Number of people that have died attempting to reach the "Magic Bus" on the Stampede Trail made famous by the Into the Wild book/movie?

Other than the PFD, nothing polls higher in Alaska than disdain for The Bus.

Hatred for The Bus is a common bond among Alaskans. Being pro-Bus is the equivalent of being pro-Nickelback.

But why is this? Why do Alaskans viscerally hate The Bus? The climb up Denali kills more people and has a higher rate of requiring a rescue. Where's the hatred of Denali climbers?

Is it because most visitors to The Bus are from outside of Alaska? Well, so are 3 million other visitors.

Is it because they came unprepared? I hear this a lot. I've not heard that any of the people going to The Bus were unprepared. In fact, most planned their trip for months. Them being unprepared is speculation.

Where they run into a problem is fording the Teklanika River. If you plan a trip months in advance, you have no way to know how high the river will be the 1 day you will be there. That can lead to taking an unnecessary risk.

It's hard to just turn around and call it quits. I live here and I have a hard time making the call. It's a helpless feeling when you realize you should have turned back sooner. Also, fording cold rivers is tough.

Chris McCandless did everything wrong as a survivalist. Alaskans take great pride in being outdoor survivors. In many ways, McCandless represents a lack of respect for the Alaska wilderness.

A friend that lives at the base of Flattop Mountain and is a commercial pilot, estimates 7-12 helicopter rescues per year on the mountain. That would translate to about 100 per decade. Where's the drumbeat to shut it down?

With a single exception, Alaskans celebrate wilderness adventure. We tolerate that risk and accept that sometimes people die in the outdoors. It's a price we're willing to pay to live here. We afford that same deference to visitors climbing Denali. Give The Bus people a break.