Talk of Alaska: The McCandless Bus — Move it or Leave it?

Tue, November 13, 2007
Posted in Talk of Alaska

Alaska’s outdoor paradise is beautiful, but deadly: fast-changing weather, unforgiving wildlife, avalanches, extreme tides, unreadable rivers — even insects can be serious threats. This week we look at the dangers surrounding the old McCandless bus (shrine?) on the Stampede Road north of Denali National Park. To get there you have to cross a river that floods in the summer, not to mention survive in the deep backcountry. With a new popular movie and a new documentary film likely to draw more and more hikers to the bus where Chris McCandless died — trapped by that same river — is it time to eliminate the attraction?
GUESTS:

Neal Laughman, president of the Healy Area Chamber of Commerce
Ron Lamothe, producer of the new documentary The Call of the Wild, about Christopher McCandless’ life and his death north of Denali
Live callers statewide

HOST: Steve Heimel

LIVE BROADCAST: Tue, Nov 13 at 10:00 a.m. on APRN stations statewide

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Comments

Eithen Miller

i dont think that 'the magic bus ' should be taken away just because u take away the bus doesnt mean its not going to draw people to where he was and feel what he did everone whats something thats real and if u take that bus away people when the do go the wont get to experence the same thing and they wouldnt have some where to stay and thats would probley cause more problems

Shawnna

I think the 'Magic bus' should stay where it was in the first place. Please don't move it, One day i'm going to visit the bus, & it wouldn't feel the same if it wasn't where it was in the First place.

alaskapublic

approved

Max

I just think that we are disgracing the memory of Chris with all these books and videos about him. I don't think he ever wanted to become a pop cult icon... I think that if he ever wanted is story to be told I doubt he would want in to be told within the standard mass media channels. I imagine he'd of preferred it to be told via word of mouth, not blown up like it is now.

More so, I just think he'd be disgraced at the profits driven by sales of said books, re-lease of the book and then movie/s...