Chris’s sister Carine McCandless wonders what would have happened if Chris had taken the family dog, Buck, along with him on his journey. Although Chris wouldn’t hesitate to put his own life in danger, he likely would have been more cautious if he had the dog with him. Carine looks a lot like Chris. She is the same height as him and also energetic. Otherwise the two siblings are very different. Carine now has a good relationship with her parents. She does not harbor the same animosity toward wealth that Chris did; she co-owns an auto-repair shop with her husband and hopes to be a millionaire.

Almost a year after Chris’s death, Carine is still mourning and cries almost every day. She learned of Chris’s death when her husband came home early from work and told her while she washed the dog. Carine grieved loudly, and then she and her husband drove to meet her parents.

Within the week Carine and her older brother Sam flew to Alaska to obtain Chris’s remains and possessions. Carine flew home with Chris’s ashes in a knapsack.