Into the Wild

I realized I was probably off the trail when I noticed I was in the middle of a forest, surrounded by a field of blueberries. The trail I had been following now looked more like an animal path—probably a bear’s. Not good.

In the Alaskan wilderness, this is no joke. I had been told that it’s a good idea to make noise in situations like this, so I started talking to myself aloud. I turned around and began retracing my steps, hoping to find where I’d gone off track.

Alaska is beautiful, though. I had been hitchhiking around for a month and arrived in Anchorage a few days ago, where I decided to head Into the Wild to see the legendary magic bus. Had I done more research on this hike, I would have read about the many tourists who, without proper preparation, put themselves at risk trying to reach the bus. It’s still a dangerous and difficult place to access in case of an emergency.

Instead, a couple from France I met at the hostel offered to give me a ride. They were headed to Denali National Park and dropped me off at the highway near the entrance to the trail.

I don’t like to think of myself as a foolish person, definitely not a stupid tourist. I see this more through the lens of adventure—perhaps with a mix of ignorance and arrogance. However, the line between the two is thin here.

As I mentioned, I’m in the middle of the forest, surrounded by a bear’s favourite food, trying to find my way back to the trail...

Alaska, 2017