Alone in the Wilderness - Richard Proenneke

[kwakster]

There is a nice documentary on stagevu.com about Richard Proenneke, an American who in the late '60 of the previous century decided to live on his own in the Alaskan wilderness.
Besides his carpenter tools, he also took with him a camera to shoot footage of himself building a log cabin, fishing, and canoeing on the lake in front of his cabin.
He eventually lived in his cabin for about 30 years.

When edited this footage was made into a documentary called "Alone in the Wilderness"

Documentary: http://stagevu.com/video/ogspldtejlsv
Background: http://aloneinthewilderness.com/index.html
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke

Well worth viewing,

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'll have to look it up when I've more time mate.

Thanks

[Gareth]

Sounds interesting.    I'll watch it when I'm a little less tipsy. 

[hawkchucker]

Watch that every couple monthes on PBS the guy was really handy! loved how he built his chimney with a folding form. He was the man and did it until he was in his 80's

[Leatherman123]

Same here, John! 

It's on PBS quite a bit too!

[Poncho65]

Same here, John! 

It's on PBS quite a bit too!

Yep I have caught it about 20 min into it every time never saw the beginning He really was a very amazing person when it came to making it out there by himself

[hawkchucker]

Just think aboout how he made the handles for all his chisles and other woodworking tools with an Axx to save weight on the way in. Plus his speaking of hunting and his ehics to it were second to none. he was surely the nesimunk of out times.

[Gareth]

I just finished watching this for the first time.  What a guy, he certainly knows haw to handle a saw,axe and drawknife.  Absolute respect for a man who has the skills and decides to just do it.

[FredKJ]

 In 1939 my father and two other guys spent a year in the Alaskan wilderness North of the Arctic Circle on the South Fork of the Koyukuk near Bettles and Wiseman.  They built a cabin, hunted, trapped, fished and panned for gold.  It's sort of a family epic.  I wonder what motivated him to do it.  It must have been an incredible experience for him and he would often tell me stories of his adventures.

[django.cj]

I love this film.  My jaw dropped when he decides to make hinges for his door...by carving them out of an old stump.  That man knew how to do things right.

[Chako]

I have seen this several times on PBS also.

What always strikes me as amazing...he does this after he retires. Think on that.

[roscoeba]

That's a cool story Fred. Even think of following in their footsteps..?

I was amazed that he was the one that documented all of the footage by himself. Wrote journals. Very awe inspiring.

[joebw]

Hi, 

His book (with photos) is very worthwhile as well.

Best - Joe

[Smitty44]

Great story and book,and I think they put that cabin on the National Register,so it will always keep up.

[FredKJ]

That's a cool story Fred. Even think of following in their footsteps..?

I was amazed that he was the one that documented all of the footage by himself. Wrote journals. Very awe inspiring.

I have considered and checked into a canoe trip in the area.  I've even gotten the topos for the area and communicated with the guy who runs the Bettles lodge nearby.  Where he was was in the Brooks range on the South Fork of the Koyukuk about 20 miles West of what is now the haul road South of Bettles and Wiseman.  My dad did pretty much what this guy did.  He built a cabin, hunted, fished, trapped and panned for gold.  He even did a painting of his cabin and cache which is with my brother now.  He used to tell me about winter heat waves when it got so warm, up to 20 below zero when he would go outside in his underwear.