Overdue hikers bound for "Into the Wild" bus found safe

Two overdue hikers were found in good condition by National Park Service rangers in the Denali National Park area on Sunday.

According to the National Park Service, 25-year-old Michael Trigg of South Carolina and 27-year-old Theodore Aslund of Georgia were delayed on a trip to visit the abandoned Fairbanks Transit bus used as a shelter by Christopher McCandless. McCandless’ story was popularized by the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

The two men started their trip on June 20^th. They shared their plans on Facebook, and asked that friends contact emergency responders if they did not return by June 24^th. When the hikers did not report back on social media, concerned friends called the National Park Service.

Hiking to the abandoned bus, located near the Stampede Trail, can be treacherous, particularly when crossing the Teklanika River. Trigg and Aslund planned to avoid the potentially dangerous crossing by approaching from the west. According to the National Park Service, the two men were running late on their itinerary and attempted to take a shortcut across the river. They were back after chest-high currents threatened to sweep them downstream.

The search team was able to follow clues left by the two hikers, including a note left at the bus used by McCandless. They were found uninjured. While neither man had a phone or rescue locater, they had brought extra provisions.

According to the National Park Service, multiple people are rescued each year while attempting to visit the abandoned bus, and the frequent search-and-rescue missions have lead to some in the public calling for the relocation or removal of the landmark.