- The abandoned bus, located in the Alaskan wilderness, became a Mecca for those fascinated with the story of backpacker Christopher McCandless as told in the book Into the Wild.
- Search and rescue teams have been called out more than a dozen times since 2009 to rescue backpackers attempting to reach the bus, and two people have died.
- The bus was lifted by CH-47 Chinook helicopter to an “undisclosed location” but could soon go on public display.
An abandoned bus that figured prominently in the book and film Into the Wild was picked up by the Alaska National Guard and flown to an undisclosed location. The bus, where adventurer Christopher McCandless died of starvation in 1992, attracted backpackers and hikers fascinated by the McCandless’ story, some of whom became lost or died.
The bus was removed in a joint operation between Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources and the Alaskan Army National Guard’s 207th Aviation Battalion. The effort was dubbed “Operation Yutan,” after the Yutan Construction Company that originally placed the bus on the Stampede Trail in 1961. The bus, originally part of the Fairbanks City Transit System, was one of three purchased by Yutan and placed on the Stampede Trail during its construction as housing for trail workers. Two of the buses were removed in 1963 but the third was left behind as a shelter for outdoorsmen and hunters.
It was this bus, later known as “Bus 142” or “The Magic Bus,” that 24-year-old Christopher McCandless discovered in 1992 during an ill-planned trip into the Alaskan wilderness. McCandless became trapped at the location due to rising river waters and eventually died of starvation. His story was told in the 1996 bestseller Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and the 2007 film of the same name.
The bus eventually became an attraction for those fascinated by the McCandless story, leading some to seek it out themselves. The bus, which McCandless found by sheer accident, was located near Denali National Park, 25 miles west of the Parks Highway on the Stampede Trail. The harsh terrain and climate sometimes resulted in bus seekers getting in over their heads. According to the National Guard, authorities mounted 15 search-and-rescue operations between 2009 and 2017 to rescue bus-seekers. Two people have died during the trip, one in 2010 and another in 2019.
An Alaska DNR official told the National Guard "we encourage people to enjoy Alaska’s wild areas safely, and we understand the hold this bus has had on the popular imagination. However, this is an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle that was requiring dangerous and costly rescue efforts, but more importantly, was costing some visitors their lives.”
“Operation Yutan” was carried out by guardsmen of the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Battalion. The operation began with a National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flying to the bus site. Guardsmen cleared obstacles and brush around the bus, then cut holes in the roof and floor to secure dual point chain kits to the buses’ frame. A CH-47 Chinook helicopter then hitched up the bus and flew it to an “undisclosed location.” Guardsmen also transported a suitcase that “holds sentimental value to the McCandless family.”
Photographs from the operation show the bus flying low over the Alaskan countryside. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is considering what to do next with the bus. One possibility is to display the bus at a safe location for public viewing.
Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. He lives in San Francisco.
