Jon Krakauer mentions that Chris drove into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where "the temperature was 120 degrees Fahrenheit [and] the empty desert stretched into the distance, shimmering in the heat" (27). Chris admitted in his journal that temperatures in July "become delirious" and unbearable (29). I feel that I can relate to this because my family and I went on a road trip in the summer of 2009 that took us across Southern Nevada, and I must say, I do not know how Chris was able to hitchhike around Nevada after ditching his old Datsun. Going outside our car immediately gave me a sensation of gaining 20 pounds with the dense heat beating down on me and making me feel tired and woozy. I returned to our air conditioned car as fast as I could. Also, the highways were quite empty, and there were extremely few places to eat. Hitchhiking in this kind of place would be nearly impossible, as the air is very dry and it is essential to be constantly drinking water. And knowing how badly prepared and equipped Chris usually was, he probably would not have lasted very long. Chris must have gotten quite lucky in finding rides, because if he hadn't, he very well could have died of dehydration in Nevada.
This is a picture that we took of the Jack Ranch Cafe, which was about 2 or 3 hours from Las Vegas. It was the only place to eat in at least 20 miles. Suprisingly, the food was quite good.
This is a picture we took that shows the emptiness of the desert in Nevada.
I find it interesting that Chris himself would describe the condidtions as "unbearable". The condidtions you describe made me wonder whether or not Chris actually did find the experience exhillarating and enjoyable like he said he did. Maybe he was just putting on a facade around other people, becoming a phony (like the ones described in "The Cathcher in the Rye")by claiming to be on some prophetic voyage of discovery when he was actually miserable when he was alone. I don't think anyone could come away from experiences and conditions like that with any message other than "get water, get food."
ReplyDeleteI really like the pictures you included in your post from your family road trip. It's really interesting how you were able to directly connect to this book. Having first hand experiences in the deserts of Nevada sounds awful. And from this I can't even imagine how McCandless was able to hitchhike around in all this heat. Especially being 120 degrees. When i was in Mississippi the past summer the temperature topped 110 degrees one day, and i felt the same way getting out of the air-conditoned car....it was just gross.
ReplyDeleteI agree to an extent with the idea your running with Brendan, but I think that he's not only putting a facade around others I think he's trying to make himself believe he is enjoying such a lifestyle, because he personally spurns at the concept of society and wants to believe, despite its harshness, that nature and a life away from society beats the social expectations and adhesive forces of society.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Brendan and Christian. Just because he finds the desert "unbearable" doesn't mean that he is hating this hourney as a whole. As he did NOT spend his entire time in the desert, it is safe to say that he did not enjoy it. He actually spent alot of time north of the desert, namely South Dakota, Yukon, and Alaska, not to mention all the places in between. So you can see that the amount of time he spent in the desert is actually rather small compared to the amount of time he spant out of the desert. And if I was on a trip to find myself, and was as stubborn about it as Chris was, the fact that the desert is unbearably hot is irrelevant. He beleived nature is better than society, namely the act of living on the road with nothing but the clothes on your back is superior to any sedentary existance. Just because he lived on the road does not mean he liked the places the road went, nor the places it was passing through.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this, because as I said in my post, I've been in these sweltering conditions of heat. It is no fun to go on vacation when it is about 100 degrees and the only fun you have is inside the air-conditioned car. My brother and I were the same way. We went through tours and walked as fast as we could just so we could get back to the car and go back to the hotel. Chris must have had alot of guts and motivation to stay through these harsh temperatures and not give up. It isn't even the urge to want to do it, but sometimes its not physically possible (as we saw with Chris, because he was found dead) Although that was in the cold, it was still because his body just couldnt take it. Sometimes its not all about strength but whats actually healthy for you. Getting out of the society to find yourself is very good for the mind and soul, but if you go to the extremes, it could get dangerous.
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