Advertisement

'Into The Wild' International Harvester Bus Removed Via Helicopter

Jeffrey N. Ross
·3 min read

⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious

The abandoned bus had become a dangerous mecca for outdoor adventurers.

Since the story of Chris McCandless' 1992 death was told in Outside magazine as well as a critically acclaimed book and movie, both titled Into The Wild, many outdoor adventurers have attempted to retrace his final days by traveling to the abandoned 1946 International Harvester bus he had used as a shelter. Over the years, though, at least 15 people have required rescuing, so authorities made the decision to move the classic bus on June 18, 2020 using a CH-47 Chinook crew from the Alaska Army National Guard.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alaska Guardsmen airlift "Into the Wild" bus This afternoon, Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment executed an extraction mission via a CH-47 Chinook helicopter over Healy, Alaska. As part of a combined effort with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Guardsmen rigged and airlifted “Bus 142,” an historic icon from book and film, “Into the Wild,” out of its location on Stampede Road in light of public safety concerns. The bus will be stored at a secure site while the DNR considers all options and alternatives for its permanent disposition. (Alaska Army National Guard courtesy video by UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief, Staff Sgt. Sonny Cooper)

Geplaatst door Alaska National Guard op Donderdag 18 juni 2020

This bus was originally used by road crews in 1960 to get workers into the remote locations to work on the roads, and while other vehicles were removed from the area when work was done, bus no. 142 was left behind with a broken axle. It was left along Stampede Trail near Denali National Park, and it was modified with beds and a wood-burning stove. It became a famous shelter for McCandless, who referred to it as The Magic Bus, and he died of starvation inside the bus in August 1992.

McCandless' fateful adventure was popularized by the 1996 non-fiction book Into The Wild written by Jon Krakauer. In 2007, this book was adapted to a movie of the same name produced by Sean Penn.