Dick Proenneke, Survivalist of Twin Lakes. Could you do it?

[scotrace]

I've just seen (again) the PBS program about Richard "Dick" Proenneke, who, at 51 years of age, built a cabin from scratch in the Alaskan wilderness and lived there, alone, for 35+ years. If he needed a sled, he built it from felled saplings. An extraordinary man.

Could you do it? Could you survive alone in the wilderness, braving temps at 45F below zero year after year?

 

[Flora]

Nah, I could never live the hermit lifestyle. I have ADHD, so I need attention and to complain to someone year after year!

 

[Empyrium]

I could survive in the wilderness with such temperature, but to live alone is out of question. At least a wife i need.

 

[CharlieH.]

Could you do it? Could you survive alone in the wilderness, braving temps at 45F below zero year after year?

Alone? Yes. 45F below zero? Probably. Wilderness? I'd be hopping on the next train outta there in less than 5 minutes!

 

[Samsa]

If necessity demanded it, probably. Not something I would voluntarily do.

 

[imoldfashioned]

This documentary is one that I'll always stop to watch if I catch it while flipping through the channels. Extraordinary man.

I'd never be able to do the physical labor necessary to live that way (to say nothing of putting up with the insects!), but the film appeals to my love of hiking and being in beautiful, rural settings where you feel like you're the only person in the world. For me, solitude is wonderful in small doses, but not for 35 years.

 

[Les Gillis]

The book & DVD

The first time I saw it on PBS I was almost spellbound. There is a book too; it gives much more interesting background information. I ordered a copy of the DVD and the book it's based on almost instantly.

I was amazed at the overall endeavor; but the amount of firewood he would have had to continually chop would have been staggering.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

A few months would be cool,...like a vacation from society. But one would have to be completely misanthropic to live like that for their entire life.

 

[scotrace]

There's something extremely appealing about it. Traveling light (who NEEDS all this crap, anyway? 100+ neckties? Geez!), being completely self-reliant, answerable to no one, and the tremendously therapeutic hard physical labor. I'd love to have a go.

 

[imoldfashioned]

There is a book too; it gives much more interesting background information.

Scoots off to Amazon...

 

[Les Gillis]

the link to scoot to....

http://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp/0882405136

 

[scotrace]

Reading the book now.

 

[Girl Friday]

I work on some of the images in this book several years ago, http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply...&c2=BOOKS_LIT&C3=BCAMPING&C4=&LV=3&item=34040 good information, but the cold is hard to escape! I don't think I could do it...unless it was absolutely necessary!

 

[imoldfashioned]

Thought you folks might be interested in these photos

This thread reminded me of my great uncle Mike who went to Alaska as a young man to help build airstrips. He returned with his wife, Vi, in the early 1960s and together they built their own house and lived in a pretty rural area. They stayed there for 20-25 years until Viv died and Mike moved back to Minnesota for the last years of his life. I met Mike when I was in my early teens but I wish I had had more time with him--very sweet man.

The cabin they built

Written on the back of the photo: "Mike Vandegrift Lake Clark Alaska First load of wood 1963; Now have hydrolic steering and better hitch! 1966; Notice the automatic tread tightener on the trailer treads!

Written on the back; "Just a little COLD!"

and my favorite:

What a he man!

 

[pigeon toe]

I could never do that. I know my great-great grandfather went into the wilderness in Alaska with other men and lived in a snow cave for awhile. I forget what they were doing there, but we have a photo of the snow cave and the men standing in front of it, and it's crazy. Just this large expanse of white.

 

[Mid-fogey]

I'm glad someone is doing it...

...because I'm not. Could do it, have done it, not doing it again. I'm done with that stuff. Jeeves, bring me another G&T -- I'm getting woozy.

 

[Les Gillis]

from my generation?

I've only personally known one guy that I think could have stood a chance at surviving in Alaska like Dick Proenneke and he was a good old country boy former Green Beret. Proenneke was incredibly tough and very resourceful like others from his generation. (The generation of The Great Depression and World War Two.) He did have supplies flown in and was methodical about preparations.

The two most famous Alaskan Adventurers from my generation: Timothy Treadwell and Christopher McCandless.

Have any of you seen Grizzly Man directed by Werner Hertzog? It's about Timothy Treadwell the guy that spent thirteen summers trying to commune with the Grizzly Bears until he and his girlfriend were eaten. The footage is amazing.

Christopher McCandless dropped out of society and wandered around the US and called himself "Alexander Supertramp" then went off to Alaska and died after accidentally eating the wrong wild berries or starving to death. Jon Krakauer(a real adventurer) wrote a book called into "Into The Wild" about him and Sean Penn is making a movie of Krakauer's book due out in September.

If anyone decides to do this I'd seriously recommend using Proenneke as a role model.

Les