why was chris so intent on his great Alaskan journey? what did Alaska hold for him?

Chris emulated writers like Thoreau who claimed they found solace in the wilderness. Chris romanticized these ideals. He dreamed of an " Alaskan Odyssey" where he would escape the world of materialism and embrace life. The reality was quite different. Alaska was an unforgiving environment that held few of the romantic ideals that Chris envisioned.