Hikers Rescued on Trek to Into the Wild Bus

A second set of hikers this summer had to be rescued from the Alaska wilderness during a trek to the bus made famous in the book and movie Into the Wild. Three hikers had to be airlifted out of the region Tuesday, and one of them needed to have a leg injury checked out at the hospital. In May, three German hikers trying to reach the bus on the Stampede Trail, near Healy, also had to be rescued.

In the earlier case, the hikers told troopers the river they crossed getting to the bus had become impassable for the return due to high, swift-running water. The hikers had proper gear but only enough food for three days. The bus has become a destination for those seeking to retrace the steps of Chris McCandless. The 24-year-old starved to death in the vehicle after hiking into the region with little food or equipment in 1992. (More Into the Wild stories.)