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#296420 - 06/19/20 02:05 PM 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
I always wondered why this was not done sooner.

Alaska officials on Thursday airlifted from a remote trail outside Denali National Park the wrecked bus made famous by the 1996 book and 2007 movie “Into the Wild,” removing an object that drew hundreds of fans and sightseers.

Too many people were putting themselves at risk trekking to the site where adventurer Christopher McCandless died of starvation in 1992, officials said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alaska-bus-idUSKBN23Q09S
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#296422 - 06/19/20 05:44 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Makes sense. It's been a lightning rod for trouble.

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#296423 - 06/19/20 06:55 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
I wonder if they're planning on plowing under Mt. Everest too?

"It's tempting, it's dangerous - therefore no place for it in our society." I've never understood this line of thinking.

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#296424 - 06/19/20 07:38 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
It seems it became sort of a shrine for pilgrims to visit. Too many were unprepared and clueless. Some will probably still visit the site.

I guess the other option was to turn it into a park and build a bridge with guardrails.


Edited by dougwalkabout (06/19/20 07:39 PM)

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#296425 - 06/19/20 07:42 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Disposal?? Absolutely not!! That bus is now an historic artifact and should be preserved and on public display.

Actually, I am fairly serious about this. the bus is central to the "Into the Wild" event which has drawn notable attention worldwide. A proper exhibit will tell the story correctly, doubtless combined with a decent public safety message.

In terms of increased tourism volume, it will more than pay for itself - numerous contemporary examples.

You can tell this old ranger still drinks NPS Kool-Aid.....
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#296426 - 06/19/20 07:43 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
Phaedrus Online   content
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
It should have been done years ago. Aside from being a magnet for the ill-informed and unprepared (necessitating many rescues over the years) it's essentially just litter, an ugly eyesore. Why not just start an open garbage pit or a small strip mine? I don't find junked vehicles to add anything positive to a pristine wilderness setting. There are plenty of junkyards that are located near people, no need for a junkyard in the wilderness.
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“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#296430 - 06/19/20 09:43 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
I agree with Hikermor -- whatever you think of the story (or stories) surrounding it, the bus is now a historical artifact with cultural significance. The story and its mythology, as they say, have "legs." Somehow this resonates deeply with people.

The bus (and famous suitcase) just need to be displayed in a suitable shrine where pilgrim travellers can "touch the bones" and have their moment of epiphany without putting themselves and first responders at unnecessary risk.


Edited by dougwalkabout (06/19/20 09:45 PM)

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#296431 - 06/19/20 11:34 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Some nice pics in this AP story. Didn't know AANG was rockin' Chinooks.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/into-the-wild-bus-alaska-helicopter-1.5618746


Edited by dougwalkabout (06/19/20 11:35 PM)

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#296436 - 06/20/20 06:00 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: haertig]
AKSAR Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
Originally Posted By: haertig
I wonder if they're planning on plowing under Mt. Everest too?
"It's tempting, it's dangerous - therefore no place for it in our society." I've never understood this line of thinking.
Note that the Teklanika River has not been removed. The river is still there, and people are still free to go attempt to drown themselves if they wish. The only thing that has been removed is an attractant on the far side of the river.

Originally Posted By: Phaedrus
It should have been done years ago. Aside from being a magnet for the ill-informed and unprepared (necessitating many rescues over the years) it's essentially just litter, an ugly eyesore. Why not just start an open garbage pit or a small strip mine? I don't find junked vehicles to add anything positive to a pristine wilderness setting. There are plenty of junkyards that are located near people, no need for a junkyard in the wilderness.
I tend to agree with Phaedrus. The Alaska bush is littered with far too much junk left behind by miners. Back in the day there was no requirement for miners to clean up their trash when they ended their activities. In more recent times, there have been rules, but very lax enforcement. Nowadays, some (but not all) miners act like it is an infringement on their rights to be required to clean up after themselves on public lands.

Originally Posted By: hikermor
Disposal?? Absolutely not!! That bus is now an historic artifact and should be preserved and on public display.
Actually, I am fairly serious about this. the bus is central to the "Into the Wild" event which has drawn notable attention worldwide. A proper exhibit will tell the story correctly, doubtless combined with a decent public safety message.
In terms of increased tourism volume, it will more than pay for itself - numerous contemporary examples.

You can tell this old ranger still drinks NPS Kool-Aid.....
I guess the question is, at what point does trash, junk, and litter become a historic artifact? In some places, such as Kennicott, the NPS has spent a lot of money to maintain and protect old relics of mining history. At other places, the NPS has gone to considerable lengths to try to restore areas to their pre-mining condition.

In any case, the old ranger should keep in mind that regarding the Magic Bus, the National Park Service does not have jurisdiction. The bus is, or rather was, located on State of Alaska land, just outside the Denali National Park boundary.



Edited by AKSAR (06/20/20 06:03 PM)
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#296437 - 06/20/20 07:07 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
DaveL Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 10/03/18
Posts: 90
Loc: Colorado Springs,CO
MTC
Previous generations should not be condemned for what they did to the environment. With out them we would not have the the USA . We are not perfect and it is best to learn from history.
Very few people today would survive, the hardships. Try walking and canoeing across a hostile land like Lewis and Clark,wearing wool uniforms and no showers.
Hikermor is correct .

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#296438 - 06/20/20 08:29 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: AKSAR]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Excellent query -At what point does trash, junk, and litter become a historic artifact? Actually there is a textbook answer -50 years for historical consideration and 100 years before we turn the archaeologists loose. Obviously, some events are historic well before those guidelines obtain - the twin towers of 9/11, for instance.

As one who has made a decent living and had many wonderful experiences dealing with the trash, junk, and litter, to say nothing of the garbage, of the past, I pay attention to how these potentially informative materials are handled....

i understand various alternatives are currently being considered with respect to the ultimate disposition of the bus. I don't have a dog in this particular fight, but I would only hope that due consideration is given to preservation of the bus and decent presentation of the story it embodies. There are lessons to be learned form that story.

What is it they say? "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." or something like that...

The NPS doesn't have any kind of jurisdiction until a sitting president issues a proclamation establishing a National Monument or signs into law a bill, passed by Congress, creating a National Park or equivalent.

Alaska is a prime example of the process. During the Carter Administration, Congress stalled on passing a gargantuan bill creating numerous parks and preserves. Carter therefore proclaimed them as National monuments, forestalling destructive measures, until Congress got around to coming up with the legislation.
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#297114 - 09/25/20 03:16 AM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
AKSAR Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
The famous/infamous "Into the Wild" bus has now returned to Fairbanks, where it will become an exhibit.
‘Into the Wild’ bus arrives in Fairbanks after one last trip north on the Parks Highway.

Depending on ones point of view, the bus was either a piece of junk littering the wilderness, a historical artifact, or a shrine to Christopher McCandless. As a practical matter, it was an attractant that had led to two deaths (in addition to McCandless), and far too many SAR incidents.
Quote:
The bus served as a shelter for hunters and hikers for years, but more recently started attracting numerous travelers enamored with McCandless' story who ended up needing rescue themselves. Between 2009 and 2017, there were 15 bus-related search and rescue operations by the state, Alaska officials have said.

Note that while the bus has been moved, the Teklanika River is still in its former location. Anyone who wants to hike into the area and try their luck at crossing the river is still free to do so. They will now need to carry a tent to shelter in, however.
_________________________
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."
-Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz

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#297115 - 09/25/20 03:53 AM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
Phaedrus Online   content
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Nice! Those that want to see the magic bus can still do it and a chunk of pristine wilderness is free of a giant hunk of rusting man-made junk.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#297119 - 09/25/20 03:18 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
It's in better condition than I expected.

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#297153 - 09/30/20 01:56 PM Re: 'Into the Wild' bus removed from Alaska trail [Re: Teslinhiker]
nursemike Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
Wilderness 2.0:
We put cable handrails on difficult terrain to permit passage by folks who lack the skills to make the climb. It means that more folks can enjoy nature. Too much traffic starts to degrade the setting, so we establish a permitting/metering systems to control overuse. Then we simulate the experience by manufacturing synthetic climbing walls, creating VR simulations, and bring access to the wilderness into urban settings...which stimulates new folks to experience the real thing...
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