alaska

Into the Wild

"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a bright future--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in an abandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While it doesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Into the Wild does shed considerable light along the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a young man who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ... wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams." Into the Wild shows that McCandless, while extreme, was hardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pull off. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magnetic personality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forget Christopher McCandless.

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.  How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir.  In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his  cash.  He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented.  Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away.  Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.

Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life.  Admitting an interst that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the dries and desires that propelled McCandless.  Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.

When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris.  He is said  to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page.

The Milepost 2008 (Milepost)

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (Annivers

To live in a pristine land . . . roam the wilderness . . . build a home. . . . Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. Here is a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.

Frommer's Alaska 2008 (Frommer's Complete)

Frommer's. The best trips start here.

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.
* Insider advice on enjoying the great Alaskan wilderness, from whale-watching and kayaking to fishing for Pacific salmon.
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Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
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Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
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Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Coming into the Country

Residents of the Lower 48 sometimes imagine Alaska as a snow-covered land of igloos, oil pipelines, and polar bears. But Alaska is far more complex geographically, culturally, ecologically, and politically than most Americans know, and few writers are as capable of capturing this complexity as John McPhee. In Coming into the Country, McPhee describes his travels through much of the state with bush pilots, prospectors, and settlers, as well as politicians and businesspeople who have their eyes set on a very different future for the state.

Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2008 (Frommer's Cruises)

Experience the best a place has to offer on the cruise that's right for you. Frommer's. Your trip begins with us.

• Exact prices, including brochure rates, with tips on how to find deep discounts, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
• Extensive descriptions of all the major ships sailing in Alaska, with information on everything from cabins and ship facilities to shore excursions and recreational activities.
• Comprehensive ship ratings that grade the essential elements of a cruise experience (dining, activities, children's programs, public areas, cleanliness, and overall enjoyment) from "poor" to "outstanding."
• Complete coverage of the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska, with off-the-beaten-path experiences and new takes on top attractions.
• Bonus wildlife guide in the appendix highlights the animals you're most likely to see-from whales to bald eagles to bears.

More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980

The journals of Richard "Dick" Proenneke are now available in an edited and annotated volume covering the years 1974 through 1980. The nation first became aware of the remarkable life of Dick Proenneke with the publication of One Man's Wilderness in 1973.

Master of woodcraft and camp craft, keen observer of the natural world, mechanical genius, tireless hiker and journalisx, for 30 years Proennek lived a storied existense in a small log cabin her built in the Alaska wilderness. Proenneke was an active yet reluctant participant in the epic struggle to protect some of Alaska's wild lands for future generations of Americans.

Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer (Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer)

The first choice of outdoors enthusiasts. Beautiful, detailed, large-format maps of every state. Perfect for home and office reference, and a must for all your vehicles. Gazetteer information may include: campgrounds, attractions, historic sites & museums, recreation areas, trails, freshwater fishing site & boat launches, canoe trips or scenic drives. Categories vary by state

Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping: Alaska and Yukon Camping with RV or Tent (Traveler's Guide series)

Detailed routes and advice for heading into the wilds of Alaska and northwestern Canada are provided in this guide for RV and tent campers. This grand tour of Alaska covers in detail the Alaskan Highway, routes throughout the Yukon and Alaskan outback, and the ferry system in southeastern Alaska. Campgrounds throughout the region are listed with pictures, descriptions of amenities, meticulous maps, and contact information for each; campgrounds suitable for large RVs are also identified. Along with important details for a safe trip—such as border crossings, budget planning, vehicle preparation or renting an RV, appropriate clothing, road conditions, and possible wildlife encounters—recreational information on hiking, mountain biking, boating, rafting, kayaking, and viewing wildlife is provided for each destination.

Among Grizzlies: Living with Wild Bears in Alaska

Alaska has a population of more than 30,000 grizzly bears, almost all that survive in the United States. It makes sense that Australia-born bear lover Timothy Treadwell would make his way there, then. Among Grizzlies records his adventures among Alaskan bears over the last 10 years, and adventures they are: being awakened at dawn by curious grizzly cubs, being treed by irritated mama bears, being sized up by huge males as if for a midday snack. Treadwell's affection for Ursus arctos horribilis is abundant in these pages, and even if other grizzly specialists question aspects of his up-close-and-personal approach, you'll learn quite a lot about the bears in his book.

Living with Wild Bears in Alaska

"A heart-stopping eco-adventure, a testimony to both the grizzlies and their courageous protector."

--People

"The grizzly bear is one of a very few animals remaining on earth that can kill a human in physical combat. It can decapitate with a single swipe or grotesquely disfigure a person in rapid order. Within the last wilderness areas where they dwell, they are the undisputed king of all beasts. I know this very well. My name is Timothy Treadwell, and I live with the wild grizzly. . . ."

After Timothy Treadwell nearly died from a heroin overdose, he sought healing far from the trappings of civilization--among wild grizzlies on the remote Alaskan coast. Without gun, two-way radio, or experience living in the wild, armed only with the love and respect he felt for these majestic animals, Treadwell set up camp surrounded by one of nature's most terrifying and fascinating forces of nature.

Here is the story of his astonishing adventures with grizzlies: soothing aggressive adolescents, facing down thousand-pound males, swimming with mothers and cubs, surviving countless brushes with death, earning their trust and acceptance. In these incredible pages, Treadwell lives a life no human has ever attempted, and ultimately saves his own. To share his experience is awesome, harrowing, and unforgettable.
                                                        
"LIKE AFRICA NATURALIST JANE GOODALL, TREADWELL GIVES PERSONAL NAMES TO HIS SUBJECTS. . . . Bears have distinct personalities, Treadwell shows, and as a group, individual roles become clearly defined by gender, size, and age."

--The Seattle Times

With twenty-nine photographs