Did Chris destroy those cabins?

February 26, 1996

What other books do you recommend? How do I get published?
Did Chris destroy those cabins?
Are there better ways of planning these sojourns?
A touching portrayal of a remarkable person
His hubris and narcissism are inexcusable; you romanticize idiocy

Did Chris destroy those cabins?
Q: I was wondering what you thought about the destruction of the Forest Service and private cabins. One ranger thought it was Chris but the authorities never even considered him a suspect. What is your take on this situation?
Michael Juday
Juday@mail.NTU.EDU

A: I remain fairly certain that McCandless had nothing to do with the destruction of any of those cabins. My extensive research convinced me that McCandless never walked very far upstream along the Sushana River from the bus (i.e., toward the cabins). His photos clearly indicate that when he roamed from the bus, he went downstream (north,
toward the Sushana’s confluence with the Toklat)–the opposite direction from the cabins.

I didn’t mention it in the book, but more than one knowledgeable local thinks a bear was in fact responsible for the damage.