In his author's note, Krakauer suggests that he desires to "leave it to the reader to form his or her own opinion of Chris McCandless." However, based on chapters 16–18, what opinion of Chris do you believe Krakauer hopes the reader will arrive at by the end of the book?

Krakauer, as he states openly in the book, identifies with Chris McCandless. A debate erupted after Krakauer wrote his initial article on McCandless's death for Outdoor magazine. The debate revolved around whether Chris was a fool who deserved to die for going into the Alaskan wilderness unprepared or a person who had simply met with bad luck. Krakauer's book is an attempt to answer that question, and it sides with Chris.
Krakauer hopes that, by the end of the book, the reader will see that McCandless went to Alaska largely prepared and with a definite plan, purpose, and goals. He made a few mistakes that cost him dearly, such as failing to understand that the river he crossed would rise so high and become so rapid he would not be able to get back across it. He also made deliberate choices that in the end were fatal, such as wanting to embark on his adventure without the crutch of a map. A map would have shown him where to get relief.
All the same, as Krakauer shows, Chris had survived long trips to the wilderness before (such as into Baja California). In Alaska, unfortunately, circumstances worked against him.