Answer:
A year after McCandless wanted to cross the river, Krakauer stands on the other side, also wanting to cross, with three companions. Krakauer has a map that shows that there is a gauging station only half a mile downstream, which has a wire crossing the river, and a basket that one can ride across in. When they get to the station, they see that the basket is on the far side of the river, and it had been there when McCandless wanted to cross—had he known about it, he easily could have crossed to safety. McCandless, however, wanted to be on uncharted territory, and so didn’t carry a good map with him.
Step-by-step explanation: