Blog – Friends of BUS 142

CJMMF Funds Bus 142 Exhibit Shelter

February 20, 2024

Hello friends! We have good news. Funds for the outdoor shelter that will house Bus 142 have been raised. This generous $125,000 donation came from the Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation, founded by Chris’s parents long ago. His sister & Friends Of Bus 142 founder, Carine McCandless, facilitated discussions between museum staff and the CJMMF board members. Construction is planned for summer 2024 and the museum hopes to have that portion of the outdoor exhibit completed by the fall. The opening date in 2025 is dependent on fundraising still underway to cover costs for the remaining site preparation, the accessible walkway through the wooded trail to access the bus and security measures to keep it safe.

Bus 142 is owned by the state of Alaska and held by UAMN under a curation agreement that directs it to care for the bus in perpetuity and to provide free access to the public. Friends of Bus 142 continues to work closely with the museum to
ensure that the legacy of the bus is protected and preserved for future generations.
If you have yet to do so, please consider subscribing to our emails and following Friends of Bus 142 on social media for the latest updates. We never share your info, and we’re far too busy with the work at hand to ever crowd your inbox. ☺

The FOB142 volunteer team thanks you for your support!

To see the press release issued by the University’s Foundation, click here:
www.uaf.edu/news/mccandless-foundation-gives-125000-to-build-pavilion-for-bus-142.php

Updates

Outside Magazine Revisits Bus 142

February 8, 2024February 9, 2024

New Article and Podcast from Outside Magazine

Thirty years after Jon Krakauer’s “Death of an Innocent” article was published in Outside, the magazine went back to Alaska, this time sending journalist Eva Holland to continue the seemingly timeless story of Chris McCandless and examine why Bus 142 has become a historic relic being so carefully preserved.

Holland shares her own experience of first setting foot in the bus while it sat in the UAF Engineering building, seeing the graffiti etched all over its metal interior, evidence of the visitors that made their way to it in the wild. Diverse names and different languages, powerful symbols of the global audience still watching its future unfold – “If reading Carine’s book [The Wild Truth] had helped me understand Chris, seeing the bus for myself helped me understand the people who’d followed him down the Stampede Trail. Maybe that’s the magic of Bus 142 finding its way to the Museum of the North: It’s a chance for everyone who sees the exhibit to expand their understanding of a complex, multilayered story…to learn about the long history of outsiders who ventured north with extraction of one kind or another in mind. And for those who found themselves raising an eyebrow or rolling their eyes at Chris’s memory, to gain an appreciation for the impact he’s had on countless people the world over.”

Article:
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/chris-mccandless-into-the-wild-bus-142-alaska/

Podcast:
https://www.outsideonline.com/podcast/into-the-wild-bus-142/

Updates

Bus 142 Conservation Work Completed

January 15, 2024January 15, 2024

Photo Credit: Amy Chausse

As summer came to a close in Fairbanks, Alaska, so did the conservation work to preserve Bus 142 in preparation for its future exhibit. In early October, 2023, the bus was escorted to an undisclosed storage facility, where it will be cared for until the outdoor shelter has been completed within the wooded grounds beside the UAF Museum of the North. We have exciting announcements upcoming about the progress of that shelter and the correlating indoor exhibit, so please stay tuned for further information. To learn more about the preservation of Bus 142 from those that were hands-on in the process, check out this podcast hosted by the museum’s Director of Exhibits, Roger Topp, who visited with the crew of B.R. Howard & Associates throughout the project.

buzzsprout.com/2218808/13642625-bus-142-the-life-of-objects

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to our emails and following Friends of Bus 142 on social media for the latest updates. We never share your info, and we’re far too busy with the work at hand to crowd your inbox.

Updates

Bus 142 Conservation Live Stream

February 20, 2023January 11, 2024

Hello Friends of Bus 142 – Here’s the latest update!
Hands-on work to prepare Bus 142 for its future outdoor exhibit is continuing. You can watch the Bus 142 live stream at:

https://tinyurl.com/tckrwftw

LIVE STREAM NO LONGER AVAILABLE

The museum has told us that typical work hours will be Monday-Friday, 8am – 4pm Alaska time. The current work schedule for 2023 is as follows:

February 20th – March 3rd
March 13th – 24th
Future dates TBD

Conservation work is being performed by B.R. Howard & Associates, Inc. along with Museum staff & University students, and is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Updates

Major Grant Awarded for Conservation Work on Bus 142

October 20, 2022October 20, 2022

University of Alaska Museum of the North Awarded Major Grant for Conservation Work on Bus 142

FAIRBANKS, AK – A grant of $500,000 has been awarded to the University of Alaska
Museum of the North to complete the necessary conservation work to prepare Bus 142
for its permanent public exhibit. The funds were awarded from the Institute of Museum
and Library Services as part of the “Save America’s Treasures” grant. The extensive
work will begin soon, and will meet curation standards and grant requirements to
improve the safety of the bus and its many visitors.

“Conservation treatment is an essential step in the process of preparing museum objects
for long-term exhibition,” said Patrick Druckenmiller, museum director. “This work must
be done before the bus is ready for exterior exhibition.”

For more than two years, Friends of Bus 142 has worked closely with the museum to
ensure that the legacy of the bus is protected and preserved for future generations.
FOB142 is the nonprofit organization that functions as the official news and fundraising
home base for the Into the Wild global community. FOB142 members also volunteer as
participants on the UAMN 25-member Interpretive Advisory Team. This team has been
paramount in securing the location of the outdoor exhibit that has now been officially
approved, and is currently scheduled to be open to the public by summer 2024. This
projection is dependent on further funding for the road to exhibition, to include
construction costs.

“Preserving historic automotive artifacts requires a specialized set of skills,” UAMN
ethnology & history senior collections manager, Angela Linn, explained, “Since acquiring
Bus 142, museum staff have been diligently cataloging, researching, and preparing for
this undertaking. This included comprehensive consultations with professional
conservators who have over thirty years of experience in the field.”

Bus 142, a 1946 International Harvester K-5, sat along the Stampede Trail near Denali
National Park and Preserve for decades. Museum staff and student employees will work
with the conservators, B.R. Howard and Associates, to mitigate damage to the bus
caused by vandalism, weather conditions, and biological growths. In part, these
conservation efforts will include: structural repairs, restorative cleaning and application of
protective coatings to prevent further metal deterioration, the careful repairing of paint in
critical areas, the replacement of window glass and other components, the reinstallation
of large open sections of roof and floor created during removal from Stampede Trail, and
preservation of graffiti and epitaphs left behind by both temporary residents and visitors
of Bus 142 since the 1960s.

The upcoming conservation work will be visible from the glass walled observation areas
where the bus currently resides; in the ConocoPhillips Alaska High Bay Lab at the
Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Learning and Innovation Building on the UAF campus. In
person observation is from 8:00am-8:00pm Monday – Friday, and a live stream webcam
also provides opportunities for those located outside of Fairbanks, AK, to follow in real
time. Updates will be consistently shared by UAMN and their partner in the road to
exhibition, Friends of Bus 142.

Bus 142 is owned by the state of Alaska and held by UAMN under a curation agreement
that directs it to care for the bus in perpetuity and to provide free access to the public.

To read the letter that Friends of Bus 142 submitted as part of the museum’s grant application, click here.

To see the press release issued by the University’s Foundation, click here.
Museum Contact: Angela Linn, 907-474-1828, ajlinn@alaska.edu

Uncategorized

Carine’s Grant Support Letter

March 1, 2022October 20, 2022

Carine McCandless
Founder & President, Friends Of Bus 142
friendsofbus142.com
carinemccandless.com

To: Megan Brown
Chief of State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division of the National Park Service

Dear Chief Brown,
Thank you for considering the Bus 142 conservation project as a grant recipient. As the sister of Chris McCandless, the reasons for my interest in seeing the bus preserved might seem obvious, but they reach far beyond a personal connection.

When my brother passed away in Alaska, it was difficult to navigate grief through the public interest in his story. I was overwhelmed by the exponential growth of that interest after the publication of Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild. There was a peace, however, that took over once the messages began; countless, hand written letters from people in every corner of our country, needing to share with me how Chris’s story had made a positive impact in their lives. Many of these letters came from young people; students that had been assigned Into the Wild as part of their high school or college curriculum. Even more came from the teachers & professors that had made these assignments, expressing their awe at how their students had connected with the story in a way they had never witnessed before. They were excited about the lively discussions they were observing within their classrooms, and how the classmates own personal stories seemed to rise from the pages as they found themselves identifying with Chris. Most importantly, they spoke of how many students they had been able to support through difficult circumstances, because of these discussions.

Receiving of these sentiments increased dramatically with the book breaking bestseller records year after year, the development of the internet, email, social media, etc. By then Jon’s book had become required reading in thousands of schools across the United States. I was hearing from parents who were reading the book beside their children; I learned how it was helping families develop closer bonds through more honest communication. As Into the Wild had reached publication in 60+ countries, I’d already been receiving messages in different languages from individuals all over the world. But with the release of Sean Penn’s film in 2007, alongside Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack, that global audience became massive.

With encouragement from Jon, Sean & Eddie, I became more outspoken about the rest of the story, most notably, the specific details that led my brother to leave in the way he did and push himself to such extremes. Thus began another layer of outpouring from people that were finding their own voices and strength to leave abusive situations. It raised awareness and sparked valuable nationwide discussion on the issues of child abuse advocacy, domestic violence prevention, self awareness and mental health. People not only began to take another look at Chris’s story, but at their own story and the stories of people that needed help within their own families and communities. Stigmas fell away with these conversations and the tone of the messages in my inbox further expanded with countless people vowing to become better people, partners, parents.

Throughout this entire time, Bus 142 was recognized as an eternal symbol of this story. I’ve seen Bus 142 in innumerable social media posts, in poems, song lyrics, paintings, tattoos, college essays, student theses and children’s stories. Thousands made their own pilgrimages to visit Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail in Alaska, and they shared their stories through online blogs and YouTube videos. I myself hiked to the bus in 2014, and it was an experience I will always treasure. While I was there, I witnessed several journals that had been left for visitors to share their experiences being at the bus. The thick stacks of pages were covered with messages similar to those I’d been receiving for decades, but it was clear that the tangible connection they’d been able to make touching that iconic symbol evoked healing at a new level. The bus was not in a place that was easy to get to, and the motivations of what drove people to get there were remarkably powerful.

Before I left the bus, I retrieved one of the full journals that had been left by my family. In this journal alone I count 581 entries as I pause from writing this letter. These messages are from a wide range of individuals representing not just every state of the USA but every continent on planet Earth. In just a small sampling I see entries from citizens of Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, Chile, Moldova, Holland, Prague, Austria, Netherlands, France, Italy, China, Greenland, Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, India, Norway, Canada, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Israel, UK, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland, Brazil, Portugal, Slovakia…an international audience that travelled great distances to visit Bus 142, to explore our lands and experience our freedoms. These individuals are from different walks of life, cultures, economic backgrounds, religions – yet this one symbol unites them.
Imagine how many more will come once the bus is easily and freely accessible at the museum.

I was in shock when I first learned that Bus 142 had been removed from the wild, but this time I was not at all surprised by the extreme level of global interest. Almost immediately I received thousands of messages; desperate concerns from people asking what will become of the bus and imploring me to please “save it”. A new cycle of news and magazine articles began, this time with the added dimension of nationwide podcasts chiming in. Bus 142, in its removal, became an even greater emblem of this continually growing communal spirit. Opportunities like this one are rare where something of – dare I say, entertainment value to our sometimes shallow society – reaches well beyond the status of pop culture icon to impress upon its audience a deeper message.

As the accidental steward of the Into the Wild legacy attached to Bus 142, I am committed to assisting the museum in the conservation efforts needed to prepare the bus for public exhibit. It is the reason I founded the Friends of Bus 142 nonprofit and created its community based website, where the Into the Wild audience has come together in a circle of support around its mascot. Like many other items of symbolic value in our museums across this nation, Bus 142 is certainly worthy of protecting & preserving for future generations. In order to achieve this goal, we need to act quickly.

I greatly appreciate your time in reading this long letter, and your consideration to support the Bus 142 conservation project through this valuable grant funding.

Sincerely,
Carine McCandless
March 2022

Updates

Stampede Trail Bus Moves to UAF Engineering Building

October 7, 2021October 7, 2021

CONTACT: Marmian Grimes, mlgrimes@alaska.edu

Bus 142 is back in the public eye.

On Wednesday afternoon, the University of Alaska Museum of the North moved the 1940s-era bus, made famous by Jon Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild” and the 2007 film of the same name, to the university’s engineering building in Fairbanks.

It will spend the rest of the academic year in the building’s high bay lab, where museum staff, engineers and conservators will continue the painstaking work of preparing it for display at the museum. The lab, which is visible from the building’s atrium, will offer a warm place to work and the public’s first chance to see the bus since its removal from the Stampede Trail last year.

“The process of preparing Bus 142 for permanent display is a lengthy one, but its presence in the engineering building will allow the public to follow along with that process, both here in Fairbanks and online,” said museum ethnology and history senior collections manager Angela Linn. The museum plans to install a webcam so that the public can view the conservation work online.

Bus 142’s fame grew from the story of Chris McCandless, a 24-year-old man who died at the bus in 1992. The remote site north of Denali Park became an often hazardous destination for visitors inspired by McCandless’ story. Some of those visitors were injured or died on the journey, which prompted the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to remove the bus from the Stampede Trail in June 2020. Three months later, the bus arrived at a storage facility in Fairbanks, where museum staff began conservation work.

Throughout the winter, the museum team will take detailed photographs and 3-D scans of the bus, and will build a structure to support the bus frame. During the spring semester, they will work with UAF engineering students on design and fabrication of a cover for the exhibit, which is slated to be outdoors just north of the museum on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus in Fairbanks. In the next year, specialists in historical vehicle conservation will begin to prepare the bus for exhibit, a process that involves both repairs and cleaning, as well as preservation work.

“Our goal is for visitors to experience the complete story of the bus: Its journey to Alaska, its role in Chris McCandless’ final months and the decades of public interest following his death,” Linn said.

Members of the public can view the bus from the engineering building atrium weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and online via a soon-to-be installed webcam, which will be linked from the museum’s website.

MORE INFORMATION
Support the preservation, interpretation and exhibition of the bus by visiting https://uaf.edu/museum/collections/ethno/projects/bus_142/.

Stories

Last Visitor to Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail

October 31, 2020November 22, 2020

Hello Friends of Bus 142,

I am the last person to have journeyed into the wild to see the magic bus. I struggle with that statement, because I considered the way I got to the bus to be very much a cheat, as I helicoptered the entire way in. I’d had no original intention of going to the bus at all this summer. I’d already convinced myself to leave it alone and go at another time, when the rivers were more safely navigable. So when I awoke on the sunny Sunday morning of June 14th, 2020, and started calling every helicopter company within a 100 mile radius, I can’t tell you what had come over me. My overwhelming need was to the point where, after we had reached the bus, and the pilot asked me what my thoughts were, I stated that I wished I’d hiked into it, because I suddenly felt as if I hadn’t earned the right to be standing there.

You see, to say that I consider myself a super fan is a bit of an understatement. I’d read Into the Wild as part of my high school curriculum as a junior. It changed my worldview, as it has for an entire generation of people the world over. I’d even stated to my teacher at the time that I fully intended to walk into the wild as Chris had, and someday reach that bus. Here I am almost 10 years later, having semi-accomplished that goal by at least bearing witness to it.

As soon as I’d absorbed the shocking news about the bus being air lifted off of the Stampede Trail, I felt compelled to message Carine McCandless, Chris’s sister. My strong hunch that I had been the final visitor brought with it an enormous weight and responsibility, as well as an overall feeling of disbelief. My letter was somewhat of an apology, sharing that I felt the last witness should have been one that trekked in the hard way. Her response was a relief,

“Please don’t feel that your visit was somehow a ‘cheat’ or inadequate”, she began. “On the contrary, I’m grateful that you were wise enough to recognize that your decision to go on a whim was best realized by the safety of a helicopter. Too many have walked in unprepared, resulting in costly rescues and devastating tragedies, occurrences that ultimately led to the state’s decision to remove the bus. Be pleased that you did not contribute to that. And in any event, that one day will never compare in value to the lifetime of lessons and influence that came before your trip and will continue well afterward. Thank you for honoring my brother’s life by living your own to the fullest. It is through people like you that his spirit continues on, and it is the resulting stories like yours that make their way to me, and make his loss more bearable.”

Chris’s story sparked a lifetime of adventure for me. My profession is that of a park ranger, I consider the Alaskan interior my office. I have travelled extensively in the South Pacific, calling New Zealand and Australia home for two years. I’ve been fortunate enough to undertake backpacking experiences through Utah, Arizona and the Canadian Rockies. I have to thank Chris and Krakauer for the spark.

I imagine many people are feeling burdened, having had the chance to see the bus in its natural setting stripped away from them. I know I would have been among them. But as Carine has said, we can’t undo what is done – the magic bus took an unexpected flight, and it was definitely a one way trip. However, among the sadness surrounding the removal of the bus, there is hope in knowing its preservation will allow it to continue to represent not only the story of Chris McCandless, but the stories of so many who need to quench that thirst for adventure. I hope the museum exhibit will give them some comfort, and that they seize the opportunity to visit the bus in its new home, take the inspiration with them, and continue their journey through the vast state of Alaska, where countless trails of staggering beauty await.

In Emmersonian spirit – forge a new path to find your own adventure.

Sincerely, Erica Calvo

Updates

Letter From Carine

September 27, 2020October 31, 2020

Hello, friends.

By now you are probably aware that on June 18th, 2020, the Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources had Bus 142 removed from its sixty year residence on the Stampede Trail. I know that many of us are saddened by this news. Some feel angry. I was certainly shocked when the Alaska DNR Commissioner called to inform me that it had just been extracted by the Army National Guard. I was also appreciative that she gave me time to collect my emotions while she respectfully conveyed their reasoning. From the DNR’s viewpoint, another season of under-prepared travelers would soon begin; those attempting to hike to the bus to connect with my brother’s story, known globally through the book & movie Into the Wild.

Though many did manage the trek without incident, the dangerous rescues and recoveries were becoming too frequent, and costly. Some hikers paid for their mistakes with their lives. The frustration of many locals grew with this redundant cycle, resulting in serious vandalism of the bus. As such, it was no longer useful as a hunting shelter, the original intention after its abandonment by mining road workers in the early 1960’s. I am saddened by all circumstances that led to its removal. But having made that hike to the bus, I have the added perspective of grasping the risks that brought the DNR to this difficult decision that was well within their authority and responsibilities.

Undoubtedly, the photos showing it strapped beneath a CH-47 Chinook helicopter are a lot to take in. But it is done, and now the time has come for us to shift our focus onto the next phase of its journey, to rise up and highlight the positives in this unusual set of circumstances.

We at Friends Of Bus 142 are working with the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska, the bus’s new home as chosen by the Alaska DNR. Their decision brings the bus back to Fairbanks, where it had first been placed into service. With all of our help, the bus can continue to serve for countless individuals as a globally recognized symbol of breaking free from limiting expectations and societal norms.

The museum plans to exhibit the bus on campus in an outdoor environment, making it freely accessible to the public while also protecting it from further degradation. They are seeking input from the Friends of Bus 142 community as details of this plan come together. Please sign up to receive updates and follow us on social media to stay informed of the latest developments, to have your voice heard, and for the opportunity to donate to the Bus 142 preservation project if you are so inclined.

Yes, the Magic Bus took an unexpected flight, and it was definitely a one way trip. But we can promise you, this is not the end of the story.

Thank you all for your kind and inspirational messages about my brother over the years. Through you, his story continues.

~ Carine McCandless
Sister of Chris McCandless and friend of Bus 142.
Author of The Wild Truth

Updates

Stampede Trail bus arriving in Fairbanks

September 24, 2020October 8, 2021

Photo by Roger Topp, Courtesy of UA Museum of the North
Bus 142 in front of UAMN en route to the conservation yard. In photo: Brittany Templeton (DNR), Dianna Leinberger (DNR), Pat Druckenmiller (UAMN Director), Angela Linn (UAMN Senior Collections Manager for Ethnology and History, Kate Ripley (UAF Interim Director of Development), Morgan Dulian (UA Foundation).

Donate to the Bus Project

Note to International Donors: The museum’s fundraising page is currently processing U.S. donations only. They are working on it & we will notify you once the issue is resolved. Thank you for your patience!

Your donations are tax deductible & will go directly to the museum’s dedicated fund that will provide for Bus 142’s restoration, preservation & exhibition. The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a 501c3 nonprofit organization supervised by the UA Foundation.

DONATE HERE

UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination/.

September 24, 2020

Stampede Trail bus arriving in Fairbanks for conservation work

CONTACT: Marmian Grimes, 907-460-4750, mlgrimes@alaska.edu

The 1940s-era bus made famous by the book and film “Into the Wild” arrived in Fairbanks this week so that staff at the University of Alaska Museum of the North can begin conservation work.

The former Fairbanks city bus—known as Bus 142—will eventually be displayed by the museum. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources earlier this year removed the bus from the spot where it was abandoned off the Stampede Trail near Healy, Alaska. The museum and DNR signed a formal agreement this week that assigns long-term stewardship of the bus to the museum.

“Bus 142 is an international icon and a fascinating piece of Alaska’s history,” said museum director Patrick Druckenmiller. “Our museum is honored and excited to work with the Bus 142 community and share its story in a safe and respectful manner with our visitors.”

The bus gained notoriety after the release of Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book “Into the Wild” and 2007 film of the same name, which told the story of Chris McCandless, a 24-year-old man who died at the bus site in 1992. Over the years, the bus became a sometimes hazardous destination for visitors, some of whom became lost or injured in their attempts to reach the bus, which required crossing a remote river. Two people in the last decade have died trying to visit the bus, which prompted DNR to take steps to reduce the risk of future injury and death.

The DNR, with the assistance of the Alaska Army National Guard, moved the bus to a storage facility near Anchorage in June. In July, the DNR announced that it planned to house the bus at the UA Museum of the North.

“We at DNR understand that Bus 142 represents the spirit of independence, love of wilderness and more to people around the world,” said DNR Commissioner Corri Feige. “We are grateful that the Museum of the North has agreed to work with us to preserve and display this important historical and cultural artifact, so that visitors to our state can continue to experience and be inspired by the bus, without having to risk their safety or lives to do so.”

The museum’s preservation and interpretation work is expected to take at least two years. The work includes cataloging the bus and objects associated with it, hiring a conservation team that specializes in historic vehicles, and fully documenting the history of the collection.

Once the work is completed, the museum hopes to exhibit the bus in the wooded area north of the museum parking lot, with a short trail and interpretive signs to describe the bus’ history.

The museum has also launched a fundraising effort to support the preservation, interpretation and exhibition of the bus. More information can be found on the museum’s website.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Dan Saddler, Alaska Department of Natural Resources,
dan.saddler@alaska.gov, 907-269-8427.