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What were you hunting? Did you have a problem with the cold temperatures and your gun jamming up ever?
I hunt moose in September, but most times is not very cold. It drops to around 20 degrees sometimes, which is not cold enough to freeze the action of a firearm. I also use synthetic oil designed for cold weather.
Ray in AK, do you have a link to that story? I looked for it on the News-Miner website but couldn't find it...
For some reason the News Miner does not provide links to the special section I referred to. It's only included in the Sunday's issue of the News Miner, and is called "Sundays." My wife loves that section, because they post old photos from the interior, and also because of all the stories, including the ones by the two sisters. I was just paging through "Sundays," and didn't see any of their articles this time, but I have read their stories on past issues.
Does wanting to be alone in the wilderness for long periods of time mean you have an emotional disorder? I personally think Dr Phil and his wife have some serious issues. They probably have to meet with Howard Stern once a week for relationship counseling!
All depends on the individual. For whatever reason, every once an awhile we see people coming to Alaska because they want to be isolated form people. That by itself may be a "mental disorder" in some instances. The problem is that unless the person knows how to survive in the wilderness of Alaska, it's very difficult to stay alive. Every few years we have somebody from the lower-48 trying to experience Alaska's wilderness, later to be found frozen somewhere. Maybe it's not a mental disorder, but ignorance that leads people out there.
I can tell you from personal experience that being out there is not as easy as it sounds, specially the first few nights trying to sleep in a little tent in the darkness of night, and knowing the bears could be on top of you before you have time to wake-up. It takes quite a few nights to get used to the wolves howling nearby, so dark that you can't see your own hands in the tent.
BUT, there is a cure for it: read all the "Alaska Bear Tales" books before you go out there
Thanks for your post, as some of the posts so far in response to my question were kind of bizarre. Have you heard of any National Park Land that is available for year round camping out? I was looking into doing the igloo thing or just building something before it gets cold. Once saw a great PBS on this guy who did that for many years. I can not recall his name.
As to some of the responses being bizarre...take a hint. This is Alaska after all. I second the notion that a lot of the people who live alone either are wierd or become that way. I knew one guy that was obsessed with brushing his teeth. He kept a tooth brush on a necklace around his neck. When you visted him in his cabin he would absently brush his teeth while carrying on a conversation.
I've spent quite a bit of time in the "great beyond" Some of the time absolutely alone. I used to think I wanted to be all alone in the wilderness but I change my mind.
When I was 27 it was three weeks in a wall tent in February between the headwaters of the Kobuk and Alatna Rivers that did it. I had no radio and no reading material. I was memorizing the backs of the canned chile labels. I decided that life was not for me. When I got back to Fairbanks I signed up at UAF.
I still like my wall tent and a week or so is fantastic...but over a month is just too much. And I am a loner by personality.
Thanks for your post, as some of the posts so far in response to my question were kind of bizarre. Have you heard of any National Park Land that is available for year round camping out? I was looking into doing the igloo thing or just building something before it gets cold. Once saw a great PBS on this guy who did that for many years. I can not recall his name.
You can't camp out indefinitely or do the "igloo thing" on National Parks land.
The way I look at it is if you are really into seclusion, peace and quiet, do it right. No contact with any people, no phone or tv or internet. Maybe a dog for company at the most.
All depends on the individual. For whatever reason, every once an awhile we see people coming to Alaska because they want to be isolated form people. That by itself may be a "mental disorder" in some instances. The problem is that unless the person knows how to survive in the wilderness of Alaska, it's very difficult to stay alive. Every few years we have somebody from the lower-48 trying to experience Alaska's wilderness, later to be found frozen somewhere. Maybe it's not a mental disorder, but ignorance that leads people out there.
I can tell you from personal experience that being out there is not as easy as it sounds, specially the first few nights trying to sleep in a little tent in the darkness of night, and knowing the bears could be on top of you before you have time to wake-up. It takes quite a few nights to get used to the wolves howling nearby, so dark that you can't see your own hands in the tent.
BUT, there is a cure for it: read all the "Alaska Bear Tales" books before you go out there
Living alone for a year or two, hunting and fishing as much as you like, reading as much as you like, no utilities etc just you and Mother Nature to me sounds very spiritual and peaceful. Are you projecting this Dr Phil thingy? Have you called him?
I have read about some who choose to live totally isolated from any human contact for no less than 9 months out of the 12 month year.
Has anyone met anyone who has done this?
Has anyone tried this? Would appreciate your feedback on how you stored food and over all adaptation.
I knew some olidies in the 60's who lived this way. An old prospector who lived in his mossy little log cabin and was friends with all the critters around. A plane could be radioed in to send groceries now and then, and he would occasionally make a trip to a town to hang out for a week or so.
And was he weird? He just had this totalliy peaceful, "Life is Good" vibe about him. When me and my family would go visit him, once or twice a summer, he'd always have an Idaho Spud candy bar for me.
And then there was Stan and Edna Price, out at Windfall Harbor, but I guess being a married couple isn't living in total seclusion. He made quite a name for himself in the media in his later years, and of course the WIndfall Harbora area is also known as Pack Creek.
You do alot of canned stuff, Stan and Edna had a real nice vegetable garden, although Herman (the prospector) didn't grow anything. Of course you kill deer and salmon and halibut and have a crab pot.
I have found these old-timers to be such meat-and-potatoes kind of people; it seemed they really didn't need a lot to be happy and healthy.
A little off-topic, but I think it is very true that the mind plays just an important part in health as nutrition, in some cases even more so.
I'm surprised its not yet been mentioned, but Dick Proenneke lived at Twin Lakes from 1968 until 1998. He began his journey to test himself, to build a cabin and stay one winter....thirty years later he moved to his brothers in California as he couldn't take the winters anymore. Since his death, theres been a video made of real footage he shot over his years in the bush and a couple books. Good stuff.
I'm surprised its not yet been mentioned, but Dick Proenneke lived at Twin Lakes from 1968 until 1998. He began his journey to test himself, to build a cabin and stay one winter....thirty years later he moved to his brothers in California as he couldn't take the winters anymore. Since his death, theres been a video made of real footage he shot over his years in the bush and a couple books. Good stuff.
Great heads up on Dick Proenneke! Here is the YOUTUBE Link;
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Dick Proenneke
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