Richard Louis Proenneke (Dick Proenneke) was an American self-educated naturalist, writer, wildlife photographer and conservationist who lived nearly 30 years (1969-1999) alone in the mountains of Alaska. He built a log cabin with his hands near the shore of Twin Lakes and lived there. He gathered food by hunting, fishing, and also supplies flown in occasionally.
Proenneke’s cabin was handmade and notable for his brilliant craftsmanship. It’s a result of his carpentry and woodworking skills. Most of the structure and furnishings are made up of nearby available materials and the cabin base is the gravel taken from the lake bed. Wooden walls and roof framings and the fireplace and flue were of stones dug from the surroundings.
Proenneke cut one U.S. gallon cans into basin shapes and buried it below the frost line. He used these metal containers to store food and ensured that perishables and fruits can be stored for long periods in the cool earth and still be accessible in the frozen winter months.
Proenneke briefly visited home to meet his relatives and secure more supplies. His friend, Bush Piolet, and a missionary, Leon Reid returned to him periodically with mail, food and supplies that he ordered through Sears.
Proenneke document his activities and life in journals and on film and also, he recorded valuable natural and meteorological data. Many films and documentaries were done in his lifetime in the wilderness. Sam Keith’s ‘One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey’, Bob Swerer’s documentary ‘Alone in the Wilderness’ are examples. Bob also edited the previously unseen footage of Proenneke to create the film of his adventures in Alaska. ‘Alaska Silence and Solitude’ and ‘The Frozen North’, were also about Proenneke’s life. Late in 2001, Bob Swerer produced ‘Alone in the Wilderness II’ with more unseen footages of Proenneke. He won the National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) in 1999.
Proenneke bequeathed his cabin house to the National Park Service upon his death. It’s included in the National Register of Historic Places after four years and it’s a popular attraction of Lake Clark National Park and Preserves and for those who want to personally experience parts of Proenneke’s values and sustainable life.
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