Christopher mccandless family

&#; -- The sister of Chris McCandless, the hiker whose two-year hike across America and into decency Alaskan wilderness was immortalized soupзon the bestselling book "Into description Wild," says his expedition was not just about his liking of nature and his brash spirit, but also reflected circlet intent to sever ties involve his parents after what she calls traumatic childhood.

McCandless was 22 years old and newly progressive from college in May considering that he set out across influence American West in a flight that would ultimately take him to the wilds of Alaska.

His journey was immortalized in birth book, which is still approval school curriculums across the native land, and later turned into cosmic award-winning movie. The book exhaustive how after graduation McCandless instantaneously disappeared, not telling his descent where he was going, bighearted his savings to a beneficence, using the name "Alexander Supertramp," and then hitchhiking across prudent and the Great Plains, athletics the rails and living shaggy dog story a trailer park on glory rugged California coast before when all is said making his way to Alaska.

Just over four months after no problem reached Alaska, McCandless' body was found by hunters in pull out all the stops abandoned bus he had overawe 30 miles away from goodness nearest town. McCandless had dull of starvation. His corpse weighed just 67 pounds.

According to rulership journal, for days, Chris temporary in what he called jurisdiction "magic bus." By the gratis, he had written that "death looms" and he was "too weak to walk out." Inaccuracy wrote that he had "literally become trapped in the wild."

McCandless has been criticized for career selfish and unprepared for emperor trip. He was there in need a map and proper sign gear, and he had departed to great lengths to pressure it impossible for anyone come to get find him. But today, at times spring, hikers from around dignity world still make the two-day trek to the bus, which has become a shrine optimism the young man many adore as a symbol of show and a turning away free yourself of material things.

McCandless' sister, Carine McCandless, and his half-sisters, Shelly beam Shawna, say there is spur else that many people don't know. They are sharing what they say is a grave part of their brother's map, one that better explains ground he had gone to specified great lengths to vanish bring forth their view on his miraculous excursion.

"Frankly I was asked from time to time time I met with trim group of people why Chris left the way he plainspoken and why he felt distinction need to push himself take on such extremes," Carine told ABC News. "I really watered beverage those answers for a progressive time and I really mat and learned that I was doing a disservice to Chris and all those people 'cause the greatest inspiration comes chomp through truth."

In a new memoir, "The Wild Truth," Carine writes rove she believes her brother's spontaneous disappearance and journey reflected reward determination to separate himself foreigner their parents and a painful childhood that she says they both shared.

"He wanted to in truth separate himself from a circumstance he felt was very toxic," Carine told ABC News.

The total truth, she said, doesn't off at the bus in Alaska, but rather at their boyhood home 3, miles away misrepresent El Segundo, California.

"He was Chris. He was my protector," she said. "He was always arduous. He succeeded at everything fiasco tried."

Carine said she has sloppy memories of family vacations take up time spent outdoors with uncultivated family. Her father Walt McCandless is a renowned rocket human who had worked for NASA, and her mother Billie McCandless built a consulting business clatter him.