About this title: Longtime Alaska-phile Sam Keith set himself the task of writing about an amazing encounter with the frozen north: that of his friend Richard Proenneke, who left his native Iowa in 1967 at the age of 50 to live in the unspoiled Twin Lakes country west of Anchorage. Proenneke kept a journal of the experience, from which Keith has drawn this ...
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Date Published: 6/1/2003
ISBN-13:9780882405131ISBN:0882405136
Description: Very Good. 0882405136 May show signs of shelf wear. Choose EXPEDITED shipping, receive in 2-5 business days. Please email with questions. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Date Published: 1999-05-01
ISBN-13:9780882405131ISBN:0882405136
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780882405131. read more
Description: Good. 0882405136 Mild shelf wear only. No marking in text. Binding solid. No creases in spine or covers. Front cover starting to curl. Not remainder or ex-library. Packaged carefully for shipping. Ships within 24 hours. Satisfaction guaranteed! ! read more
Description: Good. 0882405136 Multi-colored with black and white writing. Edges and corners are a little shelf worn. Pages are tight and clean. Book is in overall good condition.; 6" x 9"; 223 pages. read more
"Interesting read about a guy, Dick Proenneke, who did what we all would like to do, but won't get to. He left. He moved off, built a cabin with his hands, lived his life in the wilderness. He did a fantastic job of journaling his thoughts and observations, and this book is based on those entries, with lots of great photos he took too. I got this as a PBS incentive, along with a wonderful video of Mr. Proenneke building his cabin and living in Alaska. That would be a path I'll consider taking, next time."
"This book is the log of Dick Proenneke's 18 months living in the wilderness of Alaska. During this time he built a log cabin completely by himself with hand tools. The book started out a little dry for me because it's pretty much a very short summary (I believe there is a fuller version of his diaries, but this one has been edited) of his day to day work on the cabin and changes in the weather and landscape as the seasons change, as well as animal sightings. But it really grows on you. While I am not even tempted to rough it, especially in winter temperatures of -75 (!!!) I really appreciate that someone is secure enough that he can live by himself for over a year without any modern conveniences or company or news sources (and this was in the 1970s before the internet). You have to be comfortable with your own thoughts, that's for sure, -- something we are all challenged with because of the constant barrage of interruptions which we allow into our lives. His regard for the animal life was very touching. While he did hunt for his own meat, he would dress it and conserve it the proper way and used every bit of it, giving the parts he couldn't use (although the man could use just about every part of the animal for something!) to the birds and other "camp robbers" as he called them. He fished too but once he caught a trout that was so colorful and beautiful he put it back, even though he was very hungry for some fish. He made his own furniture, dishes, utensils -- everything. He did get supplies flown in from a friend every few months, but the visits were very short -- pretty much "here's your stuff" and then he would fly out again.
In one scene he stumbles upon a caribou mother and very young calf which are being chased by a bear. The bear was going after the calf but changed course and pursued the mother. Dick decided to take the calf home to his cabin because he figured the mother probably didn't make it. He fed it a mixture of various things and the calf seemed to be doing fine. He took it back to the original site the next day and saw evidences that the mother had been back to look for it, but not finding it had left. So he took it home again and it soon died. How he regretted taking it it away in the first place! He saw many wolves and greatly admired their beauty. I would have been so afraid. And he also had two very close encounters with a bear, the second one where he thought for sure he was a goner. But he made it out. I also love at the end where he says "I have often thought about what I would do out here if I were stricken with a serious illness, if I broke a leg, cut myself badly, or had an attack of appendicitis. Almost as quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it. Why worry about something that isn't? Worrying about something that might happen is not a healthy pastime. A man's a fool to live his life under a shadow like that. Maybe that's how an ulcer begins." Very wise words. I really enjoyed this book. It also has gorgeous photos of the landscape, his cabin and some wildlife. And maybe, just maybe, when I even try to contemplate what -75 degrees feels like, I won't complain so much about the winter here."
"I would enjoy being able to live a solitary life like this man did. To live free off the land and enjoy the fruit of my own labors. The only thing would be to have many friends visit and allow them to join me for a day or two."
"completely amazing. as literature, it was a little rough until i got used to the idea that this was written as it might have been spoken. once i got over that, though, all i could do was be in awe of how lucky proenneke was, in so many ways."
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