continue to grieve for him.

Anyone wanting to make a contribution to Chris's scholarship fund should send it to: The Chris McCandless Memorial Fund, c/o Villard Books, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022.

What did Chris weigh before he began to starve?

Q: How much did Chris weigh when Gallien dropped him off at the Stampede Trail? At 5 feet 7 inches and (say) 130 pounds, I have calculated he would need about 3,500 calories per day to maintain this weight. Depending on how much hiking he did per day to find food, it could have been more.

I would also like to compliment you on how well you have written this tragic story. I have a 24-year-old-son; I easily identified with Chris's parents. Also, I recalled a younger me who just as easily identified with Chris.

Dave Carlson

A: Chris was extremely fit when he arrived in Alaska in April, 1992--photos of him from that period show him to be buff, honed, and very muscular. I would estimate that he weighed 135-145 pounds at that time.

Wasn't death the predictable outcome of such naiveté?

Q: I haven't read the book yet, but I'd like to know what exactly intrigued you about Chris's story? Didn't it seem to you, as it did to me, on first uptake, like the predictable end for someone very naive about how much the world/nature is "willing" to break one's fall?

Ronald M. Ulfohn

A: I'm not entirely sure what it is about McCandless' life and death that so captivated me. It had a lot to do, no doubt, with the way his life mirrored important events in my own life when I was his age. But it was much more that that, too. I guess I admire his courage, his resolve, his lofty ideals. I'm in awe of the extent to which he acted on his beliefs and lived out his dreams.

And no, I don't think that Chris's death was predictable or inevitable. Sure, it wasn't a complete surprise, given his recklessness and overconfidence, but I was a lot more reckless and foolish than Chris at that age, and I managed to stay alive. Defying the apparent odds, most kids somehow survive their youthful hubris, their heedlessness, their innocent mistakes--the drugs and drunk driving and unprotected sex and outrageous acts of bravado. Chris McCandless didn't use drugs or drink much or engage in sexual adventure, but he did not lack for bravado. And he happened to be among the minority of audacious kids, sadly, who did not pull though.

If you'd given him a ride, what would you have said to him?

Q: Jon, if you were driving through Alaska and you picked up a hitchhiker like "Alex," who was heading into the wilderness with only 30 pounds of gear, what would you say to him? Would you try to dissuade him?

Claudine Chamberlain

A: Had I picked up Alex Supertramp hitching to Alaska, I would have gently tried to offer him some advice, tried to convince him that he was perhaps underestimating the seriousness of the challenge he'd created for himself, but I think I would have soon come to the realization that attempting to talk him out of his plans would have been an exercise in futility.

Actually, I have encountered a number of McCandless types over the years in the backcountry--usually brazen, impetuous young climbers with unrealistic schemes to attempt some crazy ascent or another--and I have tried to persuade most of them that maybe they should reconsider their plans given current avalanche conditions, or the weather forecast, or their lack of experience, or whatever. But I don't think my words of caution have ever had any effect. When you're young and cocky and self-absorbed, you are quite sure that you already know everything you need to know, thank you. You're disinclined to listen to advice from some clueless middle-aged dweeb like me who reminds you way too much of your old man.