Living in the Alaska wilderness - Dick Proenneke (Lakes: construction, legally)

[MrWillys]

Only read the first page. I've got 3 of his movies. I used to teach Carpenter apprenticeship, and show this movie after the final on Friday's and the students loved it. The Dutch door, and latch shows he is a master craftsman.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by starlite9

The wedge cut is fine, but clearly wasn't done by an axe.

As for living off the land, that is another item that I find odd. At this point I see no summer garden. Anyone that lives that lifestyle has a garden of somekind or is supplied by airdrops, float plane, boat or other means. He can hunt, but you need other staples or you would starve to death eating strictly meat. You need some starchy foods, even eating grass and berries would give that to you. I doubt he was a grazer though. So from what I saw, he isn't really living off the land per say either.

Which isn't a big deal, but not technically honest either, when your grub is flown in. I did see he had built a cache, but not a clue to what he had kept in it.

Regardless, I still admire him and others that want to live that life, it isn't an easy one to do by yourself!

The films do show him hunting and he did grow a small garden as well. Collecting berries too. He also got supplies dropped in, probably a necessity in that location his first year.

[Marty Van Diest]

Yes, he did hunt, garden, and pick berries. There were fish as well. My guess is that he lived off the land by about 50%. I met him when I was in high school. He was supplied by Babe Alsworth from Port Alsworth. I went to high school with Babe's son Glen Alsworth and that is who brought him to our school. He showed original 16 mm films to us and spoke for awhile. I was impressed with him. He seemed to be a humble person

Oh, and he did have a couple different hand saws for cutting logs.

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

Yes, he did hunt, garden, and pick berries. There were fish as well. My guess is that he lived off the land by about 50%. I met him when I was in high school. He was supplied by Babe Alsworth from Port Alsworth. I went to high school with Babe's son Glen Alsworth and that is who brought him to our school. He showed original 16 mm films to us and spoke for awhile. I was impressed with him. He seemed to be a humble person

Oh, and he did have a couple different hand saws for cutting logs.

You are right he didn't live 100% off the land. I remember mentions of oatmeal and pancakes (or did he say hot cakes) in the shows. At least he did make his own toppings for them.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

Yes, he did hunt, garden, and pick berries. There were fish as well. My guess is that he lived off the land by about 50%. I met him when I was in high school. He was supplied by Babe Alsworth from Port Alsworth. I went to high school with Babe's son Glen Alsworth and that is who brought him to our school. He showed original 16 mm films to us and spoke for awhile. I was impressed with him. He seemed to be a humble person

Oh, and he did have a couple different hand saws for cutting logs.

Regardless, I would still have loved to have met him. I just think that he started out to sell himself and that is why he did all the self shots, but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with the lifestyle.

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Regardless, I would still have loved to have met him. I just think that he started out to sell himself and that is why he did all the self shots, but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with the lifestyle.

That could be true. He definitely intended to document what he was doing. There are many, many others like him who did not document what they were doing. We don't know about them because they didn't write it down or take photos of it.

[dcbrewmeister]

The movie and the re-release of the book were not 100% copies of his diary and the narration was not from his diaries either... the second book was supposed to be page for page of his diary... And his "diary" mostly consisted of notations on calendars over the years.

His biggest disappointment from the first book was it was "adapted" to be a story.

Most of his supplies were flown in - it is nearly impossible to 100% live off the land... unless you grow sugar cain, have a salt mine and have grains to make flour with - but now your a farmer and run a mill to make flour...

And I have to agree there is no "reality" in "reality TV" put a camera in front of people and most will "act out" for it... changing "reality" into an acting.

The truth is - most people now-a-days couldn't do it... be that long alone and without TV, internet or the their iPhones - let alone feed themselves... or build a cabin.

Give credit where credit is due...

Could you build a cabin by yourself with nothing but hand tools? No generator or chainsaw? No pneumatic nail gun? Hell most people bawk at using a hammer...

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

That could be true. He definitely intended to document what he was doing. There are many, many others like him who did not document what they were doing. We don't know about them because they didn't write it down or take photos of it.

I know a lot of people that live that lifestyle today, and many that are now long gone. The only thing they have to show for it now are the places they lived at or are still living that life. So it is good that some like him do document their lifestyle.

I use to make rounds to a few of my friends. I'd fly out and bring mail and other oddities on my day off and sit at their table, drink coffee and let them tell me about what they were doing. It seems like they all had the same thing in common though, when you first get there, they talk at a hundred miles an hour for the first hour! I guess the solitude has its downsides! LOL

It is odd though that some folks when dropped off in that enviroment really can't handle that kind of loneliness. When they realize that they are truely by themselves, a certain paranoia sets in and they panic. But there are also a lot of people that thrive on that quiet as well.

[TorchLake2010]

My family and I flew out to Twin Lakes to visit his cabin and spend a few hours, it is absolutely beautiful. Watching Dick's movies is what peaked out interest to see where he lived and the area.

[brokencrayola]

Yesterday the documentary was on PBS. Very interesting. What really stood out to me is his love of nature. He was surrounded by wildlife but only took/humted when he absolutely needed to.