Public can view ‘Into the Wild’ bus during preservation work
Posted Oct 12, 2021 03:15:15 PM.
Last Updated Oct 12, 2021 03:25:10 PM.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A bus that once lured people on sometimes deadly pilgrimages to Alaska’s backcountry can now safely be viewed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while it undergoes preservation work.
The bus was moved to the university’s engineering facility last week while it’s being prepared for outdoor display at the Museum of the North, Fairbanks television station KTVF reported.
The abandoned Fairbanks city bus became a shelter for hunters and others using the backcountry near Denali National Park and Preserve, but it became a beacon for those wishing to retrace the steps of Christopher McCandless, who hiked to the bus in 1992.
The 24-year-old Virginia man died from starvation when he couldn’t hike back out.
McCandless’ ordeal was chronicled in author Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book “Into the Wild,” followed later by director Sean Penn’s movie of the same name.
The state of Alaska removed the bus last year after two people died and 15 other rescue missions were launched since 2009.
The bus is being preserved in a heated, secure space that has environmental controls. It also has an elevated observation space that allows anyone to view the bus for free on weekdays. The bus is expected to remain there through the end of the academic year.
The Associated Press
